Makes speed to catch the tiger; bootless' speed,
When cowardice pursues, and valour flies.
DEM. I will not stay thy questions; let me go:
Or, if thou follow me, do not believe

But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.
HEL. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,'
You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius !
Your wrongs' do set a scandal on my sex:
We cannot fight for love, as men may do;
We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo.

I'll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell,
To die upon the hand I love so well

5

240

[Exit DEM.

[Exit.

OBE. Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove, Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love.

Re-enter PUCK.

Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer.
PUCK. Ay, there it is.
ОВЕ.
I pray thee, give it me.
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips' and the nodding violet grows;
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine:
Useless.

Stay for thy discourse; will not wait to listen to you.
That is, everywhere.

The wrongs you do me.

250

"In dying by the hand. •Wright calls this a dissyllable. Furness suggests that a pause before where should take the place of a syllable.

"The oxslip, or the small kind of white Mullein, is very like the cowslip saving that his leaves be greater and larger, and his flowers be of a pale or faint yellow color, almost white and without savor."-Lyte's Herball (1595), p. 134.

Sweet, delicious honeysuckle.

Sweet-briar rose.

There sleeps Titania sometime of' the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in :

2

4

And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,

And make her full of hateful fantasies."

Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove:

A sweet Athenian lady is in love

With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes;
But do it when the next thing he espies
May be the lady: thou shalt know the man
By the Athenian garments he hath on.

6

Effect it with some care that he may prove

7

More fond on her than she upon her love :

And look that thou meet me ere the first cock crow. PUCK. Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do so.

SCENE II. Another part of the wood.

Enter TITANIA, with her train.

8

TITA. Come, now a roundel and a fairy song;

260

[Exeunt.

Then, for the third part of a minute,' hence;
Some to kill cankers 10 in the musk-rose buds;
Some war with rere-mice" for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats; and some keep back
The clamorous " owl, that nightly hoots and wonders

12

A dance where the parties join hands and dance in a ring.STAUNTON.

'The fairy divisions of time are small in proportion to their own tiny dimensions.-WRIGHT.

10 The canker-worms found on rose leaves.

11 Bats.

12 Wailing.

At our quaint' spirits. Sing me now asleep;
Then to your offices,' and let me rest.

SONG.

FIR. FAIRY. You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;

4

5

Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong,

Come not near our fairy queen.

CHORUS.

Philomel,' with melody

Sing in our sweet lullaby;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby:
Never harm,

Nor spell, nor charm,

Come our lovely lady nigh;

So, good night, with lullaby.

FIR. FAIRY. Weaving spiders, come not here;

10

20

Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence!

Beetles black, approach not near;

Worm nor snail, do no offence.

CHORUS.

Philomel, with melody, &c.

SEC. FAIRY. Hence, away! now all is well :

'Delicate.

One aloof stand sentinel.

[Exeunt Fairies. TITANIA sleeps.

•A little black lizard. It lives in standing water or pools. Slow-worms; about eleven inches long, covered with scales. They

have a forked tongue, but are harmless.

The chorus is the part of the song to which the elves danced. 'Philomela, the daughter of Pandion, King of Athens, was transformed into a nightingale, and lamented her sad fate in the plaintive notes of the bird which bears her name. See Ovid, Met., vi.WRIGHT.

Enter OBERON, and squeezes the flower on TITANIA'S eyelids.

ОВЕ.

What thou seest when thou dost wake,

Do it for thy true-love take;

Love and languish for his sake:

Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA.

Lys. Fair love, you faint with

30

[Exit.

wandering in the wood; And to speak troth,' I have forgot our way: We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,

And tarry for the comfort of the day." HER. Be it so, Lysander; find you out a bed;

For I upon this bank will rest my head. LYS. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both;

One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth.'

HER. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear,
Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

LYS. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence ! 10
Love takes the meaning in love's conference."

40

'An animal resembling the leopard, but much smaller.-WRIGHT. • Wild-cat. 'Which you see before your eyes.

'Leopard.

'Love, person dear to you.

6

From, as a result of.

'Truth.

The day which with its light will make thy going easier, more comfortable.

One pledge between them of their love.

10 Understand my innocent meaning.-JOHNSON.

11 When lovers talk, then their love should keep them from misunderstanding each other.

I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit,
So that but one heart we can make of it:
Two bosoms interchained' with an oath;
So then two bosoms and a single troth.'
Then by your side no bed-room me deny;
For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.
HER. Lysander riddles very prettily:
Now much beshrew my manners and
If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
Lie further off; in human modesty,
Such separation as may well be said
Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid,

3

my pride,

So far be distant; and, good night, sweet friend :
Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end!
Lys. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;
And then end life when I end loyalty!

Here is my bed sleep give thee all his rest!

HER. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd!

PUCK.

Enter PUCK.

Through the forest have I gone,
But Athenian found I none,
On whose eyes I might approve

This flower's force in stirring love.
Night and silence.-Who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear:
This is he, my master said,

6

Despised the Athenian maid;

50

60

[They sleep.

And here the maiden, sleeping sound,
On the dank' and dirty ground.

70

'Pledge, plighted faith. 4 Test, try.

'Damp.