SCENE II. Another part of the wood. Enter OBERON. Obe. I wonder if Titania be awaked; Enter PUCK. Here comes my messenger. How now, mad spirit! Puck. My mistress with a monster is in love. Near to her close and consecrated bower, The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort, When they him spy, Anon his Thisbe must be answered, And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls; 个 Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears thus strong, Made senseless things begin to do them wrong; For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch; Some sleeves, some hats, from yielders' all things catch. 30 nurder I led them on in this distracted fear, Obe. This falls out better than I could devise. Puck. I took him sleeping,-that is finish'd too,- That, when he waked, of force she must be eyed. Enter HERMIA and DEMETRIUS. Obe. Stand close: this is the same Athenian. Her. Now I but chide; but I should use thee worse, If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep, Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep, The sun was not so true unto the day As he to me: would he have stolen away 50 This whole earth may be bored and that the moon Dem. So should the murder'd look, and so should I, Her. What's this to my Lysander? where is he? Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me? Dem. I had rather give his carcass to my hounds. 60 40 Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou drivest me past the bounds Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him, then? O, once tell true, tell true, even for my sake! And hast thou killed him sleeping? O brave touch! An adder did it; for with doubler tongue Dem. You spend your passion on a misprised mood: Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell. Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. Dem. An if I could, what should I get therefore? And from thy hated presence part I so: See me no more, whether he be dead or no. 70 80 [Exit. Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vein : So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow If for his tender here I make some stay. [Lies down and sleeps. Obe. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight: Of thy misprision must perforce ensue 90 Some true love turn'd and not a false turn'd true. Puck. Then fate o'er-rules, that, one man holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Obe. About the wood go swifter than the wind, And Helena of Athens look thou find: All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer, With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear: By some illusion see thou bring her here: I'll charm his eyes against she do appear. Puck. I go, I go; look how I go, Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. Obe. Puck. Obe. Puck. Flower of this purple dye, Hit with Cupid's archery, As the Venus of the sky. When thou wakest, if she be by, Re-enter PUCK. Captain of our fairy band, And the youth, mistook by me, Shall we their fond pageant see? Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. ΙΙΟ 120 Lys. Why should you think that I should woo in scorn? Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born, How can these things in me seem scorn to you, Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh: 130 Your vows to her and me, put in two scales, D Lys. I had no judgement when to her I swore. Hel. Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er. Dem. [Awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! Hel. O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent If you were civil and knew courtesy, 140 n But you must join in souls to mock me too? 150 If you were men, as men you are in show, To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, And now both rivals, to mock Helena: A trim exploit, a manly enterprise, To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so; Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. 160 |