Take thou some of it, and seek through this
A sweet Athenian lady is in love

grove:

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.
Effect it with some care, that he may prove
More fond on her, than she upon her love:
And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.
Puck. Fear not, my lord; your servant shall do so.
[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Another part of the wood.

Enter TITANIA, with her train.

Tit. Come, now a roundel,1 and a fairy song; Then, for the third part of a minute, hence; Some, to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds ;

Some, war with rear-mice 2 for their leathern wings, To make my small elves coats; and some, keep back

The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots, and wonders
At our quaint spirits.3 Sing me now asleep;
Then to your offices, and let me rest.

1 A kind of dance.

2 Bats.

3 Quaint spoOTLE.

SONG.

1 Fai. You spotted snakes, with double tongue,
Thorny hedge-hogs, be not seen;

Newts, and blind-worms,2 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.

II.

2 Tai. Weaving spiders, come not here:

Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence :
Beetles black, approach not near;

Worm, nor snail, do no offence.

Chorus. Philomel, with melody, &c.

1 Fai. Hence, away; now all is well :

One, aloof, stand sentinel.

[Exeunt Fairies. Titania sleeps.

Enter OBERON.

Obe. What thou seest, when thou dost wake, [squeezes the flower on Titania's eyenda.

Do it for thy true love take;

Love, and languish for his sake :
Be it ounce,3 or cat, or bear,
Pard, or boar with bristled hair,
In any eye that shall appear

1 Efts.

2 Slow-worms.

3 A small tiger.

When thou wakest, it is thy dear:

Wake, when some vile thing is near.

[Exit.

Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA.

Lys. Fair love, you faint with 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 farther off yet; do not lie so near.

Lys. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence ; i
Love takes the meaning, in love's conference.?
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 my pride,
If Hermia meant to say, Lysander lied.

1 My innocent meaning.

In the conversation of lovers, not suspicion, but love takes the meaning.

!

But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
Lie farther off; in human modesty,
Such separation, as, may well be said,
Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid:

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
And then end life when I end loyalty!

1;

Here is my bed. Sleep give thee all his rest!
Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be

press'd!

Enter PUCK.

[they sleep.

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,
Despised the Athenian maid;

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

Pretty soul! she durst not lie

Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.
upon thy eyes I throw

Churl,

All the power this charm doth owe:

When thou wakest, let Love forbid

Sleep his seat on thy eyelid.

Possess.

So awake, when I am gone;

For I must now to Oberon.

Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running.

[Exit.

Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me

thus.

1

Hel. O, wilt thou darkling 1 leave me? do not so. Dem. Stay, on thy peril; I alone will go.

[Exit Demetrius.

Hel. O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies;

For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.

How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears: If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers.

No, no,

I am as ugly as a bear;

For beasts that meet me, run away for fear:
Therefore, no marvel, though Demetrius

Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus.
What wicked and dissembling glass of mine
Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne ?-
But who is here? Lysander! on the ground!
Dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.-
Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.

sake,

Lys. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet [waking. Transparent Helena! Nature shows her art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.

In the dark.

2 The favor that I gain.