Ob. I pray thee, give it me;
I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, Where oxflip and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine. There fleeps Titania, fome time of the night, Lull'd in thefe flow'rs, from dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enammel'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in: There with the juice of this I'll ftreak her eyes, And make her full of hateful fantafies.
Take thou some of it, and feek 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 efpies
May be the lady. Thou fhalt know the man, By the Athenian garments he hath on. Effect it with fome care, that he may prove More fond of her, than fhe upon his love;
And look you meet me ere the first cock crow.
Puck. Fear not, my lord, your fervant fhall do fo. [Exeunt.
Enter queen of fairies, with her train.
Queen. Come, now a roundel, and a fairy song: Then, 'fore the third part of a minute, hence; Some, to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds, Some, war with rear-mice for their leathern wings, To make my small elves coats: and fome, keep back The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots, and wonders At our queint sports. Come, fing me now afleep, Then to your offices, and let me rest.
Enter Oberon, and anoints her eye-lids.
Ob. What thou feeft when thou doft wake,
Do it for thy true love take,
Love and languish for his fake; Be it ounce, or cat, or bear, Pard, or boar with bristled hair, In thy eye what shall appear, When thou wak'ft, it is thy dear; Wake when fome vile thing is near.
SCENE VI.
Enter Lyfander and Hermia.
Lyf. Fair love, you faint with wandring in the wood; And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way: We'll reft us, Hermia, if you think it good, And tarry for the comfort of the day.
Her. Be't fo, Lyfander; find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will reft my head.
Lyf. One turf fhall ferve as pillow for us both, One heart, one bed, two bofoms, and one troth. Her. Nay, good Lyfander, for my fake, my dear, Lye further off yet, do not lye fo near.
Lyf. O, take the fenfe, fweet, of my innocence, Love takes the meaning in love's conference; I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit, So that but one heart can you make of it: Two bofoms interchained with an oath, So then two bofoms, and a fingle troth: Then by your fide no bed-room me deny ; For lying fo, Hermia, I do not lye.
Her. Lyfander riddles very prettily; Now much befhrew my manners, and my pride, If Hermia meant to fay, Lyfander ly'd! But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy Lye further off, in human modefty; Such feparation, as, may well be said, Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid; So far be distant, and good night, fweet friend; Thy love ne'er alter, 'till thy fweet life end! Lys. Amen, amen to that fair prayer, fay I, And then end life when I end loyalty:
Here is my bed; fleep give thee all his reft!
Her. With half that wifh the wifher's eyes be preft!
Puck. Through the foreft have I gone,
But Athenian find. I none,
On whofe eyes I might approve This flower's force in ftirring love: Night and filence! who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear; This is he, my master said, Defpifed the Athenian maid: And here the maiden fleeping found On the dank and dirty ground. Pretty foul! fhe durft not lye Near to this kill-courtesy. Churl, upon thy eyes I throw All the pow'r this charm doth owe: When thou wak'ft, let love forbid Sleep his feat on thy eyelid : So awake, when I am gone, For I must now to Oberon.
SCENE VII.
Enter Demetrius and Helena running.
Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, fweet Demetrius ! Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not fo.
Dem. Stay, on thy peril, I alone will go. [Exit Demetrius. Hel. O, I am out of breath in this fond chace; The more my prayer, the leffer is my grace. Happy is Hermia, wherefoe'er she lyes; For the hath bleffed and attractive eyes.
How came her eyes fo bright? not with falt tears; If so, my eyes are oftner 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 prefence thus. What wicked and diffembling glass of mine Made me compare with Hermia's fphery eyne? But who is here? Lyfander on the ground! Dead, or asleep? I fee no blood, no wound: Lyfander, if you live, good fir, awake.
Lyf. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet fake. [Waking. Transparent Helen, nature here fhews art,
That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. Where is Demetrius? o, how fit a word
Is that vile name, to perish on my fword!
Hel. Do not fay fo, Lyfander; fay not fo;
What though he love your Hermia? lord, what though? Yet Hermia ftill loves you; then be content. Lys. Content with Hermia? no: I do repent The tedious minutes I with her have spent ; Not Hermia, but Helena I love: Who will not change a raven for a dove? The will of man is by his reason fway'd, And reason says, you are the worthier maid. Things growing are not ripe until their season ; So I, being young, 'till now not ripe to reason; And touching now the point of human skill, Reason becomes the marfhal to my will, And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook Love's ftories, written in love's richest book.
Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mock'ry born? When at your hands did I deferve this scorn? Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, That I did never, no, nor never can Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, But you must flout my infufficiency?
Good troth, you do me wrong, good footh, you do, In fuch difdainful manner me to woo:
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