Or else committ'st thy knaveries wilfully. PUCK. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook. As this their jangling I esteem a sport. OBE. Thou see'st these lovers seek a place to fight : Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night; The starry welkin cover thou anon Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue, With league whose date till death shall never end. From monster's view, and all things shall be peace. At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there, For fear lest day should look their shames upon, 350 361 370 380 390 I with the morning's love have oft made sport, PUCK. Up and down, up and down, Here comes one. Re-enter LYSANDER. [Exit. 400 Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou now. PUCK. To plainer ground. DEM. Follow me, then, [Exit LYSANDER, as following the voice. Re-enter DEMETRIUS. Lysander! speak again : Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled? Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head? PUCK. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars, Telling the bushes that thou look'st for wars, And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child; I'll whip thee with a rod: he is defiled That draws a sword on thee. DEM. Yea, art thou there? 410 PUCK. Follow my voice: we'll try no manhood here. Re-enter LYSANDER. Lys. He goes before me and still dares me on: When I come where he calls, then he is gone. I follow'd fast, but faster he did fly; That fallen am I in dark uneven way, [Exeunt. And here will rest me. [Lies down] Come, thou gentle day! For if but once thou show me thy grey light, I'll find Demetrius and revenge this spite. [Sleeps. Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS. 422 PUCK. Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why comest thou not? DEM. Abide me, if thou darest; for well I wot Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place, And darest not stand, nor look me in the face. Where art thou now? PUCK. Come hither: I am here. DEM. Nay, then, thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy this dear, If ever I thy face by daylight see: Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me To measure out my length on this cold bed. By day's approach look to be visited. 430 [Lies down and sleeps. Re-enter HELENA. HEL. O weary night, O long and tedious night, From these that my poor company detest : PUCK. [Lies down and sleeps. Thus to make poor females mad. Re-enter HERMIA. HER. Never so weary, never so in woe, I can no further crawl, no further go ; My legs can keep no pace with my desires. Here will I rest me till the break of day. Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray ! 440 [Lies down and sleeps. Sleep sound: I'll apply To your eye, 450 Gentle lover, remedy. [Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER's eyes. When thou wakest, Thou takest True delight In the sight Of thy former lady's eye : And the country proverb known, That every man should take his own, In your waking shall be shown: Jack shall have Jill; Nought shall go ill; 460 The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well. ACT IV. [Exit. SCENE I. The same. Lysander, Demetrius, Helena, and Hermia lying asleep. Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, TITA. Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head, BOT. Where's Peaseblossom? PEAS. Ready. BOT. Scratch my head, Peaseblossom. Where's Mounsieur Cobweb? COB. Ready. BOT. Mounsieur Cobweb, good mounsieur, get you your weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hipped humble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good mounsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, mounsieur; and, good mounsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be loth to have you overflown with a honey-bag, signior. Where's Mounsieur Mustardseed? Mus. Ready. BOT. Give me your neaf, Mounsieur Mustardseed. Pray you, leave your courtesy, good mounsieur. Mus. What's your will? BOT. Nothing, good mounsieur, but to help Cavalery Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber's, mounsieur; for methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face; and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch. TITA. What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love? BOT. I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let's have the tongs and the bones. TITA. Or say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat. BOT. Truly, a peck of provender : I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a bottle of hay good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow. TITA. I have a venturous fairy that shall seek The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts. 40 BOT. I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas. But, I pray you, let none of your people stir me: I have an exposition of sleep come upon me. TITA. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms. Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away. [Exeunt fairies. So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle Gently entwist; the female ivy so Enrings the barky fingers of the elm. O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee! [They sleep. 50 Enter PUCK. OBE. [Advancing] Welcome, good Robin. Her dotage now I do begin to pity: 60 |