Her. So will I grow, fo liue, fo die my Lord,
Ere I will yeeld my virgin Patent vp
Vnto his Lordship, whofe vn wished yoake,
My foule confents not to giue foueraignty.

The. Take time to paufe, and by the next new Moon The fealing day betwixt my loue and me,

For euerlafting bond of fellowship:
Vpon that day either prepare to dye,
For difobedience to your fathers will,
Or elfe to wed Demetrius as hee would,
Or on Dianaes Altar to proteft

For aie, aufterity, and fingle life.

Dem. Relent fweet Hermia, and Lyfander, yeelde Thy crazed title to my certaine right.

Lyf. You haue her fathers loue, Demetrius : Let me haue Hermiaes: do you marry him.

Egeus. Scornfull Lyfander, true, he hath my Loue;
Aud what is mine, my loue shall render him.
And she is mine, and all my right of her,
I do eftate vnto Demetrius.

Lyf. I am my Lord, as well deriu'd as he,
As well poffeft: my loue is more then his :
My fortunes euery way as fairely ranck'd
(If not with vantage) as Demetrius:

And (which is more then all these boasts can be)

I am belou'd of beauteous Hermia.

Why should not I then profecute my right?
Demetrius, Ile auouch it to his head,

Made loue to Nedars daughter, Helena,

And won her foule : and the (fweet Ladie)dotes,
Deuoutly dotes, dotes in Idolatry,

Vpon this spotted and inconftant man.

The. I must confeffe, that I haue heard so much,
And with Demetrius thought to haue fpoke thereof:
But being ouer-full of felfe-affaires,

My minde did lofe it. But Demetrius come,
And come Egeus, you fhall go with me,

I haue fome priuate fchooling for you both.

For you faire Hermia, looke you arme your felfe,
To fit your fancies to your Fathers will;
Or elfe the Law of Athens yeelds you vp
(Which by no meanes we may extenuate)
To death, or to a vow of fingle life.
Come my Hippolita, what cheare my loue?
Demetrius and Egeus go along :

I must imploy you in fome bufineffe
Against our nuptiall, and conferre with you
Of fomething, neerely that concernes your felues.
Ege. With dutie and defire we follow you.
Manet Lyfander and Hermia.

Exeunt

Lyf. How now my loue? Why is your cheek fo pale? How chance the Rofes there do fade so faft?

Her. Belike for want of raine, which I could well Beteeme them, from the tempeft of mine eyes.

Lyf. For ought that euer I could reade,

Could euer heare by tale or hiftorie,
The courfe of true loue neuer did run smooth,
But either it was different in blood.

Her. O croffe! too high to be enthral'd to loue.
Lyf. Or elfe mifgraffed, in refpect of yeares.
Her. O fpight! too old to be ingag'd to yong.
Lyf. Or else it stood vpon the choife of merit.
Her. O hell! to choose loue by anothers eie.
Lyf. Or if there were a fimpathie in choife,
Warre, death, or fickneffe, did lay fiege to it;
Making it momentarie, as a found:

Swift as a fhadow, fhort as any dreame,
Briefe as the lightning in the collied night,
That (in a spleene) vnfolds both heauen and earth;
And ere a man hath power to say, behold,
The iawes of darkneffe do deuoure it vp:

So quicke bright things come to confufion,
Her. If then true Louers haue beene euer croft,
It stands as an edict in deftinie:

Then let vs teach our triall patience,

Because it is a cuftomarie croffe,

As due to loue, as thoughts, and dreames, and fighes, Wishes and teares; poore Fancies followers.

Lyf.A good perfwafion; therefore heare me Hermia, I haue a Widdow Aunt, a dowager,

Of great reuennew, and the hath no childe,
From Athens is her house remou'd feuen leagues,
And the refpects me, as her onely fonne :
There gentle Hermia, may I marrie thee,
And to that place, the fharpe Athenian Law
Cannot purfue vs. If thou lou'st me, then
Steale forth thy fathers house to morrow night:
And in the wood, a league without the towne,
(Where I did meete thee once with Helena,
To do obferuance for a morne of May)
There will I stay for thee.

Her. My good Lyfander,

I fweare to thee, by Cupids ftrongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the fimplicitie of Venus Doues,

By that which knitteth foules, and profpers loue,
And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage Queene,
When the falfe Troyan vnder faile was feene,
By all the vowes that euer men haue broke,
(In number more then euer women spoke)
In that fame place thou haft appointed me,
To morrow truly will I meete with thee.

Lyf. Keepe promise loue: looke here comes Helena.

Enter Helena.

Her. God fpeede faire Helena, whither away?
Hel. Cal you me faire? that faire againe vnsay,
Demetrius loues you faire : O happie faire !

Your eyes are loadftarres, and your tongues fweet ayre
More tuneable then Larke to shepheards eare,
When wheate greene, when hauthorne buds appeare,
Sickneffe is catching: O were fauor fo,

Your words I catch, faire Hermia ere I go,

My eare fhould catch your voice, my eye, your eye,
My tongue fhould catch your tongues fweet melodie,
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The reft Ile giue to be to you tranflated

O teach me how you looke, and with what art
you fway the motion of Demetrius hart.

Her. I frowne vpon him, yet he loues me still. Hel. O that your frownes would teach my smiles fuch skil.

Her. I giue him curfes, yet he giues me loue.
Hel. O that my prayers could fuch affection mooue.
Her. The more I hate, the more he followes me.
Hel. The more I loue, the more he hateth me.
Her. His folly Helena is none of mine.

Hel.None but your beauty, wold that fault wer mine Her. Take comfort: he no more fhall fee my face, Lyfander and my felfe will flie this place.

Before the time I did Lyfander fee,
Seem'd Athens like a Paradife to mee.

O then, what graces in my Loue do dwell,
That he hath turn'd a heauen into hell.

Lyf. Helen, to you our mindes we will vnfold,
To morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold
Her filuer vifage, in the watry glaffe,
Decking with liquid pearle, the bladed grasse
(A time that Louers flights doth ftill conceale)
Through Athens gates, haue we deuis'd to steale.

Her. And in the wood, where often you and I,
Vpon faint Primrose beds, were wont to lye,
Emptying our bofomes, of their counfell fweld:
There my Lyfander, and my selfe shall meete,
And thence from Athens turne away our eyes
To feeke new friends and ftrange companions,
Farwell fweet play fellow, pray thou for vs,
And good lucke grant thee thy Demetrius.
Keepe word Lyjander we must starue our fight,
From louers foode, till morrow deepe midnight.
Exit Hermia.

Lyf. I will my Hermia. Helena adieu,
As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you

Exit Lyfander.
Hele. How happy fome, ore othersome can be?
Through Athens I am thought as faire as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinkes not fo:
He will not know, what all, but he doth know,
And as hee erres, doting on Hermias eyes;
So I, admiring of his qualities:

Things bafe and vilde, holding no quantity,
Loue can tranfpofe to forme and dignity,

Loue lookes not with the eyes, but with the minde,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blinde.
Nor hath loues minde of any iudgement taste :
Wings and no eyes, figure, vnheedy hafte.
And therefore is Loue faid to be a childe,
Because in choife he is often beguil'd,

As waggish boyes in game themfelues forfweare;
So the boy Loue is periur'd euery where.
For ere Demetrius lookt on Hermias eyne,
He hail'd downe oathes that he was onely mine.
And when this Haile fome heat from Hermia felt,
So he diffolu'd, and fhowres of oathes did melt,
I will goe tell him of faire Hermias flight:
Then to the wood will he, to morrow night
Purfue her; and for his intelligence,

If I haue thankes, it is a deere expence :

But heerein meane I to enrich my paine,

To haue his fight thither, and backe againe.

Exit.

Enter Quince the Carpenter, Snug the Ioyner, Bottome" the Weauer, Flute the bellowes-mender, Snout the Tinker, and Starueling the Taylor.

Quin. Is all our company heere?

Bot. You were beft to call them generally, man by man, according to the fcrip.

Qui. Here is the fcrowle of euery mans name, which is thought fit through all Athens, to play in our Enterlude before the Duke and the Dutches, on his wedding day at night.

Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on then read the names of the Actors: and fo grow on to a point.

Quin. Marry our play is the most lamentable Comedy, and most cruell death of Pyramus and Thisbie.

Bot. A very good peece of worke I affure you, and a

Bot. What is Pyramus, a louer, or a tyrant?

Quin. A Louer that kills himselfe moft gallantly for loue.

Bot. That will aske fome teares in the true performing of it: if I do it, let the audience looke to their eies: I will mooue ftormes; will condole in fome meifure. To the reft yet, my chiefe humour is for a tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to teare a Cat in, to make all fplit the raging Rocks; and fhiuering fhocks fhall break the locks of prifon gates, and Phibbus carre shall shine from farre, and make and marre the foolish Fates. This was lofty. Now name the rest of the Players. This is Ercles vaine, a tyrants vaine: a louer is more condoling.

Quin. Francis Flute the Bellowes-mender.

Flu. Heere Peter Quince.

Quin. You must take Thisbie on you.

Flut. What is Thisbie, a wandring Knight?
Quin. It is the Lady that Pyramus must loue.

Flut. Nay faith, let not mee play a woman, I haue a beard comming.

Qui. That's all one, you fhall play it in a Maske, and you may speake as fmall as you will.

Bot. And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbie too : Ile fpeake in a monftrous little voyce; Thifne, Thisne, ah Pyramus my louer deare, thy Thisbie deare, and Lady deare.

Quin. No no, you must play Pyramus, and Flute, you Thisby.

Bot. Well, proceed.

Qu. Robin Starueling the Taylor.

Star. Heere Peter Quince.

Quince. Robin Starueling, you must play Thisbies mother?

Tom Snowt, the Tinker.

Snowt. Heere Peter Quince.

Quin. You, Pyramus father; my felf, This bies father; Snugge the Ioyner, you the Lyons part and I hope there is a play fitted.

Snug. Haue you the Lions part written? pray you if be, giue it me, for I am flow of studie.

Quin. You may doe it extemporie, for it is nothing but roaring.

Bot. Let mee play the Lyon too, I will roare that I will doe any mans heart good to heare me. I will roare, that I will make the Duke fay, Let him roare againe, let him roare againe.

Quin. If you should doe it too terribly, you would fright the Dutcheffe and the Ladies, that they would fhrike, and that were enough to hang vs all.

All. That would hang vs euery mothers fonne. Bottome. I graunt you friends, if that you should fright the Ladies out of their Wittes, they would haue no more difcretion but to hang vs but I will aggrauate my voyce fo, that I will roare you as gently as any fucking Doue; I will roare and 'twere any Nightingale.

Quin. You can play no part but Piramus, for Pira

mus is a sweet-fac'd man, a proper man as one shall fee in a fummers day; a moft louely Gentleman-like man, therfore you must needs play Piramus.

Bot. Well, I will vndertake it. What beard were I best to play it in?

Quin. Why, what you will.

Bot. I will discharge it, in either your ftraw-colour beard, your orange tawnie beard, your purple in graine beard, or your French-crowne colour'd beard, your perfect yellow.

Quin. Some of your French Crownes haue no haire at all, and then you will play bare-fac'd. But mafters here are your parts, and I am to intreat you, request you, and defire you, to con them by too morrow night: and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the Towne, by Moone-light, there we will rehearse for if we meete in the Citie, we fhalbe dog'd with company, and our deuifes knowne. In the meane time, I wil draw a bil of properties, fuch as our play wants. I pray you faile me not. Bottom. We will meete, and there we may rehearse more obfcenely and couragiously. Take paines, be perfect, adieu.

Quin. At the Dukes oake we meete.
Bot. Enough, hold or cut bow-ftrings.

Actus Secundus.

Enter a Fairie at one doore, and Robin goodfellow at another.

Rob. How now fpirit, whether wander you?

Exeunt

Fai. Ouer hil, ouer dale, through bush, through briar,

Ouer parke, ouer pale, through flood, through fire,

I do wander euerie where, fwifter then y Moons sphere;

And I ferue the Fairy Queene, to dew her orbs vpon the The Cowflips tall, her penfioners bee,

In their gold coats, fpots you fee,

Those be Rubies, Fairie fauors,

In thofe freckles, liue their fauors,

I must go feeke fome dew drops heere,

And hang a pearle in euery cowflips eare.

Farewell thou Lob of fpirits, Ile be gon,

Our Queene and all her Elues come heere anon.

(green.

Rob. The King doth keepe his Reuels here to night, Take heed the Queene come not within his fight,

For Oberon is pafsing fell and wrath,

Because that the, as her attendant, hath

A louely boy ftolne from an Indian King,

She neuer had fo fweet a changeling,

And iealous Oberon would haue the childe
Knight of his traine, to trace the Forrests wilde.
But the (perforce) with-holds the loued boy,
Crownes him with flowers, and makes him all her ioy.
And now they neuer meete in groue, or greene,
By fountaine cleere, or fpangled ftar light sheene,
But they do fquare, that all their Elues for feare
Creepe into Acorne cups and hide them there.

Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Or elfe you are that fhrew'd and knauish fpirit
Cal'd Robin Good-fellow. Are you not hee,
That frights the maidens of the Villagree,
Skim milke, and fometimes labour in the querne,
And bootleffe make the breathleffe hufwife cherne,
And fometime make the drinke to beare no barme,

Misleade night-wanderers, laughing at their harme,
Thofe that Hobgoblin call you, and fweet Pucke,
You do their worke, and they shall haue good lucke.
Are not you he?

Rob. Thou fpeak'st aright;

I am that merrie wanderer of the night:
I ieft to Oberon, and make him smile,
When I a fat and beane-fed horse beguile,
Neighing in likeneffe of a filly foale,
And fometime lurke I in a Goffips bole,
In very likeneffe of a roasted crab:
And when the drinkes, against her lips I bob,
And on her withered dewlop poure the Ale.
The wifeft Aunt telling the faddeft tale,
Sometime for three-foot ftoole, mistaketh me,
Then flip I from her bum, downe topples fhe,
And tailour cries, and fals into a coffe.
And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe,
And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and sweare,
A merrier houre vvas neuer wafted there.
But roome Fairy, heere comes Oberon.

Fair. And heere my Mistris:

Would that he vvere gone.

Enter the King of Fairies at one doore with his traine, and the Queene at another with bers.

Ob. Ill met by Moone-light,

Proud Tytania.

Qu. What, iealous Oberon? Fairy skip hence.
I haue forfworne his bed and companie.

Ob. Tarrie rafh Wanton; am not I thy Lord?
2. Then I must be thy Lady: but I know
When thou vvaft ftolne away from Fairy Land,
And in the fhape of Corin, fate all day,
Playing on pipes of Corne, and verfing loue
To amorous Phillida. Why art thou heere
Come from the fartheft fteepe of India?
But that forfooth the bouncing Amazon

Your buskin'd Miftreffe, and your Warrior loue,
To Thefeus must be Wedded; and you come,
To giue their bed ioy and profperitie.

Ob. How canft thou thus for fhame Tytania,
Glance at my credite, vvith Hippolita?
Knowing I knovv thy loue to Thefeus?

Didft thou not leade him through the glimmering night
From Peregenia, whom he rauished?

And make him vvith faire Eagles breake his faith
With Ariadne, and Atiopa?

Que. These are the forgeries of iealoufie,

And neuer fince the middle Summers fpring
Met vve on hil, in dale, forreft, or mead,
By paued fountaine, or by rufhie brooke,
Or in the beached margent of the fea,
To dance our ringlets to the whistling Winde,
But vvith thy braules thou haft difturb'd our sport.
Therefore the Windes, piping to vs in vaine,
As in reuenge, haue fuck'd vp from the fea
Contagious fogges: Which falling in the Land,
Hath euerie petty Riuer made fo proud,
That they haue ouer-borne their Continents.
The Oxe hath therefore stretch'd his yoake in vaine,
The Ploughman loft his sweat, and the greene Corne
Hath rotted, ere his youth attain'd a beard:
The fold ftands empty in the drowned field,
And Crowes are fatted vvith the murrion flocke,

The

The nine mens Morris is fild vp with mud,
And the queint Mazes in the wanton greene,
For lacke of tread are vndiftinguishable.

The humane mortals want their winter heere,
No night is now with hymne or caroll bleft;
Therefore the Moone (the gouerneffe of floods)
Pale in her anger, washes all the aire;
That Rheumaticke difeafes doe abound.
And through this diftemperature, we fee
The seasons alter; hoared headed frofts
Fall in the fresh lap of the crimfon Rose,
And on old Hyems chinne and Icie crowne,
An odorous Chaplet of fweet Sommer buds
Is as in mockry fet. The Spring, the Sommer,
The childing Autumne, angry Winter change
Their wonted Liueries, and the mazed world,

By their increase, now knowes not which is which;
And this fame progeny of euills,

Comes from our debate, from our diffention,

We are their parents and originall.

Ober. Do you amend it then, it lies in you,

Why fhould Titania croffe her Oberon?

I do but beg a little changeling boy,
To be my Henchman.

2. Set your heart at reft,

me,

The Fairy land buyes not the childe of
His mother was a Votreffe of my Order,
And in the fpiced Indian aire, by night
Full often hath the goffipt by my fide,
And fat with me on Neptunes yellow fands,
Marking th'embarked traders on the flood,
When we haue laught to fee the failes conceiue,
And grow big bellied with the wanton winde :
Which the with pretty and with fwimming gate,
Following (her wombe then rich with my yong fquire)
Would imitate, and faile vpon the Land,
To fetch me trifles, and returne againe,
As from a voyage, rich with merchandize.
But the being mortall, of that boy did die,
And for her fake I doe reare vp her boy,
And for her fake I will not part with him.

If

Ob. How long within this wood intend you stay?
Qu. Perchance till after Thefeus wedding day.
you will patiently dance in our Round,

And fee our Moone-light reuels, goe with vs;
If not, fhun me and I will spare your haunts.

Ob. Giue me that boy, and I will goe with thee.

2. Not for thy Fairy Kingdome. Fairies away: We shall chide downe right, if I longer stay.

Excunt.

Ob. Wel, go thy way: thou shalt not from this groue, Till I torment thee for this iniury.

My gentle Pucke come hither; thou remembreft
Since once I fat vpon a promontory,

And heard a Meare-maide on a Dolphins backe,
Vttering fuch dulcet and harmonious breath,
That the rude fea grew ciuill at her fong,

And certaine starres fhot madly from their Spheares,
To heare the Sea-maids muficke.

Puc. I remember.

Ob. That very time I say (but thou couldst not) Flying betweene the cold Moone and the earth, Cupid all arm'd; a certaine aime he tooke At a faire Veftall, throned by the Weft, And loos'd his loue-fhaft fmartly from his bow, As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts, But I might fee young Cupids fiery shaft

Quencht in the chafte beames of the watry Moone;
And the imperiall Votreffe paffed on,

In maiden meditation, fancy free.

Yet markt I where the bolt of Cupid fell.

It fell vpon a little westerne flower;

Before, milke-white; now purple with loues wound,

And maidens call it, Loue in idlenesse.

Fetch me that flower; the hearb I fhew'd thee once,

The iuyce of it, on fleeping eye-lids laid,

Will make or man or woman madly dote

Vpon the next liue creature that it fees.

Fetch me this hearbe, and be thou heere againe,

Ere the Leuiathan can fwim a league.

Pucke. Ile put a girdle about the earth, in forty mi

nutes.

Ober. Hauing once this iuyce,

Ile watch Titania, when she is asleepe,
And drop the liquor of it in her eyes:

The next thing when the waking lookes vpon,

(Be it on Lyon, Beare, or Wolfe, or Bull,

On medling Monkey, or on bufie Ape)
Shee fhall purfue it, with the foule of loue.

And ere I take this charme off from her fight,
(As I can take it with another hearbe)
İle make her render vp her Page to me.
But who comes heere? I am inuifible,
And I will ouer-heare their conference.

Enter Demetrius, Helena following bim.

Deme. I loue thee not, therefore pursue me not, Where is Lyfander, and faire Hermia? The one Ile stay, the other stayeth me. Thou toldft me they were ftolne into this wood; And heere am I, and wood within this wood, Because I cannot meet my Hermia.

Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

Hel. You draw me, you hard-hearted Adamant, But yet you draw not Iron, for my heart

Is true as fteele. Leaue you your power to draw,
And I shall haue no power to follow you.

Deme. Do I entice you? do I fpeake you

Or rather doe I not in plainest truth,
Tell you I doe not, nor I cannot loue you?

faire?

Hel. And euen for that doe I loue thee the more; I am your fpaniell, and Demetrius,

The more you beat me, I will fawne on you.

Vie me but as your spaniell; fpurne me, strike me, Neglect me, lofe me; onely giue me leaue

(Vnworthy as I am) to follow you.

What worfer place can I beg in your loue, (And yet a place of high refpect with me) Then to be vfed as you doe your dogge.

Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit, For 1 am ficke when I do looke on thee.

Hel. And I am ficke when I looke not on you. Dem. You doe impeach your modefty too much, To leaue the Citty, and commit your selfe Into the hands of one that loues you not, To trust the opportunity of night, And the ill counfell of a defert place, With the rich worth of your virginity.

Hel. Your vertue is my priuiledge : for that

It is not night when I doe fee your face.
Therefore I thinke I am not in the night,
Nor doth this wood lacke worlds of company,
N 3

For