Dem. You are too officious

In her behalf, that scorns your fervices.
Let her alone; fpeak not of Helena ;
Take not her part: for if thou doft intend
Never fo little fhew of love to her,
Thou shalt aby it.

Lyf. Now the holds me not;

Now follow, if thou dar'ft, to try whofe right,

Or thine, or mine, is moft in Helena.

Dem. Follow! nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jowl.

Exit LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS.

Her. You, mistrefs, all this coyl is 'long of you :

Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not truft you, I;

Nor longer stay in your curft company.

Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray :
My legs are longer though, to run away.

Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.

[Exeunt: HERMIA pursuing HELENA. Ob. This is thy negligence: ftill thou mistak'st, Or elfe commit'ft thy knaveries willingly.

Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook
Did not you tell me, I fhould know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And fo far blameless proves my enterprize,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's

And fo far am I glad it did fo fort,

eyes:

As this their jangling I efteem a fport.

Ob. Thou feest these lovers feek a place to fight Hie therefore, Robin, overcaft the night;

The ftarry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
And lead these tefty rivals fo aftray,
As one come not within another's way:
Like to Lyfander sometime frame thy tongue,
Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And fometimes rail thou like Demetrius;
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
'Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep,
With leaden legs and batty wings, doth creep:

E 2

Then

Then crush this herb into Lyfander's eye,
Whofe liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error, with his might,
And make his eye-balls roll with wonted fight.
When they next wake, all this derifion
Shall feem a dream, and fruitless vifion;
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,
With league, whose date till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,

I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmed eye release

From monster's view, and all things fhall be peace.
Puck. My fair lord, this must be done with haste;
For night's fwift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And yonder fhines Aurora's harbinger;

At whofe approach ghosts, wand'ring here and there,
Troop home to church-yards: damned spirits all,
That in cross-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;
For fear left day should look their shames upon,
They wilfully themselves exile from light,
And muft for aye confort with black-brow'd night.
Ob. But we are spirits of another fort:

I with the morning's love have oft made sport;
And, like a forefter, the groves may tread,
Even 'till the eastern gate, all fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his falt-green streams.
But, notwithstanding, hafte; make no delay:
We may effect this business yet ere day.

[Exit OBERON. Puck. Up and down, up and down;

I will lead them up and down;

I am fear'd in field and town.
Goblin, lead them up and down.
Here comes one.

Enter LYSANDER.

Lyf. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou

now.

Puck.

Puck. Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art

thou?

Lyf. I will be with thee straight.

Puck. Follow me then

To plainer ground.

[Lys. going out, as following DEM.

Enter DEMETRIUS.

Dem. Lyfander! speak again.

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak. In fome bufh? where doft 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 defil'd

That draws a fword on thee.

Dem. Yea; art thou there?

Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here.

Lyf. He

[Exeunt.

Re-enter LYSANDER.

before me,

and ftill dares me on;

goes
When come where he calls, then he is gone.
The villain is much lighter heel'd than I :
I follow'd faft, but fafter he did fly;
That fall'n am I in dark uneven way,

And here will reft me. Come, thou gentle day!

[Lies down. For if but once thou fhew me thy grey light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this fpight.

Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS.

Puck. Ho, ho, ho! coward, why comest thou not?'
Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'ft: for well I wot,

Thou runn'ft before me, shifting ev'ry place;
And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face,

Where art thou?

Puck. Come hither; I am here.

Dem. Nay, then thou mock'ft me. Thou shalt buy this

dear,

If ever I thy face by day-light fee:

Now, go thy way. Faintnefs constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.—
By day's approach look to be vifited."

Enter HELENA.

[Lies down.

Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night! Abate thy hours; fhine, comforts, from the east; That I may back to Athens by day-light,

From these that my poor company detest :-
And, fleep, that fometime fhuts up forrow's eye,
Steal me awhile from mine own company.

Puck. Yet but three? come one more;
Two of both kinds makes up four.
Here fhe comes, curft and fad :-

Cupid is a knavish lad,

Thus to make poor females mad.

Enter HERMIA.

[Sleeps.

Her. Never fo weary, never fo in woe,
Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers;

I can no further crawl, no further go;

My legs can keep no pace with my defires.
Here will I reft me, 'till the break of day."

Heavens fhield Lyfander, if they mean a fray! [Lies down.
Puck. On the ground
Sleep found:
I'll apply

To your eye,

Gentle lover, remedy,

[Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER's eye,

When thou wak'ft,

Thou tak't

True delight

In the fight

Of thy former lady's eye:

And the country proverb known,

That every man fhould take his own,

In your waking shall be shown:

Jack

Jack fhall have Jill:
Nought fhall go ill;

The man fhall have his mare again, and all fhall be well.

[Exit PUCK.

[They fleep.

SCENE I. A Wood.

Enter Queen of the Fairies, BOTTOM, Fairies attending, and the King behind them.

Queen.

COME, fit thee down upon this flowery bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

And stick mufk-rofes in the fleek fmooth head,
And kifs thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.
Bot. Where's Peafe-bloffom?

Peafe. Ready.

Bot. Scratch my head, Pease-bloffom.-Where's monheur Cobweb?

Cob. Ready.

Bot. Monfieur Cobweb; good monfieur, get your weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hipp'd humble bee on the top of a thistle; and, good monfieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, monfieur; and, good monfieur, have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be loth to have you over-flown with a honey-bag, fignior.-Where's monfieur Mustard-feed? Muft. Ready.

Bot. Give me your neif, monfieur Mustard-feed. Pray you, leave your courtesy, good monfieur.

Muft. What's your will?

Bot. Nothing, good monfieur, but to help cavalero Cobweb to scratch. I muft to the barber's, monfieur; for, methinks, I am marvellous hairy about the face: and I am fuch a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must fcratch.

Queen. What, wilt thou hear fome mufic, my fweet love?