And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.

And, gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp
From off the head of this Athenian swain;
That he awaking when the other do,
May all to Athens back again repair;
And think no more of this night's accidents,
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will release the fairy queen.

Be as thou wast wont to be;

[touching her eyes with a herb.

See as thou wast wont to see :
Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Hath such force and blessed power.

Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen.

Tit. My Oberon! what visions have I seen! Methought, I was enamor'd of an ass.

Obe. There lies your love.

?

Tit. How came these things to pass O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now! Obe. Silence awhile.-Robin, take off this head. Titania, music call; and strike more dead Than common sleep, of all these five the sense. Tit. Music, ho! music; such as charmeth sleep. Puck. Now, when thou wakest, with thine own

fool's eyes peep.

Obe. Sound, music. [still music.] Come, my queen, take hands with me,

And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
Now thou and I are new in amity;

And will, to-morrow midnight, solemnly

7

Dance in duke Theseus' house triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair prosperity:

There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.

Puck. Fairy king, attend, and mark ;
I do hear the morning lark.

Obe. Then, my queen, in silence sad,1
Trip we after the night's shade:

We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wandering moon.

Tit. Come, my lord; and, in our flight,
Tell me how it came this night,

That I sleeping here was found,

With these mortals, on the ground.

[Exeunt.

[Horns sound within.

Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train.

The. Go, one of you, find out the forester ;-
For now our observation is perform'd :
And since we have the vaward 2 of the day,
My love shall hear the music of my hounds.
Uncouple in the western valley; go.-
Despatch, I say, and find the forester.—
We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top,
And mark the musical confusion

Of hounds and echo in conjunction.

Hip. I was with Hercules and Cadmus once, When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear

With hounds of Sparta : never did I hear
Such gallant chiding; 1 for, besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seem'd all one mutual cry. I never heard

So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.

The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,

So flew'd, so sanded; 3 and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew;
Crook-knee'd, and dew-lap'd like Thessalian bulls;
Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bells,
Each under each. A cry more tunable

Was never halloo'd to, nor cheer'd with horn,
In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly.

Judge when you hear.-But, soft: what nymphs are these?

Ege. My lord, this is my daughter here asleep; And this, Lysander; this Demetrius is; This Helena, old Nedar's Helena :

I wonder of their being here together.

The. No doubt, they rose up early, to observe
The rite of May; and, hearing our intent,
Came here in grace of our solemnity.—
But speak, Egeus; is not this the day,

That Hermia should give answer of her choice?
Ege. It is, my lord.

1 Sound.

Flews are the large chaps of a deep-mouthed hound. 3 Of a sandy color.

• With flesh hanging down from the throat.