The next thing which the waking looks upon,
(Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,
Or medling monkey, or on bufie ape)
She fhall purfue it with the foul of love:
And ere I take this charm off from her fight,
(As I can take it with another herb)
I'll make her render up her page to me.
But who comes here? I am invifible,
And I will over-hear their conference.

SCENE III. Enter Demetrius, Helena following him.
Dem. I love thee not, therefore purfue me not,
Where is Lyfander, and fair Hermia?
The one I'll flay, the other flayeth me.
Thou told'ft me they were ftol'n into this wood;
And here am I, and wode 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 fteel. Leave you your pow'r to draw,
And I fhall have no pow'r to follow you.

Dem. Do I entice you? do I fpeak you fair?
Or rather do I not in plaineft truth

Tell you I do not and I cannot love you?

Hel. And ev'n for that do I love thee the more
I am your spaniel, and, Demetrius,
The more you beat me I will fawn on you:
Use me but as your fpaniel, fpurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lofe me; only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.
What worfer place can I beg in
your love,
(And yet a place of high refpect with me)
Than to be ufed as you use your dog?

Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my fpirit, For I am fick when I do look on thee.

Hel. And I am fick when I look not on you.

Dem. You do impeach your modefty too much,
To leave the city and commit yourself
Into the hands of one that loves you not,
To truft the opportunity of night,

And

And the ill counsel of a defart place,
With the rich worth of your virginity.
Hel. Your virtue is my privilege; for that
It is not night when I do fee your face,
Therefore I think I am not in the night.
Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company,
For you in my respect are all the world.
Then how can it be faid I am alone,
When all the world is here to look on me?

Dem. I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,
And leave thee to the mercy of wild beafts.

Hel. The wildeft hath not such a heart as you;
Run when you will, the ftory fhall be chang'd:
Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase;
The dove pursues the griffin, the mild hind
Makes fpeed to catch the tyger. Bootlefs fpeed!
When cowardife pursues, and valour flies.

Dem. I will not, ftay thy queftions; let me go:
Or if you follow me, do not believe
But I fhall do thee mischief in the wood.

Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town and field
You do me mifchief. Fie, Demetrius,
Your wrongs do fet a fcandal on my fex:
We cannot fight for love, as men may do ;
We fhould be woo'd, and were not made to woo.
I follow thee, and make a heaven of hell,
To die upon the hand I love fo well.

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt

Ob. Fare thee well, nymph; ere he do leave this grove
Thou shalt fly him, and he fhall feek thy love.
Haft thou the flow'r there? welcome, wanderer.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Ay, there it is.
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 lufcious woodbine,,
With fweet mufk-rofes, and with eglantine.
There fleeps Titania, fome time of the night,
Lull'd in these flow'rs, from dances and delight;

And there the snake throws her enamel'd skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:

There with the juice of this I'll freak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantafies.

Take thou fome of it, and feek through this grove;
A fweet Athenian lady is in love
With a difdainful youth; anoint his eyes,
But do it when the next thing he efpies.
May be the lady. Thou shalt 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 firft cock crow.
Puck. Fear not, my lord, your fervant fhall do fo.

You spotted frakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not feen,
Newts and blind worms, do no wrong,
Come not near our fairy Queen.
Philomel, with melody,
Sing in your feet lullaby,
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
Never harm, nor fpell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh,
So good night with lullaby.

[Exeunt. SCENE V. Enter Queen of fairies, with her train, Queen. Come, now a roundel, and a Fairy fong: 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 fports. Come, fing me now asleep, Then to your offices, and let me reft.

Fairies fing.

2 Fairy.
Weaving Spiders, come not here;
Hence, you long-leg'd spinners, bence ;
Beetles black, approach not near,
Worm nor fnail, do no offence.

Philomel, with melody, &c.

t

1 Fairy.

1 Fairy.

Hence, away; now all is well:
One aloof fland Centinel.
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.

[Exit Oberon,
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.

[Exeunt Fairies.

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 courtefie
Lye further off, in human modefty;
Such feparation as may well be faid
Becomes a virtuous batchelor and a maid;
So far be diftant, and good night, fweet friend,
Thy love ne'er alter till thy fweet life end!

T

}

Lyf.

Lyf. 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 wish the wifher's eyes be preft!

[They flerp.

Enter Puck.

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 mafter faid,
Despised 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-courtefie.
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe:
When thou wak'ft, let love forbid
Sleep his feat on thy eye-lid:
So awake when I am gone,
For I must now to Oberon.

[Exit.

SCENE. VII.

Enter Demetrius and Helena running.

Hel. Stay, tho' 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 ago. [Exit Dem. 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 fhe lyes; For the hath bleffed and attractive eyes. How came her eyes fo bright? not with falt tears; If fo, my eyes are oftner wafh'd than hers: No, no, I am as ugly as a bear; For beafts that meet me run away for fear. Therefore no marvel, tho' Demetrius

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