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 us have the tongs and the bones. Tita. Or, say, sweet love, what thou desir'st 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. 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 goue, and be all ways away. So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle, Enrings the barky fingers of the elm. O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee! Oberon advances. [They sleep. Enter Puck. Obe. Welcome, good Robin. See'st thou this sweet sight? Her dotage now I do begin to pity. Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent [Touching her eyes with an 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. Tita. My Oberon! What visions have I seen! Methought, I was enamour'd of an ass. Obe. There lies your love. Tita. How came these things to pass? O, how mine eyes do loath his visage now! Obe. Silence, a while.-Robin, take off this head.Titania, music call; and strike more dead Than common sleep, of all these five the sense. Tita. Music, ho! music; such as charmeth sleep. Puck. Now, when thou wak'st, 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. And will, to-morrow midnight, solemnly, And bless it to all fair posterity: There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be Puck. Fairy king, attend and mark; Obe. Then, my queen, in silence sad, Trip we after the night's shade: We the globe can compass soon, Tita. Come, my lord: and in our flight, With these mortals, on the ground. [Exeunt. 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 vayward' 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 hourds 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;2 for, besides the groves, The skies, the fountains, every region near Seem'd all one mutual cry: never heard So musical a discord, such sweet thunder. The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, So flew'd, so sanded; and their heads are hung Judge, when you hear.-But, soft; what nymphs are these? (1) Forepart. (2) Sound. (3) The flews are the large chaps of a hound. 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. The. Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns. Horns, and shout within. Demetrius, Lysander, The: [He and the rest kneel to Theseus. I pray you all, stand up. 1 know, you are two rival enemies : How comes this gentle concord in the world, To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity? Lys. My lord, I shall reply amazedly, Half 'sleep, half waking: But as yet, I swear, I can truly say how I came here: But, as I think, (for truly would I speak,— I came with Hermia hither; our intent Ege. Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough; I beg the law, the law, upon his head. They would have stol'n away, they would, Demetrius, Thereby to have defeated you and me : Of this their purpose hither, to this wood; The. Fair lovers, you are fortunately met: [Exeunt The. Hyp. Ege. and train. Dem. These things seen small, and undistinguishable, Like far-off mountains turned into clouds. Her. Methinks, I see these things with parted eye, When every thing seems double. Hel. So methinks: And I have found Demetrius like a jewel, It seems to me Dem. That yet we sleep, we dream.-Do not you think, The duke was here, and bid us follow him? |