But he hath chid me hence, and threaten'd me

To strike me, fpurn me, nay, to kill me too;
And now,
so you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back,
And follow you no further. Let me go.

You fee, how fimple and how fond I am.

HER. Why, get you gone: who is't that hinders you? HEL. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.

HER. What, with Lyfander?

HEL. With Demetrius.

Lys. Be not afraid, fhe fhall not harm thee, Helena. DEM. No, Sir, she shall not, though you take her part. HEL. O, when she's angry, the is keen and shrewd;

She was a vixen when she went to school;

And though she be but little, she is fierce.

HER. Little, again? nothing but low, and little?
Why will you fuffer her to flout me thus?
Let me come to her.

Lys. Get you gone, you dwarf,

You Minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass-made ; You bead, you acorn.

DEM. Your are too officious,

In her behalf that scorns your fervices.

Let her alone, fpeak not of Helena,

Take not her part: for if thou dost intend,

Never fo little fhew of love to her,

Thou shalt aby it.

Lys. Now she holds me not;

Now follow, if thou dar'ft! to try whose right,

Or thine, or mine, is most in Helena.

DIM. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee cheek by jowl.

[Exeunt Lyfander and Demetrius.

HER. You, mistress, all this coil 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.

[Exeunt: Hermia pursuing Helena.

SCENE VIII.

Enter Oberon and Puck.

OB. This is thy negligence: ftill thou mistak'ft,
Or else commit't thy knaveries willingly.

PUCK. Believe me, king of fhadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me, I fhould know the man
By the Athenian garment he had on?
And fo far blameless proves my enterprize,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes;
And fo far am I glad it did fo fort,

As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

OB. Thou feeft, thefe lovers feek a place to fight;

Hie, therefore, Robin, overcaft the night;

The ftarry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fogs, as black as Acheron;
And lead these testy rivals so aftray,

As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lyfander, fometime, frame thy tongue,
Then ftir 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 fleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep;

Then crush this herb into Lyfander's eye,
Whofe liquor hath this virtuoos property,
To take from thence all error with its 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 fhall the lovers wend
With league, whose date 'till death fhall 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 monsters view, and all things shall be peace.
PUCK. My fairy lord, this must be done with hafte,
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-yard; 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 shame upon,
They wilfully exile themselves from light;
And muft for aye confort with black-brow'd night.
OB. But we are spirits of another fort;

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

Puck. Up and down, up and down,

I will lead them up and down,
I am fear'd in field and town.

[Ex. Ob.

Enter Lyfander.

Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou now.
PUCK. Here, villain, drawn and ready. Where art thou?
Lys. I will be with thee straight

PUCK. Follow me then

To plainer ground.

[Lyf, goes out, as following Dem."

Enter Demetrius.

DEM. Lyfander, speak again;

Thou run-away, thou coward, art thou fled ?
Speak in fome bush: where dost 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.

Lyfander comes back.

Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on; When I come where he calls me, then he's gone. The villain is much lighter-heel'd, than I:

I follow'd fast, but fafter he did fly;

That fall'n am I in dark uneven way,

[Exeunt.

And here will reft me. Come, thou, gentle day: [Lyes down. For if but once thou fhew me thy gray light,

I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spight.

Enter Puck and Demetrius.

Puck. Ho, ho, ho, coward, why com'ft thou not?

DEM. Abide me, if thou dar'ft: for well I wot, Thou runn'ft before me, fhifting every place; And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face. Where art thou?

PUCK. Come thou hither, I am here.

DEM. Nay, then thou mock'st me; thou fhalt buy this dear,

If ever I thy face by day light fee.

Now, go thy way; faintness constraineth me

To measure out my length on this cold bed.
By day's approach look to be vifited.

SCENE IX.

Enter Helena.

(Lyes down.

HEL. O weary night, O long and tedious night, Abate thy hours: fhine, comfort's, from the Eaft: That I may back to Athens by day-light,

From these, that my poor company deteft;

And fleep, that sometimes fhuts up forrow's eye,
Steal me a while from mine own company.

PUCK. Yet but three? come one more,

Two of both kinds make up four,

Here fhe comes, curft and fad:

Cupid is a knavish lad,

Thus to make poor females mad.

Enter Hermia.

HER. Never fo weary, never fo in woe,
Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers
can no further crawl, no further go;
My legs can keep no pace with my defires:

[Sleeps.