Dem. You do impeach your modesty too much,
To leave the city, and commit yourself
Into the hands of one that loves you not;
To trust the opportunity of night,
And the ill counfel 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 does this wood lack worlds of company;
For you in my refpect 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 beasts.

Hel. The wildest hath not fuch a heart as you;
Run when you will, the story fhall be chang'd:
Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chafe ;:
The dove purfues the griffin; the mild hind
Makes speed to catch the tyger. Bootlefs fpeed!
When cowardife purfues, and valour flies.

Dem. I will not ftay thy queftions; let me go:
Or if thou follow me, do not believe,

But I fhall do thee mischief in the wood.

Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,
You do me mifchief. Fie, Demetrius,

Your wrongs do set a scandal on my fex':
We cannot fight for love, as men may do ;

We fhou'd be woo'd, and were not made to woo.

I follow thee, and make a heav'n of hell;

To die upon the hand, I love fo well.

[Exeunt.

Ob. Fare thee well, nymph; ere he doth leave this grove,

Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek 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 ox-lip and the nodding violet grows.

O'er

O'er-canopy'd with luscious woodbine,
With sweet mufk-rofes, and with eglantine,
There fleeps Titania, fome time of the night,
Lull'd in these flow'rs, with dances and delight;
And there the fnake throws her enamel'd skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:

And with the juice of this I'll ftreak 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 disdainful 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 the upon her love;
And, look, you meet me ere the first cock crow.

Puck. Fear not, my Lord, your servant shall do so. [Exe.

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; (12)
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 fpirits. Sing me now afleep:
Then to your offices, and let me reft.

Fairies fing.

You fpotted fnakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not feen;
Newts and blind worms, do no wrong;
Come not near our fairy Queen.

(12.) Then for the third part of a minute bence,] But the Queen fets them work, that is to keep them employed for the remainder of the night: The Poet, undoubtedly, intended her to fay, dance your round, and fing your fong, and then instantly (before the third part of a minute) begone to your refpective duties.

10

F 2

Philomel,

Philomel, with melody,

Sing in your sweet lullaby;

Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby :
Never harm, nor fpell nor charm,
Come our lovely Lady nigh;

So good night, with lullaby.

2 Fairy.

Weaving spiders come not here;
Hence, you long-leg'd fpinners, hence:
Beetles black, approach not near,
Worm, nor fnail, do no offence.
Philomel, with melody, &c.

1 Fairy.

Hence, away; now all is well :

One, aloof, ftand centinel.

[Exeunt Fairies. The Queen fleeps.

Enter Oberon.

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 that shall

appear,

When thou wak'ft, it is thy dear;
Wake, when fome vile thing is near.

Enter Lyfander and Hermia.

[Exit Oberon.

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 turffhall ferve as pillow for us both, One heart, one bed, two bofoms, and one troth. Her. Nay, good Lyfander; for my fake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie fo near.

Ly.

Lyf. O take the fenfe, fweet, of my conference; (13)
Love takes the meaning, in love's innocence;
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 courtesy
Lie further off; in human modesty,
Such feparation, as, may well be faid,
Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid;
So far be diftant; and good night, sweet friend;
Thy love ne'er alter, 'till thy fweet life end.
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 fleep.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Through the foreft have I gone,

But Athenian found I none,

On whofe eyes I might approve

This flower's force in stirring love :

(13) O take the fense, sweet, of my innocence ;

Love takes the meaning in love's conference.] 'Tis plain here, that the players, for the fake of the jingle between fenfe and innocence, tranfpos'd the two laft words in the two lines, and fo made unintelligible nonfenfe of them. Let us adjust them, and this will be the meaning. When the interpreted his words to an evil meaning, he fays, O take the fenfe of my conference; i. e. judge of my meaning by the drift of the other part of my difcourfe; and let that interpret this. A very proper rule to be always obferv'd, when we would judge of any one's meaning: the want of which is the most common cause of misinterpretation. He goes on and fays, Love takes the meaning in love's innocence. i. e. The innocence of your love may teach you to difcover mine. Another very fine fentiment. So that thele two most beautiful lines were perfectly disfigur'd in the aukward tranfpofition. Mr. Warburton.

F 3

Night

Night and filence! who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear;
This is he, my master said,
Defpifed the Athenian maid.

And here the maiden fleeping found
On the dank and dirty ground,
Pretty foul! fhe durft not lie
Near to this kill curtefy.

(14)

Churl, upon thy eyes I throw

All the pow'r 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.

Enter Demetrius and Helena running.

[Exit.

Hel. Stay, tho' thou kill me, sweet Demetrius !
Dem. Icharge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.
Hel. O, wilt thou darling leave me? do not fo.

Dem. Stay, on thy peril, 1 alone will go.

[Exit Demetrius.
Hel. O, I am out of breath in this fond chace;
The more my prayer, the leffer is my grace.
Happy is Hermia, where foe'er fhe lies;
For the hath blessed, and attractive, eyes.
How came her eyes fo bright? not with falt tears;
If fo, my eyes are oftener wash'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
Do (as a monster) fly my prefence thus.
What wicked, and diffembling, glass of mine
Made me compare with Hermia's iphery eyne?

(14) Near to this lack-love, this kill-curtefy.] Thus, in all the printed editions. But this verfe, as Ben Johnson fays, is broke loofe from his fellows, and wants to be tied up. I believe, the Poet wrote; Near to this kill-courtesy.

And fo the line is reduced to the measure of the other. But this term being fomewhat quaint and uncommon, the players, in my opinion, officiously clap'd in the other, as a comment; and fo it has ever fince held poffeffion.

But