Some war with rear-mice for their leathern wings, Fairies fing. You fpotted fnakes with double tongue, Sing in your fweet lullaby: Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby: So good night with lullaby. Second Fairy. Weaving fpiders, come not here ; Philomel with melody, &c. First 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; [Exit Oberon. SCENE Enter Lyfander and Hermia. Lyf. Fair love, you faint with wand'ring in the wood; And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way: We'll reft us, Hermia, if thou 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, Lyf. O take the fenfe, fweet, of my conference; Her. Lyfander riddles very prettily; Such feparation, as may well be said, So far be diftant; and good night, fweet friend; Here is my bed; fleep give thee all his reft! Her. With half that wifh the wifher's eyes be prest! 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 flirring love: [They fleep. Night and filence! who is here? SCENE [Exit. 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 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, wherefoe'er the lies; For the hath bleffed and attractive eyes. How came her eyes fo bright? not with falt tears; For beasts, that meet me, run away for fear. Lyf. And run thro' fire I will, for thy sweet fake. Transparent Helen, nature here fhews art, L That That through thy bofom makes me fee thy heart. Hel. Do not fay fo, Lyfander, fay not fo; What tho' he loves your Hermia? Lord, what tho'? Yet Hermia ftill loves you; then be content. Lyf. Content with Hermia? no: I do repent Who will not change a raven for a dove? Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mock'ry born? Good troth, you do me wrong; good footh, you do; In fuch difdainful manner me to woo : But fare you well Perforce I must confefs, I thought you lord of more true gentleness: Oh, that a lady, of one man refus'd, Should of another therefore be abus'd ! And never may'ft thou come Lyfander near; [Exit. Lyf. She fees not Hermia; Hermia, fleep thou there; For as a furfeit of the sweetest things The deepest loathing to the ftomach brings; Of all be hated, but the most of me! And, all my pow'rs, address your love and might [Exit. Her. Help me, Lyfander, help me! do thy best To pluck this crawling ferpent from my breast: Ay Ay me, for pity, what a dream was here? ACT III. SCENE I. The Wood. [Exit. Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snowt, and Bot. A Starveling. The Queen of Fairies lying afleep. RE we all met? Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot fhall be our stage, this hawthorn-brake our tyring-house, and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the Duke. Bot. Peter Quince- Quin. What fay'st thou, bully Bottom? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus muft draw a fword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How anfwer you that? Snowt. By'rlaken, a parlous fear. Star. I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done. Bot. Not a whit; I have a device to make all well: write me a prologue, and let the prologue feem to fay, we will do no harm with our fwords, and that Pyramus is not kill'd indeed; and for more better affurance tell them, that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver; this will put them out of fear. Quin. Well, we will have fuch a prologue, and it fhall be written in eight and fix. L 2 Bot. |