Let her not hurt me. I was never curst; Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think, Her. Lower! hark, again. Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me. Did ever keep your counsels; never wrong'd you; I told him of your stealth unto this wood: But he hath chid me hence, and threaten'd me You see how simple and how fond I am. Her. Why, get you gone: who is't that hinders you? Hel. With Demetrius. Lys. Be not afraid: she shall not harm thee, Helena. Dem. No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part. Hel. O, when she's angry, she 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 suffer 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. You are too officious In her behalf that scorns your services. Let her alone; speak not of Helena; Take not her part: for if thou dost intend Thou shalt aby it. Lys. Now she holds me not; Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try whose right, Or thine or mine, is most in Helena. Dem. Follow! nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole. [Exeunt Lys. and DEM. Her. You, mistress, all this coil is 'long of you: [Exit. [Exit, pursuing HELENA. Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mistak'st, Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully. Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook. As this their jangling I esteem a sport. Obe. Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight: The starry welkin cover thou anon With league whose date till death shall never end. At whose approach ghosts, wandering here and there, Troop home to church-yards: damned spirits all, For fear lest day should look their shames upon I with the morning's love have oft made sport; Here comes one. Enter LYSANDER. [Exit OBERON, 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. To plainer ground. Dem. Follow me, then, [Exit Lys. as following the voice. Enter DEMETRIUS. Lysander! speak again. Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled? Speak. In some bush? where dost thou hide thy head? And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child; That draws a sword on thee. Dem. Yea, art thou there? Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here. Re-enter LYSANDER. Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on; When I come where he calls, then he is gone. The villain is much lighter heeled than I: I follow'd fast, but faster he did fly; That fallen am I in dark uneven way, [Exeunt. And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day! [Lies down. For if but once thou show me thy gray light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite. Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS. [Sleeps. Puck. Ho, ho! ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thou not? Dem. Abide me if thou dar'st; for well I wot Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place; And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face. Where art thou? Puck. Come hither; I am here. Dem. Nay, then, thou mock'st me. dear, If ever I thy face by daylight see: Thou shalt buy this Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me To measure out my length on this cold bed.— By day's approach look to be visited. [Lies down and sleeps. Enter HELENA. Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night, Abate thy hours! Shine comforts from the east, That I may back to Athens by daylight, From these that my poor company detest:- Puck. Yet but three? Come one more; Here she comes, curst and sad:- Thus to make poor females mad. Enter HERMIA, Her. Never so weary, never so in woe, Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers; I can no farther crawl, no farther go; My legs can keep no pace with my desires. Here will I rest me till the break of day. [Sleeps. Heaven shield Lysander, if they mean a fray! [Lies down. Puck. On the ground Sleep sound: I'll apply To your eye, Gentle lover, remedy. [Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER's eye. When thou wak'st, Thou tak'st True delight In the sight Of thy former lady's eye: And the country proverb known, Nought shall go ill; The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well. [Exit PUCK.-DEM., HEL., &c., sleep. ACT IV. SCENE I.-The Wood. Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM, Fairies attending; OBERON behind, unseen. Tita. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed, And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head, And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy. Bot. Where's Peasblossom? Peas. Ready. Bot. Scratch my head, Peasblossom.-Where's Monsieur Cobweb? Cob. Ready. Bot. Monsieur Cobweb; good monsieur, get your weapons in your hand and kill me a red-hipped humble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good monsieur, bring me the honeybag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, monsieur; and, good monsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be loath to have you overflown with a honey-bag, signior. -Where's Monsieur Mustardseed? Must. Ready. Bot. Give me your neif, Monsieur Mustardseed. Pray you, leave your courtesy, good monsieur. Must. What's your will? Bot. Nothing, good monsieur, but to help Cavalero Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber's, monsieur; for methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face: and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me I must scratch. |