Enter PUCK. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, All the power this charm doth owe 9: [Exit. Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running. Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. Hel. O, wilt thou darkling' leave me? do not So. Dem. Stay, on thy peril; I alone will go. [Erit DEMETRIUS. Hel. O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, whereso'er she lies; For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. Hel. Do not say so, Lysander: say not so: What though he love your Hermia? O, what though? Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content. Lys. Content with Hermia? No: I do repent Who will not change a raven for a dove? Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? [Exit. Lys. She sees not Hermia: - Hermia, sleep thou there; And never may'st thou come Lysander near ! How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt Are hated most of those they did deceive; tears: If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers. For beasts that meet me, run away for fear: Lys. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet sake, [Waking. Transparent Helena! Nature here shows art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word Is that vile name to perish on my sword! So thou, my surfeit, and my heresy, [Exit. Her. [Starting.] Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best, To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! - lying asleep. Quin. What say'st thou, bully Bottom? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus STARVELING. must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Snout. By'rlakin 3, 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 seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords; and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and for the more better assurance, tell them, that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: This will put them out of fear. Quin. Well, we will have such a prologue ; and it shall be written in eight and six. Bot. No, make it two more ; let it be written in eight and eight. So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear. But, hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile, And by and by I will to thee appear. Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here! [Aside. Exit. This. Must I speak now? Quin. Ay, marry, must you : for you must underSnout. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? stand, he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and Star. I fear it, I promise you. is to come again. Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect, . . Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life : No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are:- - and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them plainly, he is Snug the joiner. Quin. Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light. Snug. Doth the moon shine, that night we play our play? Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moon-shine. Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night. Bot. Why, then you may leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the casement. Quin. Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chinks of a wall. Snug. You never can bring in a wall. . What say you, Bottom? Bot. Some man or other must present wall: and let him have some plaster, or some lome, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper. Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake 4; and so every one according to his cue. | This. Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue, Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier, Most brisky juvenal 5, and eke most lovely Jew, As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire, I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb. Quin. Ninus' tomb, man: Why you must not speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: you speak all your part at once, cues 6 and all. - Pyramus, enter; your cue is past; it is, never tire. Re-enter Puck, and Borror with an Ass's head. This. O,As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire. Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine : Quin. O monstrous! O strange ! we are haunted. Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [Exeunt Clowns. Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier; Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. [Exit. Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them, to make me afeard. Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? [ Waking. Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo grey, or, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry, cuckoo, never so? Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note, So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days: The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek 7 upon occasion. Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn. Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go; Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common rate : The summer still doth tend upon my state, 1 Fai. Ready. 2 Fai. 3 Fai. 4 Fai. And I. And I. Where shall we go? Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; Feed him with apricocks and dewberries, With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries; The honey bags steal from the humble-bees, And, for night-tapers, crop their waxen thighs, And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes, To have my love to bed, and to arise; And pluck the wings from painted butterflies, To fan the moon-beams from his sleeping eyes: Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies. 1 Fai. Hail, mortal! 2 Fai. Hail! 3 Fai. Hail! 4 Fai. Hail! SCENE II. - Another part of the Wood. Then, what it was that next came in her eye, - Here comes my messenger. How now, mad spirit? So, at his sight, away his fellows fly; And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls; strong, Made senseless things begin to do them wrong: I led them on in this distracted fear, Obe. This falls out better than I could devise. Bot. I cry your worship's mercy, heartily. I That, when he wak'd, of force she must be ey'd. bescech, your worship's name? Bot. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well that same cowardly, giant-like oxbeef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you more acquaintance, good master Mustard-seed. Tita. Come wait upon him; lead him to my bower. The moon, methinks, looks with a watery eye; And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity. Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently. [Exeunt. 7 Joke. Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA. Obe. Stand close; this is the same Athenian. Puck. This is the woman, but not this the man. Dem. O, why rebuke you him that loves you so? Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe. Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse; The sun was not so true unto the day, Dem. So should the murder'd look; and so should I, 9 Infected. Her. What's this to my Lysander? where is he? | Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him then? Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd' mood: I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; Her. I pray thee, tell me then, that he is well. A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Obe. About the wood go swifter than the wind, Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. Sink in apple of his eye! When his love he doth espy, Re-enter PUCK. Puck. Captain of our fairy band, Helena is here at hand; And the youth, mistook by me, [Exit. Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born, more. When truth kills truth, O matchless holy fray! These vows are Hermia's: Will you give her o'er? Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh; Your vows, to her and me, put in two scales, Will even weigh; and both as light as tales. Lys. I had no judgment, when to her I swore. Hel. Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er. Lys. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you. Dem. awaking] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport. Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go? Her. What love could press Lysander from my side? Lys. Lysander's love, that would not let him bide, Fair Helena who more engilds the night Than all yon fiery oes 6 and eyes of light. Dem. If she cannot entreat, I can compel. Lys. Thou canst compel no more than she entreat; Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers. Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do; Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee To prove him false, that says I love thee not. know, The hate I bare thee made me leave thee so? Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be. Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd, For parting us, O, and is all forgot? Two lovely berries moulded on one stem: Her. I am amazed at your passionate words : Her. I understand not what you mean by this. Lys. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse; Dem. I say, I love thee more than he can do. Lys. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too. Dem. Quick, come, Her. Lysander, whereto tends all this. Lys. Away, you Ethiop! Dem. No, no, sir: - he will Seem to break loose; take on, as you would follow; But yet come not: you are a tame man, go! Lys. Hang off, thou cat, thou burr: vile thing, let loose; Or I will shake thee from me, like a serpent. Her. Why are you grown so rude? what change is this, Sweet love? Lys. Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out! Her. Do you not jest? Hel. Yes, 'sooth; and so do you. Lys. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee. Dem. I would, I had your bond; for, I perceive, A weak bond holds you; I'll not trust your word. Lys. What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill her game. Now I perceive that she hath made compare Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen, A worm that preys on buds of flowers. 2 Shrewish or mischievous, |