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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.

Re-enter Lyfander.

Lyf. He
goes before me, and still dares me on;
When I come where he calls, then he is gone.
The villain is much lighter heel'd, than I:
I follow'd fast, but fafter he did fly;
That fallen am I in dark uneven way,

[Exeunt.

And here will reft me. Come, thou gentle day! [Lies down. For if but once thou fhew me thy grey light,

I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this fpight.

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Re-enter Puck and Demetrius.

Puck. Ho, ho, ho! coward, why comeft thou not?
Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'ft: for well I wot,

Thou runn'st before me, fhifting 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't me. Thou shalt 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.

Enter Helena.

[Lies down.

Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hours; fhine, comforts, from the east;

Ho, bo, bo!]-An exclamation peculiar to Puck, and the burden of his fong, wherein he recounts his frolicks.

buy this dear,]-pay dearly for it.

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That I may back to Athens, by day-light,

From these that my poor company detest :---
forrow's eye,

And, fleep, that sometime shuts

up

Steal me a while from mine own company.

Puck. Yet but three? come one more;

Two of both kinds makes up four.

Here she comes,

curft, and fad :

{Sleeps.

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 ;

I can no further crawl, no further go;

my

defires.

My legs can keep no pace with
Here will I reft me, 'till the break of day.

Heavens fhield Lysander, if they mean a fray! [Lies down.

Puck. On the ground

'Sleep found:

I'll apply

To your eye,

Gentle lover, remedy.

[Squeezing the juice on Lyfander's eye.

When thou wak'ft,

b Thou tak'st

True delight

In the fight

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Jack fhall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill;

The man fhall have his mare again, and all shall be well. [Exit Puck.

[They fleep.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

A Wood.

Enter Queen of the Fairies, Bottom, Fairies attending, and the King behind them.

Queen. Come, fit thee down upon this flowery bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

C

And stick musk-rofes in thy fleek smooth head,
And kifs thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.

Bot. Where's Pease-bloffom?

Pease. Ready.

Bot. Scratch my head, Pease bloffom.-Where's monfieur Cobweb?

Cob. Ready.

Bot. Monfieur Cobweb; good monfieur, get your weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hip'd humble bee on the top of a thiftle; and, good monfieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, monfieur; and, good monfieur, have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be loth to have you overflown with a honey-bag, fignior.-Where's monfieur Muf tard-feed?

Muft. Ready.

Bot. Give me your neif, monfieur Mustard-feed. Pray

с

coy,]-stroke.

d neif,]-fift.

E 4

you,

you, leave your courtefy, good monfieur. Muft. What's your will?

Bot. Nothing, good monfieur, but to help cavalero Pease-bloffom to fcratch. I muft to the barber's, monfieur; for, methinks, I am marvellous hairy about the face : and I am fuch a tender afs, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch.

Queen. What, wilt thou hear fome mufick, my sweet love?

Bot. I have a reasonable good ear in mufick: let us have the tongs and the bones.

Queen. Or, fay, fweet love, what thou defir'ft to eat. Bot. Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks I have a great defire to a bottle of hay good hay, fweet hay, hath no fellow.

Queen. I have a venturous fairy that shall feek

The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee thence new nuts.

Bot. I had rather have a handful, or two, of dried pease. But, I pray you, let none of your people ftir me; I have an exposition of fleep come upon me.

Queen. Sleep thou,, and I will wind thee in my arms. Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away.

f

So doth the woodbine, the fweet "honey-fuckle,
Gently entwift, the female ivy fo

-

Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.

O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!

Oberon advances. Enter Puck.

Ob. Welcome, good Robin. Seeft thou this sweet sight? Her dotage now I do begin to pity.

• Cobweb.

be all ways away.]-difperfe upon your different employments. woodbine,]-the plant. honey-fuckle,]-the flower. i female ivy]-wanting the fupport of the elm, which is therefore called its bufband.

For

k

For meeting her of late, behind the wood,
Seeking fweet favours for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her, and fall out with her :
For the his hairy temples then had 'rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
And that fame dew, which fometime on the buds
Was wont to fwell, like round and orient pearls,
Stood now within the pretty flourets' eyes,
Like tears, that did their own difgrace bewail.
When I had, at my pleasure, taunted her,
And the, in mild terms, begg'd my patience,
I then did afk of her her changeling child;
Which strait she gave me, and her fairy sent
To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
And, now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
And gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp
From off the head of the Athenian fwain
That he awaking when the others do,
May all to Athens back again repair;
And think no more of this night's accidents,
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will release the fairy queen;

Be, as thou waft wont to be

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[Touching her eyes with an herb.

See, as thou waft wont to fee:

Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Hath fuch force and bleffed power.

Now, my Titania; wake you, my fweet queen.
Queen. My Oberon! what vifions have I feen!
Methought, I was enamour'd of an ass.

favours]-garlands-favours.

1 rounded-furrounded.

fierce vexation-lively impreffion, ftrong illufion.

Ob.

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