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A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Suzanne Westfall
Not Peer Reviewed
A Midsommer nights Dreame.
157
And the Country Prouerb knowne,
That euery man should take his owne,
In your waking shall be showne.
Iacke shall haue Iill, nought shall goe ill.
1505The man shall haue his Mare againe, and all shall bee
well.
They sleepe all the Act.


Actus Quartus.


Enter Queene of Fairies, and Clowne, and Fairies, and the
1510King behinde them.

Tita. Come, sit thee downe vpon this flowry bed,
While I thy amiable cheekes doe coy,
And sticke muske roses in thy sleeke smoothe head,
And kisse thy faire large eares, my gentle ioy.
1515Clow. Where's Peaseblossome?
Peas. Ready.
Clow. Scratch my head, Pease-blossome. Wher's Moun-
sieuer Cobweb.
Cob. Ready.
1520Clowne. Mounsieur Cobweb, good Mounsier get your
weapons in your hand, & kill me a red hipt humble-Bee,
on the top of a thistle; and good Mounsieur bring mee
the hony bag. Doe not fret your selfe too much in the
action, Mounsieur; and good Mounsieur haue a care the
1525hony bag breake not, I would be loth to haue yon ouer-
flowne with a hony-bag signiour. Where's Mounsieur
Mustardseed?
Mus. Ready.
Clo. Giue me your neafe, Mounsieur Mustardseed.
1530Pray you leaue your courtesie good Mounsieur.
Mus. What's your will?
Clo. Nothing good Mounsieur, but to help Caualery
Cobweb to scratch. I must to the Barbers Mounsieur, for
me-thinkes I am maruellous hairy about the face. And I
1535am such a tender asse, if my haire do but tickle me, I must
scratch.
Tita. What, wilt thou heare some musicke, my sweet
loue.
Clow. I haue a reasonable good eare in musicke. Let
1540vs haue the tongs and the bones.
Musicke Tongs, Rurall Musicke.
Tita. Or say sweete Loue, what thou desirest to eat.
Clowne. Truly a pecke of Prouender; I could munch
your good dry Oates. Me-thinkes I haue a great desire
1545to a bottle of hay: good hay, sweete hay hath no fel-
low.
Tita. I haue a venturous Fairy,
That shall seeke the Squirrels hoard,
And fetch thee new Nuts.
1550Clown. I had rather haue a handfull or two of dried
pease. But I pray you let none of your people stirre me, I
haue an exposition of sleepe come vpon me.
Tyta. Sleepe thou, and I will winde thee in my arms,
Fairies be gone, and be alwaies away.
1555So doth the woodbine, the sweet Honisuckle,
Gently entwist; the female Iuy so
Enrings the barky fingers of the Elme.
O how I loue thee! how I dote on thee!

Enter Robin goodfellow and Oberon.
1560Ob. Welcome good Robin:
Seest thou this sweet sight?
Her dotage now I doe begin to pitty.
For meeting her of late behinde the wood,
Seeking sweet sauors for this hatefull foole,
1565I did vpbraid her, and fall out with her.
For she his hairy temples then had rounded,
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers.
And that same dew which somtime on the buds,
Was wont to swell like round and orient pearles;
1570Stood now within the pretty flouriets eyes,
Like teares that did their owne disgrace bewaile.
When I had at my pleasure taunted her,
And she in milde termes beg'd my patience,
I then did aske of her, her changeling childe,
1575Which straight she gaue me, and her Fairy sent
To beare him to my Bower in Fairy Land.
And now I haue the Boy, I will vndoe
This hatefull imperfection of her eyes.
And gentle Pucke, take this transformed scalpe,
1580From off the head of this Athenian swaine;
That he awaking when the other doe,
May all to Athens backe againe repaire,
And thinke no more of this nights accidents,
But as the fierce vexation of a dreame.
1585But first I will release the Fairy Queene.

Be thou as thou wast wont to be;
See as thou wast wont to see.
Dians bud, or Cupids flower,
Hath such force and blessed power.

1590Now my Titania wake you my sweet Queene.
Tita. My Oberon, what visions haue I seene!
Me-thought I was enamoured of an Asse.
Ob. There lies your loue.
Tita. How came these things to passe?
1595Oh, how mine eyes doth loath this visage now!
Ob. Silence a while. Robin take off his head:
Titania, musick call, and strike more dead
Then common sleepe; of all these, fine the sense.
Tita. Musicke, ho musicke, such as charmeth sleepe.
1600
Musick still.
Rob. When thou wak'st, with thine owne fooles eies
peepe
Ob. Sound musick; come my Queen, take hands with
And rocke the ground whereon these sleepers be.
1605Now thou and I new in amity,
And will to morrow midnight, solemnly
Dance in Duke Theseus house triumphantly,
And blesse it to all faire posterity.
There shall the paires of faithfull Louers be
1610Wedded, with Theseus, all in iollity.
Rob. Faire King attend, and marke,
I doe heare the morning Larke.
Ob. Then my Queene in silence sad,
Trip we after the nights shade;
1615We the Globe can compasse soone,
Swifter then the wandering Moone.
Tita. Come my Lord, and in our flight,
Tell me how it came this night,
That I sleeping heere was found,
1620
Sleepers Lye still.
O
With