4NOw faire Hippolita, our nuptiall houre

5Drawes on apace: foure happy daies bring in

6Another Moon: but oh, me thinkes, how slow

7This old Moon wanes; She lingers my desires

8Like to a Step-dame, or a Dowager,

9Long withering out a yong mans reuennew.

10Hip. Foure daies wil quickly steep thẽselues in nights

11Foure nights wil quickly dreame away the time:

12And then the Moone, like to a siluer bow,

13Now bent in heauen, shal behold the night

14Of our solemnities.

15The. Go Philostrate,

16Stirre vp the Athenian youth to merriments,

17Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth,

18Turne melancholy forth to Funerals:

19The pale companion is not for our pompe,

20Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my sword,

21And wonne thy loue, doing thee iniuries:

22But I will wed thee in another key,

23With pompe, with triumph, and with reuelling.

26Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned Duke.

27The. Thanks good Egeus: what's the news with thee?

28Ege. Full of vexation, come I, with complaint

29Against my childe, my daughter Hermia.

31My Noble Lord,

32This man hath my consent to marrie her.

34And my gracious Duke,

35This man hath bewitch'd the bosome of my childe:

36Thou, thou Lysander, thou hast giuen her rimes,

37And interchang'd loue-tokens with my childe:

38Thou hast by Moone-light at her window sung,

39With faining voice, verses of faining loue,

40And stolne the impression of her fantasie,

41With bracelets of thy haire, rings, gawdes, conceits,

42Knackes, trifles, Nose-gaies, sweet meats (messengers

43Of strong preuailment in vnhardned youth)

44With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughters heart,

45Turn'd her obedience (which is due to me)

46To stubborne harshnesse. And my gracious Duke,

47Be it so she will not heere before your Grace,

48Consent to marrie with Demetrius,

49I beg the ancient priuiledge of Athens;

50As she is mine, I may dispose of her;

51Which shall be either to this Gentleman,

52Or to her death, according to our Law,

53Immediately prouided in that case.

54The. What say you Hermia? be aduis'd faire Maide,

55To you your Father should be as a God;

56One that compos'd your beauties; yea and one

57To whom you are but as a forme in waxe

58By him imprinted: and within his power,

59To leaue the figure, or disfigure it:

60Demetrius is a worthy Gentleman.

61Her. So is Lysander.

62The. In himselfe he is.

63But in this kinde, wanting your fathers voyce.

64The other must be held the worthier.

65Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes.

66The. Rather your eies must with his iudgment looke.

67Her. I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.

68I know not by what power I am made bold,

69Nor how it may concerne my modestie

70In such a presence heere to pleade my thoughts:

71But I beseech your Grace, that I may know

72The worst that may befall me in this case,

73If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

74The. Either to dye the death, or to abiure

75For euer the society of men.

76Therefore faire Hermia question your desires,

77Know of your youth, examine well your blood,

78Whether (if you yeeld not to your fathers choice)

79You can endure the liuerie of a Nunne,

80For aye to be in shady Cloister mew'd,

81To liue a barren sister all your life,

82Chanting faint hymnes to the cold fruitlesse Moone,

83Thrice blessed they that master so their blood,

84To vndergo such maiden pilgrimage,

85But earthlier happie is the Rose distil'd,

86Then that which withering on the virgin thorne,

87Growes, liues, and dies, in single blessednesse.

88Her. So will I grow, so liue, so die my Lord,

89Ere I will yeeld my virgin Patent vp

90Vnto his Lordship, whose vnwished yoake,

91My soule consents not to giue soueraignty.

92The. Take time to pause, and by the next new Moon

93The sealing day betwixt my loue and me,

94For euerlasting bond of fellowship:

95Vpon that day either prepare to dye,

96For disobedience to your fathers will,

97Or else to wed Demetrius as hee would,

98Or on Dianaes Altar to protest

99For aie, austerity, and single life.

100Dem. Relent sweet Hermia, and Lysander, yeelde

101Thy crazed title to my certaine right.

102Lys. You haue her fathers loue, Demetrius:

103Let me haue Hermiaes: do you marry him.

104Egeus. Scornfull Lysander, true, he hath my Loue;

105And what is mine, my loue shall render him.

106And she is mine, and all my right of her,

107I do estate vnto Demetrius.

108Lys. I am my Lord, as well deriu'd as he,

109As well possest: my loue is more then his:

110My fortunes euery way as fairely ranck'd

111(If not with vantage) as Demetrius:

112And (which is more then all these boasts can be)

113I am belou'd of beauteous Hermia.

114Why should not I then prosecute my right?

115Demetrius, Ile auouch it to his head,

116Made loue to Nedars daughter, Helena,

117And won her soule: and she (sweet Ladie) dotes,

118Deuoutly dotes, dotes in Idolatry,

119Vpon this spotted and inconstant man.

120The. I must confesse, that I haue heard so much,

121And with Demetrius thought to haue spoke thereof:

122But being ouer-full of selfe-affaires,

123My minde did lose it. But Demetrius come,

124And come Egeus, you shall go with me,

125I haue some priuate schooling for you both.

126For you faire Hermia, looke you arme your selfe,

127To fit your fancies to your Fathers will;

128Or else the Law of Athens yeelds you vp

129(Which by no meanes we may extenuate)

130To death, or to a vow of single life.

131Come my Hippolita, what cheare my loue?

132Demetrius and Egeus go along:

133I must imploy you in some businesse

134Against our nuptiall, and conferre with you

135Of something, neerely that concernes your selues.

136Ege. With dutie and desire we follow you.Exeunt

138Lys. How now my loue? Why is your cheek so pale?

139How chance the Roses there do fade so fast?

140Her. Belike for want of raine, which I could well

141Beteeme them, from the tempest of mine eyes.

142Lys. For ought that euer I could reade,

143Could euer heare by tale or historie,

144The course of true loue neuer did run smooth,

145But either it was different in blood.

146Her. O crosse! too high to be enthral'd to loue.

147Lys. Or else misgraffed, in respect of yeares.

148Her. O spight! too old to be ingag'd to yong.

149Lys. Or else it stood vpon the choise of merit.

150Her. O hell! to choose loue by anothers eie.

151Lys. Or if there were a simpathie in choise,

152Warre, death, or sicknesse, did lay siege to it;

153Making it momentarie, as a sound:

154Swift as a shadow, short as any dreame,

155Briefe as the lightning in the collied night,

156That (in a spleene) vnfolds both heauen and earth;

157And ere a man hath power to say, behold,

158The iawes of darkness do deuoure it vp:

159So quicke bright things come to confusion.

160Her. If then true Louers haue beene euer crost,

161It stands as an edict in destinie:

162Then let vs teach our triall patience,

163Because it is a customarie crosse,

164As due to loue, as thoughts, and dreames, and sighes,

165Wishes and teares; poore Fancies followers.

166Lys. A good perswasion; therefore heare me Hermia,

167I haue a Widdow Aunt, a dowager,

168Of great reuennew, and she hath no childe,

169From Athens is her house remou'd seuen leagues,

170And she respects me, as her onely sonne:

171There gentle Hermia, may I marrie thee,

172And to that place, the sharpe Athenian Law

173Cannot pursue vs. If thou lou'st me, then

174Steale forth thy fathers house to morrow night:

175And in the wood, a league without the towne,

176(Where I did meete thee once with Helena,

177To do obseruance for a morne of May)

178There will I stay for thee.

179Her. My good Lysander,

180I sweare to thee, by Cupids strongest bow,

181By his best arrow with the golden head,

182By the simplicitie of Venus Doues,

183By that which knitteth soules, and prospers loue,

184And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage Queene,

185When the false Troyan vnder saile was seene,

186By all the vowes that euer men haue broke,

187(In number more then euer women spoke)

188In that same place thou hast appointed me,

189To morrow truly will I meete with thee.

190Lys. Keepe promise loue: looke here comes Helena.

192Her. God speede faire Helena, whither away?

193Hel. Cal you me faire? that faire againe vnsay,

194Demetrius loues you faire: O happie faire!

195Your eyes are loadstarres, and your tongues sweet ayre

196More tuneable then Larke to shepheards eare,

197When wheate is greene, when hauthorne buds appeare,

198Sicknesse is catching: O were fauor so,

199Your words I catch, faire Hermia ere I go,

200My eare should catch your voice, my eye, your eye,

201My tongue should catch your tongues sweet melodie,

202Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,

203The rest Ile giue to be to you translated.

204O teach me how you looke, and with what art

205you sway the motion of Demetrius hart.

206Her. I frowne vpon him, yet he loues me still.

207Hel. O that your frownes would teach my smiles

208such skil.

209Her. I giue him curses, yet he giues me loue.

210Hel. O that my prayers could such affection mooue.

211Her. The more I hate, the more he followes me.

212Hel. The more I loue, the more he hateth me.

213Her. His folly Helena is none of mine.

214Hel. None but your beauty, wold that fault wer mine

215Her. Take comfort: he no more shall see my face,

216Lysander and my selfe will flie this place.

217Before the time I did Lysander see,

218Seem'd Athens like a Paradise to mee.

219O then, what graces in my Loue do dwell,

220That he hath turn'd a heauen into hell.

221Lys. Helen, to you our mindes we will vnfold,

222To morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold

223Her siluer visage, in the watry glasse,

224Decking with liquid pearle, the bladed grasse

225(A time that Louers flights doth still conceale)

226Through Athens gates, haue we deuis'd to steale.

227Her. And in the wood, where often you and I,

228Vpon faint Primrose beds, were wont to lye,

229Emptying our bosomes, of their counsell sweld:

230There my Lysander, and my selfe shall meete,

231And thence from Athens turne away our eyes

232To seeke new friends and strange companions,

233Farwell sweet play-fellow, pray thou for vs,

234And good lucke grant thee thy Demetrius.

235Keepe word Lysander we must starue our sight,

236From louers foode, till morrow deepe midnight.

238Lys. I will my Hermia. Helena adieu,

239As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you. Exit Lysander.

240Hele. How happy some, ore othersome can be?

241Through Athens I am thought as faire as she.

242But what of that? Demetrius thinkes not so:

243He will not know, what all, but he doth know,

244And as hee erres, doting on Hermias eyes;

245So I, admiring of his qualities:

246Things base and vilde, holding no quantity,

247Loue can transpose to forme and dignity,

248Loue lookes not with the eyes, but with the minde,

249And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blinde.

250Nor hath loues minde of any iudgement taste:

251Wings and no eyes, figure, vnheedy haste.

252And therefore is Loue said to be a childe,

253Because in choise he is often beguil'd,

254As waggish boyes in game themselues forsweare;

255So the boy Loue is periur'd euery where.

256For ere Demetrius lookt on Hermias eyne,

257He hail'd downe oathes that he was onely mine.

258And when this Haile some heat from Hermia felt,

259So he dissolu'd, and showres of oathes did melt,

260I will goe tell him of faire Hermias flight:

261Then to the wood will he, to morrow night

262Pursue her; and for his intelligence,

263If I haue thankes, it is a deere expence:

264But heerein meane I to enrich my paine,

265To haue his sight thither, and backe againe. Exit.

269Quin. Is all our company heere?

270Bot. You were best to call them generally, man by

271man according to the scrip.

272Qui. Here is the scrowle of euery mans name, which

273is thought fit through all Athens, to play in our Enter-

274lude before the Duke and the Dutches, on his wedding

275day at night.

276Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats

277on: then read the names of the Actors: and so grow on

278to a point.

279Quin. Marry our play is the most lamentable Come-

280dy, and most cruell death of Pyramus and Thisbie.

281Bot. A very good peece of worke I assure you, and a

282merry. Now good Peter Quince, call forth your Actors

283by the scrowle. Masters spread your selues.

284Quince. Answere as I call you. Nick Bottome the

285Weauer.

286Bottome. Ready; name what part I am for, and

287proceed.

288Quince. You Nicke Bottome are set downe for Py-

289ramus.

290Bot. What is Pyramus, a louer, or a tyrant?

291Quin. A Louer that kills himselfe most gallantly for

292loue.

293Bot. That will aske some teares in the true perfor-

294ming of it: if I do it, let the audience looke to their eies:

295I will mooue stormes; I will condole in some measure.

296To the rest yet, my chiefe humour is for a tyrant. I could

297play Ercles rarely, or a part to teare a Cat in, to make all

298split the raging Rocks; and shiuering shocks shall break

299the locks of prison gates, and Phibbus carre shall shine

300from farre, and make and marre the foolish Fates. This

301was lofty. Now name the rest of the Players. This

302is Ercles vaine, a tyrants vaine: a louer is more condo-

303ling.

304Quin. Francis Flute the Bellowes-mender.

305Flu. Heere Peter Quince.

306Quin. You must take Thisbie on you.

307Flut. What is Thisbie, a wandring Knight?

308Quin. It is the Lady that Pyramus must loue.

309Flut. Nay faith, let not mee play a woman, I haue a

310beard comming.

311Qui. That's all one, you shall play it in a Maske, and

312you may speake as small as you will.

313Bot. And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbie too:

314Ile speake in a monstrous little voyce; Thisne, Thisne, ah

315Pyramus my louer deare, thy Thisbie deare, and Lady

316deare.

317Quin. No no, you must play Pyramus, and Flute, you

318Thisby.

319Bot. Well, proceed.

320Qu. Robin Starueling the Taylor.

321Star. Heere Peter Quince.

322Quince. Robin Starueling, you must play Thisbies

323mother?

324Tom Snowt, the Tinker.

325Snowt. Heere Peter Quince.

326Quin. You, Pyramus father; my self, Thisbies father;

327Snugge the Ioyner, you the Lyons part: and I hope there

328is a play fitted.

329Snug. Haue you the Lions part written? pray you if

330be, giue it me, for I am slow of studie.

331Quin. You may doe it extemporie, for it is nothing

332but roaring.

333Bot. Let mee play the Lyon too, I will roare that I

334will doe any mans heart good to heare me. I will roare,

335that I will make the Duke say, Let him roare againe, let

336him roare againe.

337Quin. If you should doe it too terribly, you would

338fright the Dutchesse and the Ladies, that they would

339shrike, and that were enough to hang vs all.

340All. That would hang vs euery mothers sonne.

341Bottome. I graunt you friends, if that you should

342fright the Ladies out of their Wittes, they would

343haue no more discretion but to hang vs: but I will ag-

344grauate my voyce so, that I will roare you as gently as

345any sucking Doue; I will roare and 'twere any Nightin-

346gale.

347Quin. You can play no part but Piramus, for Pira-

N2 mus

348mus is a sweet-fac'd man, a proper man as one shall see in

349a summers day; a most louely Gentleman-like man, ther-

350fore you must needs play Piramus.

351Bot. Well, I will vndertake it. What beard were I

352best to play it in?

353Quin. Why, what you will.

354Bot. I will discharge it, in either your straw-colour

355beard, your orange tawnie beard, your purple in graine

356beard, or your French-crowne colour'd beard, your per-

357fect yellow.

358Quin. Some of your French Crownes haue no haire

359at all, and then you will play bare-fac'd. But masters here

360are your parts, and I am to intreat you, request you, and

361desire you, to con them by too morrow night: and meet

362me in the palace wood, a mile without the Towne, by

363Moone-light, there we will rehearse: for if we meete in

364the Citie, we shalbe dog'd with company, and our deui-

365ses knowne. In the meane time, I wil draw a bil of pro-

366perties, such as our play wants. I pray you faile me not.

367Bottom. We will meete, and there we may rehearse

368more obscenely and couragiously. Take paines, be per-

369fect, adieu.

370Quin. At the Dukes oake we meete.

371Bot. Enough, hold or cut bow-strings. Exeunt

375Rob. How now spirit, whether wander you?

376Fai. Ouer hil, ouer dale, through bush, through briar,

377Ouer parke, ouer pale, through flood, through fire,

378I do wander euerie where, swifter then y^e Moons sphere;

379And I serue the Fairy Queene, to dew her orbs vpon the (green.

380The Cowslips tall, her pensioners bee,

381In their gold coats, spots you see,

382Those be Rubies, Fairie fauors,

383In those freckles, liue their sauors,

384I must go seeke some dew drops heere,

385And hang a pearle in euery cowslips eare.

386Farewell thou Lob of spirits, Ile be gon,

387Our Queene and all her Elues come heere anon.

388Rob. The King doth keepe his Reuels here to night,

389Take heed the Queene come not within his sight,

390For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,

391Because that she, as her attendant, hath

392A louely boy stolne from an Indian King,

393She neuer had so sweet a changeling,

394And iealous Oberon would haue the childe

395Knight of his traine, to trace the Forrests wilde.

396But she (perforce) with-holds the loued boy,

397Crownes him with flowers, and makes him all her ioy.

398And now they neuer meete in groue, or greene,

399By fountaine cleere, or spangled star-light sheene,

400But they do square, that all their Elues for feare

401Creepe into Acorne cups and hide them there.

402Fai. Either I mistake your shape and making quite,

403Or else you are that shrew'd and knauish spirit

404Cal'd Robin Good-fellow. Are you not hee,

405That frights the maidens of the Villagree,

406Skim milke, and sometimes labour in the querne,

407And bootlesse make the breathlesse huswife cherne,

408And sometime make the drinke to beare no barme,

409Misleade night-wanderers, laughing at their harme,

410Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Pucke,

411You do their worke, and they shall haue good lucke.

412Are not you he?

413Rob. Thou speak'st aright;

414I am that merrie wanderer of the night:

415I iest to Oberon, and make him smile,

416When I a fat and beane-fed horse beguile,

417Neighing in likenesse of a silly foale,

418And sometime lurke I in a Gossips bole,

419In very likenesse of a roasted crab:

420And when she drinkes, against her lips I bob,

421And on her withered dewlop poure the Ale.

422The wisest Aunt telling the saddest tale,

423Sometime for three-foot stoole, mistaketh me,

424Then slip I from her bum, downe topples she,

425And tailour cries, and fals into a coffe.

426And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe,

427And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and sweare,

428A merrier houre vvas neuer wasted there.

429But roome Fairy, heere comes Oberon.

430Fair. And heere my Mistris:

431Would that he vvere gone.

434Ob. Ill met by Moone-light.

435Proud Tytania.

436Qu. What, iealous Oberon? Fairy skip hence.

437I haue forsworne his bed and companie.

438Ob. Tarrie rash Wanton; am not I thy Lord?

439Qu. Then I must be thy Lady: but I know

440When thou vvast stolne away from Fairy Land,

441And in the shape of Corin, sate all day,

442Playing on pipes of Corne, and versing loue

443To amorous Phillida. Why art thou heere

444Come from the farthest steepe of India?

445But that forsooth the bouncing Amazon

446Your buskin'd Mistresse, and your Warrior loue,

447To Theseus must be Wedded; and you come,

448To giue their bed ioy and prosperitie.

449Ob. How canst thou thus for shame Tytania,

450Glance at my credite, vvith Hippolita?

451Knowing I knovv thy loue to Theseus?

452Didst thou not leade him through the glimmering night

453From Peregenia, whom he rauished?

454And make him vvith faire Eagles breake his faith

455With Ariadne, and Atiopa?

456Que. These are the forgeries of iealousie,

457And neuer since the middle Summers spring

458Met vve on hil, in dale, forrest, or mead,

459By paued fountaine, or by rushie brooke,

460Or in the beached margent of the sea,

461To dance our ringlets to the whistling Winde,

462But vvith thy braules thou hast disturb'd our sport.

463Therefore the Windes, piping to vs in vaine,

464As in reuenge, haue suck'd vp from the sea

465Contagious fogges: Which falling in the Land,

466Hath euerie petty Riuer made so proud,

467That they haue ouer-borne their Continents.

468The Oxe hath therefore stretch'd his yoake in vaine,

469The Ploughman lost his sweat, and the greene Corne

470Hath rotted, ere his youth attain'd a beard:

471The fold stands empty in the drowned field,

472And Crowes are fatted vvith the murrion flocke,

473The nine mens Morris is fild vp with mud,

474And the queint Mazes in the wanton greene,

475For lacke of tread are vndistinguishable.

476The humane mortals want their winter heere,

477No night is now with hymne or caroll blest;

478Therefore the Moone (the gouernesse of floods)

479Pale in her anger, washes all the aire;

480That Rheumaticke diseases doe abound.

481And through this distemperature, we see

482The seasons alter; hoared headed frosts

483Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson Rose,

484And on old Hyems chinne and Icie crowne,

485An odorous Chaplet of sweet Sommer buds

486Is as in mockry set. The Spring, the Sommer,

487The childing Autumne, angry Winter change

488Their wonted Liueries, and the mazed world,

489By their increase, now knowes not which is which;

490And this same progeny of euills,

491Comes from our debate, from our dissention,

492We are their parents and originall.

493Ober. Do you amend it then, it lies in you,

494Why should Titania crosse her Oberon?

495I do but beg a little changeling boy,

496To be my Henchman.

497Qu. Set your heart at rest,

498The Fairy land buyes not the childe of me,

499His mother was a Votresse of my Order,

500And in the spiced Indian aire, by night

501Full often hath she gossipt by my side,

502And sat with me on Neptunes yellow sands,

503Marking th'embarked traders on the flood,

504When we haue laught to see the sailes conceiue,

505And grow big bellied with the wanton winde:

506Which she with pretty and with swimming gate,

507Following (her wombe then rich with my yong squire)

508Would imitate, and saile vpon the Land,

509To fetch me trifles, and returne againe,

510As from a voyage, rich with merchandize.

511But she being mortall, of that boy did die,

512And for her sake I doe reare vp her boy,

513And for her sake I will not part with him.

514Ob. How long within this wood intend you stay?

515Qu. Perchance till after Theseus wedding day.

516If you will patiently dance in our Round,

517And see our Moone-light reuels, goe with vs;

518If not, shun me and I will spare your haunts.

519Ob. Giue me that boy, and I will goe with thee.

520Qu. Not for thy Fairy Kingdome. Fairies away:

521We shall chide downe right, if I longer stay. Exeunt.

522Ob. Wel, go thy way: thou shalt not from this groue,

523Till I torment thee for this iniury.

524My gentle Pucke come hither; thou remembrest

525Since once I sat vpon a promontory,

526And heard a Meare-maide on a Dolphins backe,

527Vttering such dulcet and harmonious breath,

528That the rude sea grew ciuill at her song,

529And certaine starres shot madly from their Spheares,

530To heare the Sea-maids musicke.

531Puc. I remember.

532Ob. That very time I say (but thou couldst not)

533Flying betweene the cold Moone and the earth,

534Cupid all arm'd; a certaine aime he tooke

535At a faire Vestall, throned by the West,

536And loos'd his loue-shaft smartly from his bow,

537As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts,

538But I might see young Cupids fiery shaft

539Quencht in the chaste beames of the watry Moone;

540And the imperiall Votresse passed on,

541In maiden meditation, fancy free.

542Yet markt I where the bolt of Cupid fell.

543It fell vpon a little westerne flower;

544Before, milke-white; now purple with loues wound,

545And maidens call it, Loue in idlenesse.

546Fetch me that flower; the hearb I shew'd thee once,

547The iuyce of it, on sleeping eye-lids laid,

548Will make or man or woman madly dote

549Vpon the next liue creature that it sees.

550Fetch me this hearbe, and be thou heere againe,

551Ere the Leuiathan can swim a league.

552Pucke. Ile put a girdle about the earth, in forty mi-

553nutes.

554Ober. Hauing once this iuyce,

555Ile watch Titania, when she is asleepe,

556And drop the liquor of it in her eyes:

557The next thing when she waking lookes vpon,

558(Be it on Lyon, Beare, or Wolfe, or Bull,

559On medling Monkey, or on busie Ape)

560Shee shall pursue it, with the soule of loue.

561And ere I take this charme off from her sight,

562(As I can take it with another hearbe)

563Ile make her render vp her Page to me.

564But who comes heere? I am inuisible,

565And I will ouer-heare their conference.

567Deme. I loue thee not, therefore pursue me not,

568Where is Lysander, and faire Hermia?

569The one Ile stay, the other stayeth me.

570Thou toldst me they were stolne into this wood;

571And heere am I, and wood within this wood,

572Because I cannot meet my Hermia.

573Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

574Hel. You draw me, you hard-hearted Adamant,

575But yet you draw not Iron, for my heart

576Is true as steele. Leaue you your power to draw,

577And I shall haue no power to follow you.

578Deme. Do I entice you? do I speake you faire?

579Or rather doe I not in plainest truth,

580Tell you I doe not, nor I cannot loue you?

581Hel. And euen for that doe I loue thee the more;

582I am your spaniell, and Demetrius,

583The more you beat me, I will fawne on you.

584Vse me but as your spaniell; spurne me, strike me,

585Neglect me, lose me; onely giue me leaue

586(Vnworthy as I am) to follow you.

587What worser place can I beg in your loue,

588(And yet a place of high respect with me)

589Then to be vsed as you doe your dogge.

590Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,

591For I am sicke when I do looke on thee.

592Hel. And I am sicke when I looke not on you.

593Dem. You doe impeach your modesty too much,

594To leaue the Citty, and commit your selfe

595Into the hands of one that loues you not,

596To trust the opportunity of night,

597And the ill counsell of a desert place,

598With the rich worth of your virginity.

599Hel. Your vertue is my priuiledge: for that

600It is not night when I doe see your face.

601Therefore I thinke I am not in the night,

602Nor doth this wood lacke worlds of company,

N3 For

603For you in my respect are nll the world.

604Then how can it be said I am alone,

605When all the world is heere to looke on me?

606Dem. Ile run from thee, and hide me in the brakes,

607And leaue thee to the mercy of wilde beasts.

608Hel. The wildest hath not such a heart as you;

609Runne when you will, the story shall be chang'd:

610Apollo flies and Daphne holds the chase;

611The Doue pursues the Griffin, the milde Hinde

612Makes speed to catch the Tyger. Bootlesse speede,

613When cowardise pursues, and valour flies.

614Demet. I will not stay thy questions, let me go;

615Or if thou follow me, doe not beleeue,

616But I shall doe thee mischiefe in the wood.

617Hel. I, in the Temple, in the Towne, and Field

618You doe me mischiefe. Fye Demetrius,

619Your wrongs doe set a scandall on my sexe:

620We cannot fight for loue, as men may doe;

621We should be woo'd, and were not made to wooe.

622I follow thee, and make a heauen of hell,

623To die vpon the hand I loue so well. Exit.

624Ob. Fare thee well Nymph, ere he do leaue this groue,

625Thou shalt flie him, and he shall seeke thy loue.

626Hast thou the flower there? Welcome wanderer.

628Puck. I, there it is.

629Ob. I pray thee giue it me.

630I know a banke where the wilde time blowes,

631Where Oxslips and the nodding Violet growes,

632Quite ouer-cannoped with luscious woodbine,

633With sweet muske roses, and with Eglantine;

634There sleepes Tytania, sometime of the night,

635Lul'd in these flowers, with dances and delight:

636And there the snake throwes her enammel'd skinne,

637Weed wide enough to rap a Fairy in.

638And with the iuyce of this Ile streake her eyes,

639And make her full of hatefull fantasies.

640Take thou some of it, and seek through this groue;

641A sweet Athenian Lady is in loue

642With a disdainefull youth: annoint his eyes,

643But doe it when the next thing he espies,

644May be the Lady. Thou shalt know the man,

645By the Athenian garments he hath on.

646Effect it with some care, that he may proue

647More fond on her, then she vpon her loue;

648And looke thou meet me ere the first Cocke crow.

649Pu. Feare not my Lord, your seruant shall do so. Exit.

651Queen. Come, now a Roundell, and a Fairy song;

652Then for the third part of a minute hence,

653Some to kill Cankers in the muske rose buds,

654Some warre with Reremise, for their leathern wings,

655To make my small Elues coates, and some keepe backe

656The clamorous Owle that nightly hoots and wonders

657At our queint spirits: Sing me now asleepe,

658Then to your offices, and let me rest.

678Ober. What thou seest when thou dost wake,

679Doe it for thy true Loue take:

680Loue and languish for his sake.

681Be it Ounce, or Catte, or Beare,

682Pard, or Boare with bristled haire,

683In thy eye that shall appeare,

684When thou wak'st, it is thy deare,

685Wake when some vile thing is neere.

687Lis. Faire loue, you faint with wandring in y^e woods,

688And to speake troth I haue forgot our way:

689Wee'll rest vs Hermia, if you thinke it good,

690And tarry for the comfort of the day.

691Her. Be it so Lysander; finde you out a bed,

692For I vpon this banke will rest my head.

693Lys. One turfe shall serue as pillow for vs both,

694One heart, one bed, two bosomes, and one troth.

695Her. Nay good Lysander, for my sake my deere

696Lie further off yet, doe not lie so neere.

697Lys. O take the sence sweet, of my innocence,

698Loue takes the meaning, in loues conference,

699I meane that my heart vnto yours is knit,

700So that but one heart can you make of it.

701Two bosomes interchanged with an oath,

702So then two bosomes, and a single troth.

703Then by your side, no bed-roome me deny,

704For lying so, Hermia, I doe not lye.

705Her. Lysander riddles very prettily;

706Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,

707If Hermia meant to say, Lysander lied.

708But gentle friend, for loue and courtesie

709Lie further off, in humane modesty,

710Such separation, as may well be said,

711Becomes a vertuous batchelour, and a maide,

712So farre be distant, and good night sweet friend;

713Thy loue nere alter, till thy sweet life end.

714Lys. Amen, amen, to that faire prayer, say I,

715And then end life, when I end loyalty:

716Heere is my bed, sleepe giue thee all his rest.

717Her. With halfe that wish, the wishers eyes be prest.

719Puck. Through the Forest haue I gone,

720But Athenian finde I none,

721One whose eyes I might approue

722This flowers force in stirring loue.

723Night and silence: who is heere?

724Weedes of Athens he doth weare:

725This is he (my master said)

726Despised the Athenian maide:

727And heere the maiden sleeping sound,

728On the danke and durty ground.

729Pretty soule, she durst not lye

730Neere this lacke-loue, this kill-curtesie.

731Churle, vpon thy eyes I throw

732All the power this charme doth owe:

733When thou wak'st, let loue forbid

734Sleepe his seate on thy eye-lid.

735So awake when I am gone:

736For I must now to Oberon. Exit.

738Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweete Demetrius.

739De. I charge thee hence, and do not haunt me thus.

740Hel. O wilt thou darkling leaue me? do not so.

741De. Stay on thy perill, I alone will goe.

743Hel. O I am out of breath, in this fond chace,

744The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace,

745Happy is Hermia, wheresoere she lies;

746For she hath blessed and attractiue eyes.

747How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt teares.

748If so, my eyes are oftner washt then hers.

749No, no, I am as vgly as a Beare;

750For beasts that meete me, runne away for feare,

751Therefore no maruaile, though Demetrius

752Doe as a monster, flie my presence thus.

753What wicked and dissembling glasse of mine,

754Made me compare with Hermias sphery eyne?

755But who is here? Lysander on the ground;

756Deade or asleepe? I see no bloud, no wound,

757Lysander, if you liue, good sir awake.

758Lys. And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.

759Transparent Helena, nature her shewes art,

760That through thy bosome makes me see thy heart.

761Where is Demetrius? oh how fit a word

762Is that vile name, to perish on my sword!

763Hel. Do not say so Lysander, say not so:

764What though he loue your Hermia? Lord, what though?

765Yet Hermia still loues you; then be content.

766Lys. Content with Hermia? No, I do repent

767The tedious minutes I with her haue spent.

768Not Hermia, but Helena now I loue;

769Who will not change a Rauen for a Doue?

770The will of man is by his reason sway'd:

771And reason saies you are the worthier Maide.

772Things growing are not ripe vntill their season;

773So I being yong, till now ripe not to reason,

774And touching now the point of humane skill,

775Reason becomes the Marshall to my will,

776And leades me to your eyes, where I orelooke

777Loues stories, written in Loues richest booke.

778Hel. Wherefore was I to this keene mockery borne?

779When at your hands did I deserue this scorne?

780Ist not enough, ist not enough, yong man,

781That I did neuer, no nor neuer can,

782Deserue a sweete looke from Demetrius eye,

783But you must flout my insufficiency?

784Good troth you do me wrong (good-sooth you do)

785In such disdainfull manner, me to wooe.

786But fare you well; perforce I must confesse,

787I thought you Lord of more true gentlenesse.

788Oh, that a Lady of one man refus'd,

789Should of another therefore be abus'd. Exit.

790Lys. She sees not Hermia: Hermia sleepe thou there,

791And neuer maist thou come Lysander neere;

792For as a surfeit of the sweetest things

793The deepest loathing to the stomacke brings:

794Or as the heresies that men do leaue,

795Are hated most of those that did deceiue:

796So thou, my surfeit, and my heresie,

797Of all be hated; but the most of me;

798And all my powers addresse your loue and might,

799To honour Helen, and to be her Knight. Exit.

800Her. Helpe me Lysander, helpe me; do thy best

801To plucke this crawling serpent from my brest.

802Aye me, for pitty; what a dreame was here?

803Lysander looke, how I do quake with feare:

804Me-thought a serpent eate my heart away,

805And yet sat smiling at his cruell prey.

806Lysander, what remoou'd? Lysander, Lord,

807What, out of hearing, gone? No sound, no word?

808Alacke where are you? speake and if you heare:

809Speake of all loues; I sound almost with feare.

810No, then I well perceiue you are not nye,

811Either death or you Ile finde immediately. Exit.

814Bot. Are we all met?

815Quin. Pat, pat, and here's a maruailous conuenient

816place for our rehearsall. This greene plot shall be our

817stage, this hauthorne brake our tyring house, and we will

818do it in action, as we will do it before the Duke.

819Bot. Peter quince?

820Peter. What saist thou, bully Bottome?

821Bot. There are things in this Comedy of Piramus and

822Thisby, that will neuer please. First, Piramus must draw a

823sword to kill himselfe; which the Ladies cannot abide.

824How answere you that?

825Snout. Berlaken, a parlous feare.

826Star. I beleeue we must leaue the killing out, when

827all is done.

828Bot. Not a whit, I haue a deuice to make all well.

829Write me a Prologue, and let the Prologue seeme to say,

830we will do no harme with our swords, and that Pyramus

831is not kill'd indeede: and for the more better assurance,

832tell them, that I Piramus am not Piramus, but Bottome the

833Weauer; this will put them out of feare.

834Quin. Well, we will haue such a Prologue, and it shall

835be written in eight and sixe.

836Bot. No, make it two more, let it be written in eight

837and eight.

838Snout. Will not the Ladies be afear'd of the Lyon?

839Star. I feare it, I promise you.

840Bot. Masters, you ought to consider with your selues, to

841bring in (God shield vs) a Lyon among Ladies, is a most

842dreadfull thing. For there is not a more fearefull wilde

843foule then your Lyon liuing: and wee ought to looke

844to it.

845Snout. Therefore another Prologue must tell he is not

846a Lyon.

847Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and halfe his face

848must be seene through the Lyons necke, and he himselfe

849must speake through, saying thus, or to the same defect;

850Ladies, or faire Ladies, I would wish you, or I would

N4 request

851request you, or I would entreat you, not to feare, not to

852tremble: my life for yours. If you thinke I come hither

853as a Lyon, it were pitty of my life. No, I am no such

854thing, I am a man as other men are; and there indeed let

855him name his name, and tell him plainly hee is Snug the

856ioyner.

857Quin. Well, it shall be so; but there is two hard

858things, that is, to bring the Moone-light into a cham-

859ber: for you know Piramus and Thisby meete by Moone-

860light.

861Sn. Doth the Moone shine that night wee play our

862play?

863Bot. A Calender, a Calender, looke in the Almanack,

864finde out Moone-shine, finde out Moone-shine.

866Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night.

867Bot. Why then may you leaue a casement of the great

868chamber window (where we play) open, and the Moone

869may shine in at the casement.

870Quin. I, or else one must come in with a bush of thorns

871and a lanthorne, and say he comes to disfigure, or to pre-

872sent the person of Moone-shine. Then there is another

873thing, we must haue a wall in the great Chamber; for Pi-

874ramus and Thisby (saies the story) did talke through the

875chinke of a wall.

876Sn. You can neuer bring in a wall. What say you

877Bottome?

878Bot. Some man or other must present wall, and let

879him haue some Plaster, or some Lome, or some rough

880cast about him, to signifie wall; or let him hold his fin-

881gers thus; and through that cranny shall Piramus and

882Thisby whisper.

883Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit

884downe euery mothers sonne, and rehearse your parts.

885Piramus, you begin; when you haue spoken your speech,

886enter into that Brake, and so euery one according to his

887cue.

889Rob. What hempen home-spuns haue we swagge-

890ring here,

891So neere the Cradle of the Faierie Queene?

892What, a Play toward? Ile be an auditor,

893An Actor too perhaps, if I see cause.

894Quin. Speake Piramus: Thisby stand forth.

895Pir. Thisby, the flowers of odious sauors sweete.

896Quin. Odours, odours.

897Pir. Odours sauors sweete,

898So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby deare.

899But harke, a voyce: stay thou but here a while,

900And by and by I will to thee appeare. Exit. Pir.

901Puck. A stranger Piramus, then ere plaid here.

902This. Must I speake now?

903Pet. I marry must you. For you must vnderstand he

904goes but to see a noyse that he heard, and is to come a-

905gaine.

906Thys. Most radiant Piramus, most Lilly white of hue,

907Of colour like the red rose on triumphant bryer,

908Most brisky Iuuenall, and eke most louely Iew,

909As true as truest horse, that yet would neuer tyre,

910Ile meete thee Piramus, at Ninnies toombe.

911Pet. Ninus toombe man: why, you must not speake

912that yet; that you answere to Piramus: you speake all

913your part at once, cues and all. Piramus enter, your cue is

914past; it is neuer tyre.

915Thys. O, as true as truest horse, that yet would neuer

916tyre:

917Pir. If I were faire, Thisby I were onely thine.

918Pet. O monstrous. O strange. We are hanted; pray

919masters, flye masters, helpe.

921Puk. Ile follow you, Ile leade you about a Round,

922Through bogge, through bush, through brake, through (bryer,

923Sometime a horse Ile be, sometime a hound:

924A hogge, a headlesse beare, sometime a fire,

925And neigh, and barke, and grunt, and rore, and burne,

926Like horse, hound, hog, beare, fire, at euery turne. Exit.

928Bot. Why do they run away? This is a knauery of

929them to make me afeard. Enter Snowt.

930Sn. O Bottom, thou art chang'd; What doe I see on

931thee?

932Bot. What do you see? You see an Asse-head of your

933owne, do you?

935Pet. Blesse thee Bottome, blesse thee; thou art transla-

936ted. Exit.

937Bot. I see their knauery; this is to make an asse of me,

938to fright me if they could; but I will not stirre from

939this place, do what they can. I will walke vp and downe

940here, and I will sing that they shall heare I am not a-

941fraid.

942The Woosell cocke, so blacke of hew,

943With Orenge-tawny bill.

944The Throstle, with his note so true,

945The Wren and little quill.

946Tyta. What Angell wakes me from my flowry bed?

947Bot. The Finch, the Sparrow, and the Larke,

948The plainsong Cuckow gray;

949Whose note full many a man doth marke,

950And dares not answere, nay.

951For indeede, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird?

952Who would giue a bird the lye, though he cry Cuckow,

953neuer so?

954Tyta. I pray thee gentle mortall, sing againe,

955Mine eare is much enamored of thy note;

956On the first view to say, to sweare I loue thee.

957So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape.

958And thy faire vertues force (perforce) doth moue me.

959Bot. Me-thinkes mistresse, you should haue little

960reason for that: and yet to say the truth, reason and

961loue keepe little company together, now-adayes.

962The more the pittie, that some honest neighbours will

963not make them friends. Nay, I can gleeke vpon occa-

964sion.

965Tyta. Thou art as wise, as thou art beautifull.

966Bot. Not so neither: but if I had wit enough to get

967out of this wood, I haue enough to serue mine owne

968turne.

969Tyta. Out of this wood, do not desire to goe,

970Thou shalt remaine here, whether thou wilt or no.

971I am a spirit of no common rate:

972The Summer still doth tend vpon my state,

973And I doe loue thee; therefore goe with me,

974Ile giue thee Fairies to attend on thee;

975And they shall fetch thee Iewels from the deepe,

976And sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleepe:

977And I will purge thy mortall grossenesse so,

978That thou shalt like an airie spirit go.

981Fai. Ready; and I, and I, and I, Where shall we go?

982Tita. Be kinde and curteous to this Gentleman,

983Hop in his walkes, and gambole in his eies,

984Feede him with Apricocks, and Dewberries,

985With purple Grapes, greene Figs, and Mulberries,

986The honie-bags steale from the humble Bees,

987And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighes,

988And light them at the fierie-Glow-wormes eyes,

989To haue my loue to bed, and to arise:

990And plucke the wings from painted Butterflies,

991To fan the Moone-beames from his sleeping eies.

992Nod to him Elues, and doe him curtesies.

9931. Fai. Haile mortall, haile.

9942. Fai. Haile.

9953. Fai. Haile.

996Bot. I cry your worships mercy hartily; I beseech

997your worships name.

998Cob. Cobweb.

999Bot. I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good

1000Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold

1001with you.

1002Your name honest Gentleman?

1003Pease. Pease blossome.

1004Bot. I pray you commend mee to mistresse Squash,

1005your mother, and to master Peascod your father. Good

1006master Pease-blossome, I shal desire of you more acquain-

1007tance to. Your name I beseech you sir?

1008Mus. Mustard-seede.

1009Peas. Pease-blossome.

1010Bot. Good master Mustard seede, I know your pati-

1011ence well: that same cowardly gyant-like Oxe beefe

1012hath deuoured many a gentleman of your house. I pro-

1013mise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere

1014now. I desire you more acquaintance, good Master

1015Mustard-seede.

1016Tita. Come waite vpon him, lead him to my bower.

1017The Moone me-thinks, lookes with a watrie eie,

1018And when she weepes, weepe euerie little flower,

1019Lamenting some enforced chastitie.

1020Tye vp my louers tongue, bring him silently. Exit.

1022Ob. I wonder if Titania be awak't;

1023Then what it was that next came in her eye,

1024Which she must dote on, in extremitie.

1026Here comes my messenger: how now mad spirit,

1027What night-rule now about this gaunted groue?

1028Puck. My Mistris with a monster is in loue,

1029Neere to her close and consecrated bower,

1030While she was in her dull and sleeping hower,

1031A crew of patches, rude Mcehanicals,

1032That worke for bread vpon Athenian stals,

1033Were met together to rehearse a Play,

1034Intended for great Theseus nuptiall day:

1035The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort,

1036Who Piramus presented, in their sport,

1037Forsooke his Scene, and entred in a brake,

1038When I did him at this aduantage take,

1039An Asses nole I fixed on his head.

1040Anon his Thisbie must be answered,

1041And forth my Mimmick comes: when they him spie,

1042As Wilde-geese, that the creeping Fowler eye,

1043Or russed-pated choughes, many in sort

1044(Rising and cawing at the guns report)

1045Seuer themselues, and madly sweepe the skye:

1046So at his sight, away his fellowes flye,

1047And at our stampe, here ore and ore one fals;

1048He murther cries, and helpe from Athens cals.

1049Their sense thus weake, lost with their feares thus strong,

1050Made senselesse things begin to do them wrong.

1051For briars and thornes at their apparell snatch,

1052Some sleeues, some hats, from yeelders all things catch,

1053I led them on in this distracted feare,

1054And left sweete Piramus translated there:

1055When in that moment (so it came to passe)

1056Tytania waked, and straightway lou'd an Asse.

1057Ob. This fals out better then I could deuise:

1058But hast thou yet lacht the Athenians eyes,

1059With the loue iuyce, as I bid thee doe?

1060Rob. I tooke him sleeping (that is finisht to)

1061And the Athenian woman by his side,

1062That when he wak't, of force she must be eyde.

1064Ob. Stand close, this is the same Athenian.

1065Rob. This is the woman, but not this the man.

1066Dem. O why rebuke you him that loues you so?

1067Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe.

1068Her. Now I but chide, but I should vse thee worse.

1069For thou (I feare) hast giuen me cause to curse,

1070If thou hast slaine Lysander in his sleepe,

1071Being oreshooes in bloud, plunge in the deepe, and kill

1072me too:

1073The Sunne was not so true vnto the day,

1074As he to me. Would he haue stollen away,

1075From sleeping Hermia? Ile beleeue as soone

1076This whole earth may be bord, and that the Moone

1077May through the Center creepe, and so displease

1078Her brothers noonetide, with th' Antipodes.

1079It cannot be but thou hast murdred him,

1080So should a mutrherer looke, so dead, so grim.

1081Dem. So should the murderer looke, and so should I,

1082Pierst through the heart with your stearne cruelty:

1083Yet you the murderer looks as bright as cleare,

1084As yonder Venus in her glimmering spheare.

1085Her. What's this to my Lysander? where is he?

1086Ah good Demetrius, wilt thou giue him me?

1087Dem. I'de rather giue his carkasse to my hounds.

1088Her. Out dog, out cur, thou driu'st me past the bounds

1089Of maidens patience. Hast thou slaine him then?

1090Henceforth be neuer numbred among men.

1091Oh, once tell true, euen for my sake,

1092Durst thou a lookt vpon him, being awake?

1093And hast thou kill'd him sleeping? O braue tutch:

1094Could not a worme, an Adder do so much?

1095An Adder did it: for with doubler tongue

1096Then thine (thou serpent) neuer Adder stung.

1097Dem. You spend your passion on a mispris'd mood,

1098I am not guiltie of Lysanders blood:

1099Nor is he dead for ought that I can tell.

1100Her. I pray thee tell me then that he is well.

1101Dem. And if I could, what should I get therefore?

1102Her. A priuiledge, neuer to see me more;

1103And from thy hated presence part I: see me no more

1104Whether he be dead or no. Exit.

1105Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vaine,

1106Here therefore for a while I will remaine.

1107So sorrowes heauinesse doth heauier grow:

1108For debt that bankrout slip doth sorrow owe,

1109Which now in some slight measure it will pay,

N5 If

1110If for his tender here I make some stay. Lie downe.

1111Ob. What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite

1112And laid the loue iuyce on some true loues sight:

1113Of thy misprision, must perforce ensue

1114Some true loue turn'd, and not a false turn'd true.

1115Rob. Then fate ore-rules, that one man holding troth,

1116A million faile, confounding oath on oath.

1117Ob. About the wood, goe swifter then the winde,

1118And Helena of Athens looke thou finde.

1119All fancy sicke she is, and pale of cheere,

1120With sighes of loue, that costs the fresh bloud deare.

1121By some illusion see thou bring her heere,

1122Ile charme his eyes against she doth appeare.

1123Robin. I go, I go, looke how I goe,

1124Swifter then arrow from the Tartars bowe. Exit.

1125Ob. Flower of this purple die,

1126Hit with Cupids archery,

1127Sinke in apple of his eye,

1128When his loue he doth espie,

1129Let her shine as gloriously

1130As the Venus of the sky.

1131When thou wak'st if she be by,

1132Beg of her for remedy.

1134Puck. Captaine of our Fairy band,

1135Helena is heere at hand,

1136And the youth, mistooke by me,

1137Pleading for a Louers fee.

1138Shall we their fond Pageant see?

1139Lord, what fooles these mortals be!

1140Ob. Stand aside: the noyse they make,

1141Will cause Demetrius to awake.

1142Puck. Then will two at once wooe one,

1143That must needs be sport alone:

1144And those things doe best please me,

1145That befall preposterously.

1147Lys. Why should you think y^t I should wooe in scorn?

1148Scorne and derision neuer comes in teares:

1149Looke when I vow I weepe; and vowes so borne,

1150In their natiuity all truth appeares.

1151How can these things in me, seeme scorne to you?

1152Bearing the badge of faith to proue them true.

1153Hel. You doe aduance your cunning more & more,

1154When truth kils truth, O diuelish holy fray!

1155These vowes are Hermias. Will you giue her ore?

1156Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh.

1157Your vowes to her, and me, (put in two scales)

1158Will euen weigh, and both as light as tales.

1159Lys. I had no iudgement, when to her I swore.

1160Hel. Nor none in my minde, now you giue her ore.

1161Lys. Demetrius loues her, and he loues not you. Awa.

1162Dem. O Helen, goddesse, nimph, perfect, diuine,

1163To what my, loue, shall I compare thine eyne!

1164Christall is muddy, O how ripe in show,

1165Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!

1166That pure congealed white, high Tauruss now,

1167Fan'd with the Easterne winde, turnes to a crow,

1168When thou holdst vp thy hand. O let me kisse

1169This Princesse of pure white, this seale of blisse.

1170Hell. O spight! O hell! I see you are all bent

1171To set against me, for your merriment:

1172If you were ciuill, and knew curtesie,

1173You would not doe me thus much iniury.

1174Can you not hate me, as I know you doe,

1175But you must ioyne in soules to mocke me to?

1176If you are men, as men you are in show,

1177You would not vse a gentle Lady so;

1178To vow, and sweare, and superpraise my parts,

1179When I am sure you hate me with your hearts.

1180You both are Riuals, and loue Hermia;

1181And now both Riuals to mocke Helena.

1182A trim exploit, a manly enterprize,

1183To coniure teares vp in a poore maids eyes,

1184With your derision; none of noble sort,

1185Would so offend a Virgin, and extort

1186A poore soules patience, all to make you sport.

1187Lysa. You are vnkind Demetrius; be not so,

1188For you loue Hermia; this you know I know;

1189And here with all good will, with all my heart,

1190In Hermias loue I yeeld you vp my part;

1191And yours of Helena, to me bequeath,

1192Whom I do loue, and will do to my death.

1193Hel. Neuer did mockers wast more idle breth.

1194Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia, I will none:

1195If ere I lou'd her, all that loue is gone.

1196My heart to her, but as guest-wise soiourn'd,

1197And now to Helen it is home return'd,

1198There to remaine.

1199Lys. It is not so.

1200De. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,

1201Lest to thy perill thou abide it deare.

1202Looke where thy Loue comes, yonder is thy deare.

1204Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,

1205The eare more quicke of apprehension makes,

1206Wherein it doth impaire the seeing sense,

1207It paies the hearing double recompence.

1208Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander found,

1209Mine eare (I thanke it) brought me to that sound.

1210But why vnkindly didst thou leaue me so?

1211Lysan. Why should hee stay whom Loue doth presse (to go?

1212Her. What loue could presse Lysander from my side?

1213Lys. Lysanders loue (that would not let him bide)

1214Faire Helena; who more engilds the night,

1215Then all yon fierie oes, and eies of light.

1216Why seek'st thou me? Could not this make thee know,

1217The hate I bare thee, made me leaue thee so?

1218Her. You speake not as you thinke; it cannot be.

1219Hel. Loe, she is one of this confederacy,

1220Now I perceiue they haue conioyn'd all three,

1221To fashion this false sport in spight of me.

1222Iniurous Hermia, most vngratefull maid,

1223Haue you conspir'd, haue you with these contriu'd

1224To baite me, with this foule derision?

1225Is all the counsell that we two haue shar'd,

1226The sisters vowes, the houres that we haue spent,

1227When wee haue chid the hasty footed time,

1228For parting vs; O, is all forgot?

1229All schooledaies friendship, child-hood innocence?

1230We Hermia, like two Artificiall gods,

1231Haue with our needles, created both one flower,

1232Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,

1233Both warbling of one song, both in one key;

1234As if our hands, our sides, voices, and mindes

1235Had beene incorporate. So we grew together,

1236Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,

1237But yet a vnion in partition,

1238Two louely berries molded on one stem,

1239So with two seeming bodies, but one heart,

1240Two of the first life coats in Heraldry,

1241Due but to one and crowned with one crest.

1242And will you rent our ancient loue asunder,

1243To ioyne with men in scorning your poore friend?

1244It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly.

1245Our sexe as well as I, may chide you for it,

1246Though I alone doe feele the iniurie.

1247Her. I am amazed at your passionate words,

1248I scorne you not; It seemes that you scorne me.

1249Hel. Haue you not set Lysander, as in scorne

1250To follow me, and praise my eies and face?

1251And made your other loue, Demetrius

1252(Who euen but now did spurne me with his foote)

1253To call me goddesse, nimph, diuine, and rare,

1254Precious, celestiall? Wherefore speakes he this

1255To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander

1256Denie your loue (so rich within his soule)

1257And tender me (forsooth) affection,

1258But by your setting on, by your consent?

1259What though I be not so in grace as you,

1260So hung vpon with loue, so fortunate?

1261(But miserable most, to loue vnlou'd)

1262This you should pittie, rather then despise.

1263Her. I vnderstand not what you meane by this.

1264Hel. I, doe, perseuer, counterfeit sad lookes,

1265Make mouthes vpon me when I turne my backe,

1266Winke each at other, hold the sweete iest vp:

1267This sport well carried, shall be chronicled.

1268If you haue any pittie, grace, or manners,

1269You would not make me such an argument:

1270But fare ye well, 'tis partly mine owne fault,

1271Which death or absence soone shall remedie.

1272Lys. Stay gentle Helena, heare my excuse,

1273My loue, my life, my soule, faire Helena.

1274Hel. O excellent!

1275Her. Sweete, do not scorne her so.

1276Dem. If she cannot entreate, I can compell.

1277Lys. Thou canst compell, no more then she entreate.

1278Thy threats haue no more strength then her weak praise.

1279Helen, I loue thee, by my life I doe;

1280I sweare by that which I will lose for thee,

1281To proue him false, that saies I loue thee not.

1282Dem. I say, I loue thee more then he can do.

1283Lys. If thou say so, with-draw and proue it too.

1284Dem. Quick, come.

1285Her. Lysander, whereto tends all this?

1286Lys. Away, you Ethiope.

1287Dem. No, no, Sir, seeme to breake loose;

1288Take on as you would follow,

1289But yet come not: you are a tame man, go.

1290Lys. Hang off thou cat, thou bur; vile thing let loose,

1291Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.

1292Her. Why are you growne so rude?

1293What change is this sweete Loue?

1294Lys. Thy loue? out tawny Tartar, out;

1295Out loathed medicine; O hated poison hence.

1296Her. Do you not iest?

1297Hel. Yes sooth, and so do you.

1298Lys. Demetrius: I will keepe my word with thee.

1299Dem. I would I had your bond: for I perceiue

1300A weake bond holds you; Ile not trust your word.

1301Lys. What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?

1302Although I hate her, Ile not harme her so.

1303Her. What, can you do me greater harme then hate?

1304Hate me, wherefore? O me, what newes my Loue?

1305Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander?

1306I am as faire now, as I was ere while.

1307Since night you lou'dme; yet since night you left me.

1308Why then you left me (O the gods forbid

1309In earnest, shall I say?

1310Lys. I, by my life;

1311And neuer did desire to see thee more.

1312Therefore be out of hope, of question, of doubt;

1313Be certaine, nothing truer: 'tis no iest,

1314That I doe hate thee, and loue Helena.

1315Her. O me, you iugler, you canker blossome,

1316You theefe of loue; What, haue you come by night,

1317And stolne my loues heart from him?

1318Hel. Fine yfaith:

1319Haue you no modesty, no maiden shame,

1320No touch of bashfulnesse? What, will you teare

1321Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?

1322Fie, fie, you counterfeit, you puppet, you.

1323Her. Puppet? why so? I, that way goes the game.

1324Now I perceiue that she hath made compare

1325Betweene our statures, she hath vrg'd her height,

1326And with her personage, her tall personage,

1327Her height (forsooth) she hath preuail'd with him.

1328And are you growne so high in his esteeme,

1329Because I am so dwarfish, and so low?

1330How low am I, thou painted May-pole? Speake,

1331How low am I? I am not yet so low,

1332But that my nailes can reach vnto thine eyes.

1333Hel. I pray you though you mocke me, gentlemen,

1334Let her not hurt me; I was neuer curst:

1335I haue no gift at all in shrewishnesse;

1336I am a right maide for my cowardize;

1337Let her not strike me: you perhaps may thinke,

1338Because she is something lower then my selfe,

1339That I can match her.

1340Her. Lower? harke againe.

1341Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me,

1342I euermore did loue you Hermia,

1343Did euer keepe your counsels, neuer wronged you,

1344Saue that in loue vnto Demetrius,

1345I told him of your stealth vnto this wood.

1346He followed you, for loue I followed him,

1347But he hath chid me hence, and threatned me

1348To strike me, spurne me, nay to kill me too;

1349And now, so you will let me quiet go,

1350To Athens will I beare my folly backe,

1351And follow you no further. Let me go.

1352You see how simple, and how fond I am.

1353Her. Why get you gone: who ist that hinders you?

1354Hel. A foolish heart, that I leaue here behinde.

1355Her. What, with Lysander?

1356Her. With Demetrius.

1357Lys. Be not afraid, she shall not harme thee Helena.

1358Dem. No sir, she shall not, though you take her part.

1359Hel. O when she's angry, she is keene and shrewd,

1360She was a vixen when she went to schoole,

1361And though she be but little, she is fierce.

1362Her. Little againe? Nothing but low and little?

1363Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?

1364Let me come to her.

1365Lys. Get you gone you dwarfe,

1366You minimus, of hindring knot-grasse made,

1367You bead, you acorne.

1368Dem. You are too officious,

1369In her behalfe that scornes your seruices.

N6 Let

1370Let her alone, speake not of Helena,

1371Take not her part. For if thou dost intend

1372Neuer so little shew of loue to her,

1373Thou shalt abide it.

1374Lys. Now she holds me not,

1375Now follow if thou dar'st, to try whose right,

1376Of thine or mine is most in Helena.

1377Dem. Follow? Nay, Ile goe with thee cheeke by

1378iowle. Exit Lysander and Demetrius.

1379Her. You Mistris, all this coyle is long of you.

1380Nay, goe not backe.

1381Hel. I will not trust you I,

1382Nor longer stay in your curst companie.

1383Your hands then mine, are quicker for a fray,

1384My legs are longer though to runne away.

1386Ob. This is thy negligence, still thou mistak'st,

1387Or else committ'st thy knaueries willingly.

1388Puck. Beleeue me, King of shadowes, I mistooke,

1389Did not you tell me, I should know the man,

1390By the Athenian garments he hath on?

1391And so farre blamelesse proues my enterprize,

1392That I haue nointed an Athenians eies,

1393And so farre am I glad, it so did sort,

1394As this their iangling I esteeme a sport.

1395Ob. Thou seest these Louers seeke a place to fight,

1396Hie therefore Robin, ouercast the night,

1397The starrie Welkin couer thou anon,

1398With drooping fogge as blacke as Acheron,

1399And lead these testie Riuals so astray,

1400As one come not within anothers way.

1401Like to Lysander, sometime frame thy tongue,

1402Then stirre Demetrius vp with bitter wrong;

1403And sometime raile thou like Demetrius;

1404And from each other looke thou leade them thus,

1405Till ore their browes, death-counterfeiting, sleepe

1406With leaden legs, and Battie-wings doth creepe:

1407Then crush this hearbe into Lysanders eie,

1408Whose liquor hath this vertuous propertie,

1409To take from thence all error, with his might,

1410And make his eie-bals role with wonted sight.

1411When they next wake, all this derision

1412Shall seeme a dreame, and fruitlesse vision,

1413And backe to Athens shall the Louers wend

1414With league, whose date till death shall neuer end.

1415Whiles I in this affaire do thee imply,

1416Ile to my Queene, and beg her Indian Boy;

1417And then I will her charmed eie release

1418From monsters view, and all things shall be peace.

1419Puck. My Fairie Lord, this must be done with haste,

1420For night-swift Dragons cut the Clouds full fast,

1421And yonder shines Auroras harbinger;

1422At whose approach Ghosts wandring here and there,

1423Troope home to Church-yards; damned spirits all,

1424That in crosse-waies and flouds haue buriall,

1425Alreadie to their wormie beds are gone;

1426For feare least day should looke their shames vpon,

1427They wilfully themselues dxile from light,

1428And must for aye consort with blacke browd night.

1429Ob. But we are spirits of another sort:

1430I, with the mornings loue haue oft made sport,

1431And like a Forrester, the groues may tread,

1432Euen till the Easterne gate all fierie red,

1433Opening on Neptune, with faire blessed beames,

1434Turnes into yellow gold, his salt greene streames.

1435But notwithstanding haste, make no delay:

1436We may effect this businesse, yet ere day.

1437Puck. Vp and downe, vp and downe, I will leade

1438them vp and downe: I am fear'd in field and towne.

1439Goblin, lead them vp and downe: here comes one.

1441Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius?

1442Speake thou now.

1443Rob. Here villaine, drawne & readie. Where art thou?

1444Lys. I will be with thee straight.

1445Rob. Follow me then to plainer ground.

1447Dem. Lysander, speake againe;

1448Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?

1449Speake in some bush: Where dost thou hide thy head?

1450Rob. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,

1451Telling the bushes that thou look'st for wars,

1452And wilt not come? Come recreant, come thou childe,

1453Ile whip thee with a rod. He is defil'd

1454That drawes a sword on thee.

1455Dem. Yea, art thou there?

1456Ro. Follow my voice, we'l try no manhood here. Exit.

1457Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on,

1458When I come where he cals, then he's gone.

1459The villaine is much lighter heel'd then I:

1460I followed fast, but faster he did flye; shifting places.

1461That fallen am I in darke vneuen way,

1462And here wil rest me. Come thou gentle day: lye down.

1463For if but once thou shew me thy gray light,

1464Ile finde Demetrius, and reuenge this spight.

1466Rob. Ho, ho, ho; coward, why com'st thou not?

1467Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'st. For well I wot,

1468Thou runst before me, shifting euery place,

1469And dar'st not stand, nor looke me in the face.

1470Where art thou?

1471Rob. Come hither, I am here.

1472Dem. Nay then thou mock'st me; thou shalt buy this

1473deere,

1474If euer I thy face by day-light see.

1475Now goe thy way: faintnesse constraineth me,

1476To measure out my length on this cold bed,

1477By daies approach looke to be visited.

1479Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night,

1480Abate thy houres, shine comforts from the East,

1481That I may backe to Athens by day-light,

1482From these that my poore companie detest;

1483And sleepe that sometime shuts vp sorrowes eie,

1484Steale me a while from mine owne companie. Sleepe.

1485Rob. Yet but three? Come one more,

1486Two of both kindes makes vp foure.

1487Here she comes, curst and sad,

1488Cupid is a knauish lad,

1490Thus to make poore females mad.

1491Her. Neuer so wearie, neuer so in woe,

1492Bedabbled with the dew, and torne with briars,

1493I can no further crawle, no further goe;

1494My legs can keepe no pace with my desires.

1495Here will I rest me till the breake of day,

1496Heauens shield Lysander, if they meane a fray.

1497Rob. On the ground sleepe sound,

1498Ile apply your eie gentle louer, remedy.

1499When thou wak'st, thou tak'st

1500True delight in the sight of thy former Ladies eye,

1501And the Country Prouerb knowne,

1502That euery man should take his owne,

1503In your waking shall be showne.

1504Iacke shall haue Iill, nought shall goe ill.

1505The man shall haue his Mare againe, and all shall bee

1506well.

1511Tita. Come, sit thee downe vpon this flowry bed,

1512While I thy amiable cheekes doe coy,

1513And sticke muske roses in thy sleeke smoothe head,

1514And kisse thy faire large eares, my gentle ioy.

1515Clow. Where's Peaseblossome?

1516Peas. Ready.

1517Clow. Scratch my head, Pease-blossome. Wher's Moun-

1518sieuer Cobweb.

1519Cob. Ready.

1520Clowne. Mounsieur Cobweb, good Mounsier get your

1521weapons in your hand, & kill me a red hipt humble-Bee,

1522on the top of a thistle; and good Mounsieur bring mee

1523the hony bag. Doe not fret your selfe too much in the

1524action, Mounsieur; and good Mounsieur haue a care the

1525hony bag breake not, I would be loth to haue yon ouer-

1526flowne with a hony-bag signiour. Where's Mounsieur

1527Mustardseed?

1528Mus. Ready.

1529Clo. Giue me your neafe, Mounsieur Mustardseed.

1530Pray you leaue your courtesie good Mounsieur.

1531Mus. What's your will?

1532Clo. Nothing good Mounsieur, but to help Caualery

1533Cobweb to scratch. I must to the Barbers Mounsieur, for

1534me-thinkes I am maruellous hairy about the face. And I

1535am such a tender asse, if my haire do but tickle me, I must

1536scratch.

1537Tita. What, wilt thou heare some musicke, my sweet

1538loue.

1539Clow. I haue a reasonable good eare in musicke. Let

1540vs haue the tongs and the bones.

1542Tita. Or say sweete Loue, what thou desirest to eat.

1543Clowne. Truly a pecke of Prouender; I could munch

1544your good dry Oates. Me-thinkes I haue a great desire

1545to a bottle of hay: good hay, sweete hay hath no fel-

1546low.

1547Tita. I haue a venturous Fairy,

1548That shall seeke the Squirrels hoard,

1549And fetch thee new Nuts.

1550Clown. I had rather haue a handfull or two of dried

1551pease. But I pray you let none of your people stirre me, I

1552haue an exposition of sleepe come vpon me.

1553Tyta. Sleepe thou, and I will winde thee in my arms,

1554Fairies be gone, and be alwaies away.

1555So doth the woodbine, the sweet Honisuckle,

1556Gently entwist; the female Iuy so

1557Enrings the barky fingers of the Elme.

1558O how I loue thee! how I dote on thee!

1560Ob. Welcome good Robin:

1561Seest thou this sweet sight?

1562Her dotage now I doe begin to pitty.

1563For meeting her of late behinde the wood,

1564Seeking sweet sauors for this hatefull foole,

1565I did vpbraid her, and fall out with her.

1566For she his hairy temples then had rounded,

1567With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers.

1568And that same dew which somtime on the buds,

1569Was wont to swell like round and orient pearles;

1570Stood now within the pretty flouriets eyes,

1571Like teares that did their owne disgrace bewaile.

1572When I had at my pleasure taunted her,

1573And she in milde termes beg'd my patience,

1574I then did aske of her, her changeling childe,

1575Which straight she gaue me, and her Fairy sent

1576To beare him to my Bower in Fairy Land.

1577And now I haue the Boy, I will vndoe

1578This hatefull imperfection of her eyes.

1579And gentle Pucke, take this transformed scalpe,

1580From off the head of this Athenian swaine;

1581That he awaking when the other doe,

1582May all to Athens backe againe repaire,

1583And thinke no more of this nights accidents,

1584But as the fierce vexation of a dreame.

1585But first I will release the Fairy Queene.

1590Now my Titania wake you my sweet Queene.

1591Tita. My Oberon, what visions haue I seene!

1592Me-thought I was enamoured of an Asse.

1593Ob. There lies your loue.

1594Tita. How came these things to passe?

1595Oh, how mine eyes doth loath this visage now!

1596Ob. Silence a while. Robin take off his head:

1597Titania, musick call, and strike more dead

1598Then common sleepe; of all these, fine the sense.

1599Tita. Musicke, ho musicke, such as charmeth sleepe.

1601Rob. When thou wak'st, with thine owne fooles eies

1602 peepe

1603Ob. Sound musick; come my Queen, take hands with (me.

1604And rocke the ground whereon these sleepers be.

1605Now thou and I new in amity,

1606And will to morrow midnight, solemnly

1607Dance in Duke Theseus house triumphantly,

1608And blesse it to all faire posterity.

1609There shall the paires of faithfull Louers be

1610Wedded, with Theseus, all in iollity.

1611Rob. Faire King attend, and marke,

1612I doe heare the morning Larke.

1613Ob. Then my Queene in silence sad,

1614Trip we after the nights shade;

1615We the Globe can compasse soone,

1616Swifter then the wandering Moone.

1617Tita. Come my Lord, and in our flight,

1618Tell me how it came this night,

1619That I sleeping heere was found,

O With

1621With these mortals on the ground. Exeunt.

1624Thes. Goe one of you, finde out the Forrester,

1625For now our obseruation is perform'd;

1626And since we haue the vaward of the day,

1627My Loue shall heare the musicke of my hounds.

1628Vncouple in the Westerne valley, let them goe;

1629Dispatch I say, and finde the Forrester.

1630We will faire Queene, vp to the Mountaines top,

1631And marke the musicall confusion

1632Of hounds and eccho in coniunction.

1633Hip. I was with Hercules and Cadmus once.

1634When in a wood of Creete they bayed the Beare

1635With hounds of Sparta; neuer did I heare

1636Such gallant chiding. For besides the groues,

1637The skies, the fountaines, euery region neere,

1638Seeme all one mutuall cry. I neuer heard

1639So musicall a discord, such sweet thunder.

1640Thes. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kinde,

1641So flew'd, so sanded, and their heads are hung

1642With eares that sweepe away the morning dew,

1643Crooke kneed, and dew-lapt, like Thessalian Buls,

1644Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bels,

1645Each vnder each. A cry more tuneable

1646Was neuer hallowed to, nor cheer'd with horne,

1647In Creete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly;

1648Iudge when you heare. But soft, what nimphs are these?

1649Egeus. My Lord, this is my daughter heere asleepe,

1650And this Lysander, this Demetrius is,

1651This Helena, olde Nedars Helena,

1652I wonder of this being heere together.

1653The. No doubt they rose vp early, to obserue

1654The right of May; and hearing our intent,

1655Came heere in grace of our solemnity.

1656But speake Egeus, is not this the day

1657That Hermia should giue answer of her choice?

1658Egeus. It is, my Lord.

1659Thes. Goe bid the hunts-men wake them with their

1660hornes.

1663Thes. Good morrow friends: Saint Valentine is past,

1664Begin these wood birds but to couple now?

1665Lys. Pardon my Lord.

1666Thes. I pray you all stand vp.

1667I know you two are Riuall enemies.

1668How comes this gentle concord in the world,

1669That hatred is is so farre from iealousie,

1670To sleepe by hate, and feare no enmity.

1671Lys. My Lord, I shall reply amazedly,

1672Halfe sleepe, halfe waking. But as yet, I sweare,

1673I cannot truly say how I came heere.

1674But as I thinke (for truly would I speake)

1675And now I doe bethinke me, so it is;

1676I came with Hermia hither. Our intent

1677Was to be gone from Athens, where we might be

1678Without the perill of the Athenian Law.

1679Ege. Enough, enough, my Lord: you haue enough;

1680I beg the Law, the Law, vpon his head:

1681They would have stolne away, they would Demetrius,

1682Thereby to haue defeated you and me:

1683You of your wife, and me of my consent;

1684Of my consent, that she should be your wife.

1685Dem. My Lord, faire Helen told me of their stealth,

1686Of this their purpose hither, to this wood,

1687And I in furie hither followed them;

1688Faire Helena, in fancy followed me.

1689But my good Lord, I wot not by what power,

1690(But by some power it is) my loue

1691To Hermia (melted as the snow)

1692Seems to me now as the remembrance of an idle gaude,

1693Which in my childehood I did doat vpon:

1694And all the faith, the vertue of my heart,

1695The obiect and the pleasure of mine eye,

1696Is onely Helena. To her, my Lord,

1697Was I betroth'd, ere I see Hermia,

1698But like a sickenesse did I loath this food,

1699But as in health, come to my naturall taste,

1700Now doe I wish it, loue it, long for it,

1701And will for euermore be true to it.

1702Thes. Faire Louers, you are fortunately met;

1703Of this discourse we shall heare more anon.

1704Egeus, I will ouer-beare your will;

1705For in the Temple, by and by with vs,

1706These couples shall eternally be knit.

1707And for the morning now is something worne,

1708Our purpos'd hunting shall be set aside.

1709Away, with vs to Athens; three and three,

1710Wee'll hold a feast in great solemnitie.

1711Come Hippolita. Exit Duke and Lords.

1712Dem. These things seeme small & vndistinguishable,

1713Like farre off mountaines turned into Clouds.

1714Her. Me-thinks I see these things with parted eye,

1715When euery things seemes double.

1716Hel. So me-thinkes:

1717And I haue found Demetrius, like a iewell,

1718Mine owne, and not mine owne.

1719Dem. It seemes to mee,

1720That yet we sleepe, we dreame. Do not you thinke,

1721The Duke was heere, and bid vs follow him?

1722Her. Yea, and my Father.

1723Hel. And Hippolita.

1724Lys. And he bid vs follow to the Temple.

1725Dem. Why then we are awake; lets follow him, and

1726by the way let vs recount our dreames.

1728Clo. When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer.

1729My next is, most faire Piramus. Hey ho. Peter Quince?

1730Flute the bellowes-mender? Snout the tinker? Starue-

1731ling? Gods my life! Stolne hence, and left me asleepe: I

1732haue had a most rare vision. I had a dreame, past the wit

1733of man, to say, what dreame it was. Man is but an Asse,

1734if he goe about to expound this dreame. Me-thought I

1735was, there is no man can tell what. Me-thought I was,

1736and me-thought I had. But man is but a patch'd foole,

1737if he will offer to say, what me-thought I had. The eye of

1738man hath not heard, the eare of man hath not seen, mans

1739hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceiue, nor his

1740heart to report, what my dreame was. I will get Peter

1741Quince to write a ballet of this dreame, it shall be called

1742Bottomes Dreame, because it hath no bottome; and I will

1743sing it in the latter end of a play, before the Duke. Per-

1744aduenture, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it

1745at her death. Exit.

1747Quin. Haue you sent to Bottomes house? Is he come

1748home yet?

1749Staru. He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt hee is

1750transported.

1751This. If he come not, then the play is mar'd. It goes

1752not forward, doth it?

1753Quin. It is not possible: you haue not a man in all

1754Athens, able to discharge Piramus but he.

1755This. No, hee hath simply the best wit of any handy-

1756craft man in Athens.

1757Quin. Yea, and the best person too, and hee is a very

1758Paramour, for a sweet voyce.

1759This. You must say, Paragon. A Paramour is (God

1760blesse vs) a thing of nought.

1762Snug. Masters, the Duke is comming from the Tem-