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,