How now spirit! Whither wander you?

Over hill, over dale, through bush, through briar,

2.1.3377Over park, over pale, through flood, through fire,

2.1.4378I do wander everywhere, swifter then the moon's sphere;

2.1.5379And I serve the fairy queen, to dew her orbs upon the green.

2.1.6380The cowslips tall her pensioners be,

2.1.7381In their gold coats spots you see,

2.1.8382Those be rubies, fairy favors;

2.1.9383In those freckles live their savors.

2.1.10384I must go seek some dewdrops here,

2.1.11385And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

2.1.12386Farewell thou lob of spirits! I'll be gone;

2.1.13387Our queen and all her elves come here anon.

The king doth keep his revels here tonight.

2.1.15389Take heed the queen come not within his sight.

2.1.16390For Oberon is passing fell and wrath

2.1.17391Because that she, as her attendant, hath

2.1.18392A lovely boy stolen from an Indian king;

2.1.19393She never had so sweet a changeling.

2.1.20394And jealous Oberon would have the child

2.1.21395Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild.

2.1.22396But she perforce withholds the loved boy,

2.1.23397Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy.

2.1.24398And now they never meet in grove, or green,

2.1.25399By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,

2.1.26400But they do square, that all their elves for fear

2.1.27401Creep into acorn cups and hide them there.

Either I mistake your shape and making quite,

2.1.29403Or else you are that shrewd and knavish spirit

2.1.30404Called Robin Goodfellow. Are you not he,

2.1.31405That frights the maidens of the villagery,

2.1.32406Skim milk, and sometimes labor in the quern,

2.1.33407And bootless make the breathless housewife churn,

2.1.34408And sometime make the drink to bear no barm,

2.1.35409Mislead night wanderers, laughing at their harm?

2.1.36410Those that hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,

2.1.37411You do their work, and they shall have good luck.

2.1.38412Are not you he?

Thou speakest aright;

2.1.40414I am that merry wanderer of the night.

2.1.41415I jest to Oberon, and make him smile

2.1.42416When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,

2.1.43417Neighing in likeness of a silly foal.

2.1.44418And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl,

2.1.45419In very likeness of a roasted crab,

2.1.46420And when she drinks, against her lips I bob,

2.1.47421And on her withered dewlap pour the ale.

2.1.48422The wisest aunt telling the saddest tale

2.1.49423Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me.

2.1.50424Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,

2.1.51425And "tailor" cries, and falls into a cough.

2.1.52426And then the whole quire hold their hips, and laugh,

2.1.53427And waxen in their mirth, and sneeze, and swear.

2.1.54428A merrier hour was never wasted there!

2.1.55429But room, fairy. Here comes Oberon.

And here my mistress!

2.1.57431Would that he were gone.

Ill met by moonlight,

2.1.60435Proud Titania.

What, jealous Oberon? Fairy skip hence.

2.1.62437I have forsworn his bed and company.

Tarry rash wanton! Am not I thy lord?

Then I must be thy lady; but I know

2.1.65440When thou wast stolen away from fairyland,

2.1.66441And in the shape of Corin sat all day

2.1.67442Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love

2.1.68443To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here,

2.1.69444Come from the farthest steep of India,

2.1.70445But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon,

2.1.71446Your buskined mistress and your warrior love,

2.1.72447To Theseus must be wedded, and you come,

2.1.73448To give their bed joy and prosperity?

How canst thou thus, for shame Titania,

2.1.75450Glance at my credit with Hippolita,

2.1.76451Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?

2.1.77452Didst thou not lead him through the glimmering night

2.1.78453From Peregenia, whom he ravished?

2.1.79454And make him with fair Eagles break his faith?

2.1.80455With Ariadne, and Atiopa?

These are the forgeries of jealousy,

2.1.82457And never, since the middle summer's spring

2.1.83458Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead,

2.1.84459By pavèd fountain, or by rushy brook,

2.1.85460Or in the beachèd margent of the sea,

2.1.86461To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,

2.1.87462But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sport.

2.1.88463Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain,

2.1.89464As in revenge, have sucked up from the sea

2.1.90465Contagious fogs, which, falling in the land,

2.1.91466Hath every petty river made so proud

2.1.92467That they have overborne their continents.

2.1.93468The ox hath therefore stretched his yoke in vain,

2.1.94469The plowman lost his sweat, and the green corn

2.1.95470Hath rotted ere his youth attained a beard;

2.1.96471The fold stands empty in the drowned field,

2.1.97472And crows are fatted with the murrion flock;

2.1.98473The nine-men's morris is filled up with mud,

2.1.99474And the quaint mazes in the wanton green

2.1.100475For lack of tread are undistinguishable.

2.1.101476The human mortals want their winter here;

2.1.102477No night is now with hymn or carol blest.

2.1.103478Therefore the moon, the governess of floods,

2.1.104479Pale in her anger, washes all the air,

2.1.105480That rheumatic diseases do abound.

2.1.106481And through this distemperature we see

2.1.107482The seasons alter; hoar-headed frosts

2.1.108483Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose,

2.1.109484And on old Hyems' chin and icy crown

2.1.110485An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds

2.1.111486Is as in mockery set. The spring, the summer,

2.1.112487The childing autumn, angry winter change

2.1.113488Their wonted liveries; and the 'mazed world,

2.1.114489By their increase, now knows not which is which.

2.1.115490And this same progeny of evils

2.1.116491Comes from our debate, from our dissention;

2.1.117492We are their parents and original.

Do you amend it then; it lies in you.

2.1.119494Why should Titania cross her Oberon?

2.1.120495I do but beg a little changeling boy

2.1.121496To be my henchman.

Set your heart at rest.

2.1.123498The fairyland buys not the child of me.

2.1.124499His mother was a votress of my order,

2.1.125500And in the spicèd Indian air, by night

2.1.126501Full often hath she gossiped by my side,

2.1.127502And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands,

2.1.128503Marking the embarkèd traders on the flood,

2.1.129504When we have laughed to see the sails conceive

2.1.130505And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind,

2.1.131506Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait

2.1.132507Following (her womb then rich with my young squire),

2.1.133508Would imitate, and sail upon the land

2.1.134509To fetch me trifles and return again,

2.1.135510As from a voyage rich with merchandise.

2.1.136511But she, being mortal, of that boy did die,

2.1.137512And for her sake I do rear up her boy,

2.1.138513And for her sake I will not part with him.

How long within this wood intend you stay?

Perchance till after Theseus' wedding day.

2.1.141516If you will patiently dance in our round

2.1.142517And see our moonlight revels, go with us;

2.1.143518If not, shun me and I will spare your haunts.

Give me that boy, and I will go with thee.

Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies away!

521We shall chide downright if I longer stay.

Well, go thy way. Thou shalt not from this grove

2.1.148523Till I torment thee for this injury.

2.1.149524My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememb'rest

2.1.150525Since once I sat upon a promontory,

2.1.151526And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back

2.1.152527Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath

2.1.153528That the rude sea grew civil at her song,

2.1.154529And certain stars shot madly from their spheres

2.1.155530To hear the sea-maid's music?

I remember.

That very time I saw (but thou couldst not),

2.1.158533Flying between the cold moon and the earth

2.1.159534Cupid all armed; a certain aim he took

2.1.160535At a fair vestal, thronèd by the west,

2.1.161536And loosed his love shaft smartly from his bow,

2.1.162537As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts.

2.1.163538But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft

2.1.164539Quenched in the chaste beams of the watery moon,

2.1.165540And the imperial votress passed on,

2.1.166541In maiden meditation, fancy free.

2.1.167542Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid fell.

2.1.168543It fell upon a little western flower,

2.1.169544Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound,

2.1.170545And maidens call it love-in-idleness.

2.1.171546Fetch me that flower, the herb I showed thee once.

2.1.172547The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid

2.1.173548Will make or man or woman madly dote

2.1.174549Upon the next live creature that it sees.

2.1.175550Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again

2.1.176551Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

I'll put a girdle about the earth in forty 553minutes.

Having once this juice,

2.1.179555I'll watch Titania when she is asleep,

2.1.180556And drop the liquor of it in her eyes.

2.1.181557The next thing when she waking looks upon --

2.1.182558Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,

2.1.183559On meddling monkey, or on busy ape --

2.1.184560She shall pursue it with the soul of love.

2.1.185561And ere I take this charm off from her sight

2.1.186562(As I can take it with another herb),

2.1.187563I'll make her render up her page to me.

2.1.188564But who comes here? I am invisible,

2.1.189565And I will overhear their conference.

I love thee not, therefore pursue me not!

2.1.191568Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?

2.1.192569The one I'll stay, the other stayeth me.

2.1.193570Thou toldest me they were stolen into this wood,

2.1.194571And here am I, and wood within this wood

2.1.195572Because I cannot meet my Hermia.

2.1.196573Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more!

You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant.

2.1.198575But yet you draw not iron, for my heart

2.1.199576Is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw

2.1.200577And I shall have no power to follow you.

Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair?

2.1.202579Or rather do I not in plainest truth

2.1.203580Tell you I do not nor I cannot love you?

And even for that do I love thee the more.

2.1.205582I am your spaniel, and Demetrius,

2.1.206583The more you beat me, I will fawn on you.

2.1.207584Use me but as your spaniel; spurn me, strike me,

2.1.208585Neglect me, lose me -- only give me leave,

2.1.209586Unworthy as I am, to follow you.

2.1.210587What worser place can I beg in your love,

2.1.211588And yet a place of high respect with me,

2.1.212589Then to be used as you do your dog?

Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,

2.1.214591For I am sick when I do look on thee.

And I am sick when I look not on you.

You do impeach your modesty too much,

2.1.217594To leave the city and commit yourself

2.1.218595Into the hands of one that loves you not,

2.1.219596To trust the opportunity of night

2.1.220597And the ill counsel of a desert place

2.1.221598With the rich worth of your virginity.

Your virtue is my privilege. For that

2.1.223600It is not night when I do see your face.

2.1.224601Therefore, I think I am not in the night,

2.1.225602Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company,

2.1.226603For you in my respect are all the world.

2.1.227604Then how can it be said I am alone

2.1.228605When all the world is here to look on me?

I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,

2.1.230607And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.

The wildest hath not such a heart as you.

2.1.232609Run when you will. The story shall be changed:

2.1.233610Apollo flies and Daphne holds the chase;

2.1.234611The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind

2.1.235612Makes speed to catch the tiger, bootless speed,

2.1.236613When cowardice pursues, and valor flies.

I will not stay thy questions. Let me go!

2.1.238615Or, if thou follow me, do not believe

2.1.239616But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.

Aye, in the temple, in the town and field

2.1.241618You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius!

2.1.242619Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex.

2.1.243620We cannot fight for love, as men may do;

2.1.244621We should be wooed, and were not made to woo.

2.1.245622I follow thee, and make a heaven of hell,

2.1.246623To die upon the hand I love so well.

Fare thee well, nymph. Ere he do leave this grove,

2.1.248625Thou shalt fly him and he shall seek thy love.

2.1.249626Hast thou the flower there? Welcome wanderer.

Aye, there it is.

I pray thee give it me.

2.1.252630I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

2.1.253631Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,

2.1.254632Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,

2.1.255633With sweet musk roses, and with eglantine.

2.1.256634There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,

2.1.257635Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight.

2.1.258636And there the snake throws her enameled skin,

2.1.259637Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.

2.1.260638And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,

2.1.261639And make her full of hateful fantasies.

2.1.262640Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove.

2.1.263641A sweet Athenian lady is in love

2.1.264642With a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes,

2.1.265643But do it when the next thing he espies

2.1.266644May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man

2.1.267645By the Athenian garments he hath on.

2.1.268646Effect it with some care, that he may prove

2.1.269647More fond on her then she upon her love;

2.1.270648And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.

Fear not, my lord; your servant shall do so.