Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire. In those freckles live their savors. Puck. The king doth keep his revels here to-night. quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite, 5 1 The orbs here mentioned are those circles in the herbage, commonly called fairy-rings, the cause of which is not yet certainly known. 2 The allusion is to Elizabeth's band of gentlemen pensioners, who were chosen from among the handsomest and tallest young men of family and fortune; they were dressed in habits richly garnished with gold lace. 3 Lubber or clown. Lob, lobcock, looby, and lubber, all denote inactivity of body and dulness of mind. 4 A changeling was a child changed by a fairy: it here means one stolen or got in exchange. 5 Shining 6 Quarrel. Called Robin Good-fellow. Are you not he, Thou speak’st aright; gone! 1 A quern was a hand-mill. 2 Wild apple. 3 Dr. Johnson thought he remembered to have heard this ludicrous exclamation upon a person's seat slipping from under him. He that slips from his chair falls as a tailor squats upon his board. Hanmer thought the passage corrupt, and proposed to read “ rails or cries." 4 The old copy reads: “And waren in their mirth,” &c. It seems most probable that we should read, as Dr. Farmer proposed, yeren. To yer is to hiccup, and is so explained in all the old dictionaries. 3 VOL. II. SCENE II. Enter OBERON, at one door, with his Train, and TITANIA, at another, with hers. Obe. Ill met by moon-light, proud Titania. Tita. What, jealous Oberon ? Fairy, skip hence; I have forsworn his bed and company. Obe. Tarry, rash wanton. Am not I thy lord ? Tita. Then I must be thy lady. But I know Obe. How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania, Tita. These are the forgeries of jealousy; 1 See the Life of Theseus in North's Translation of Plutarch. Ægle, Ariadne, and Antiopa, were all, at different times, mistresses to Theseus. The name of Perigune is translated by North Perigouna. 2 Spring seems to be here used for beginning. The spring of day is used for the dawn of day in K. Henry IV. Part II. As in revenge, have sucked up from the sea Obe. Do you amend it, then; it lies in you. 1 i. e. paltry. The folio reads petty. 2 A rural game, played by making holes in the ground in the angles and sides of a square, and placing stones or other things upon them, according to certain rules. These figures are called nine men's morris, or merrils, because each party playing has nine men: they were generally cut upon turf, and were, consequently, choked up with mud in rainy seasons. 3 Theobald proposed to read their winter cheer." Tita. Set your heart at rest, The fairy land buys not the child of me. His mother was a vot'ress of my order; And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, Full often hath she gossiped by my side, And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, Marking the embarked traders on the flood; When we have laughed to see the sails conceive, And grow big-bellied, with the wanton wind; Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait Following, (her womb then rich with my young squire,) Would imitate; and sail upon the land, To fetch me trifles, and return again, As from a voyage, rich with merchandise. But she, being mortal, of that boy did die; And, for her sake, I do rear up her boy ; And, for her sake, I will not part with him. Obe. How long within this wood intend you stay? Tita. Perchance, till after Theseus' wedding-day. If you will patiently dance in our round, And see our moon-light revels, go with us ; If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts. Obe. Give me that boy, and I will go with thee. Tita. Not for thy fairy-kingdom.–Fairies, away. We shall chide down-right, if I longer stay. [Exeunt TITANJA and her Train. Obe. Well, go thy way. Thou shalt not from this grove, I remember. |