Imatges de pàgina
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Puck. I'll put a Girdle about the Earth in forty Minutes."

Ob. Having once this Juice,

I'll watch Titania when he is afleep,

And drop the Liquor of it in her Eyes:
The next thing which the waking looks upon,

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(Be it on Lyon, Bear, or Wolf, or Bull,
Or medling Monkey, or on bufie Ape)
She fhall purfue it with the Soul of Love;
And e'er I take this Charm off from her Sight,
(As I can take it with another Herb)
I'll make her render up her Page to me.
But who comes here? I am invifible,
And I will over-hear their Conference.

Enter Demetrius, Helena following him.
Dem. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.
Where is Lysander, and fair Hermia?
The one I'll stay, the other stayeth me.

Thou told❜ft me they were ftol'n into this Wood;
And here am I, and Wood within this Wood,
Because I cannot meet my Hermia.

Hence get

thee gone, and follow me no more.
Hel. You draw me, you hard-hearted Adamant,
But yet you draw not Iron; for my Heart

Is true as Steel. Leave you your Power to draw,
And I fhall have no Power to follow you.

Dem. Do I entice you? Do I fpeak you fair?
Or rather do I not in plaineft Truth,

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

Hel. And even for that do I love thee the more;

I am your Spaniel, and, Demetrius,

The more you beat me I will fawn on you:
Ufe me but as your Spaniel, fpurn me, ftrike me,
Neglect me, lofe me; only give me Leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.
What worfer Place can I beg in your Love,
(And yet a Place of high Refpect with me)
Than to be used as you do your Dog?

Dem. Tempt not too much the Hatred of my Spirit,
For I am fick when I do look on thee,

Hel. And I am fick when I look not on you.
VOL. II.

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Dem

Dem. You do impeach your Modefty too much,
To leave the City, and commit your felf
Into the hands of one that loves you not,
To trust the Opportunity of Night,
And the ill Counsel of a defart Place,
With the rich Worth of your Virginity.
Hel. Your Virtue is my Privilege; for that
It is not Night when I do fee your Face;
Therefore I think I am not in the Night.
Nor doth this Wood lack Worlds of Company,
For you, in my refpect, are all the World.
Then how can it be faid I am alone,

When all the World is here to look on me?

Dem. I'll run from thee and hide me in the Brakes,
And leave thee to the Mercy of wild Beafts.

Hel. The wildeft hath not fuch a Heart as you;
Run when you will, the Story fhall be chang'd:
Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the Chace;
The Dove purfues the Griffin, the mild Hind
Makes fpeed to catch the Tyger, Bootlefs fpeed!
When Cowardize purfues, and Valour flies.

Dem. I will not ftay thy Queftions, let me go,;
Or if you follow me, do not believe,

But I fhall do thee Mischief in the Wood.

Hel. Ay, in the Temple, in the Town and Field
You do me Mischief. Fye, Demetrius,
Your Wrongs do fet a Scandal on my Sex:
We cannot fight for Love, as Men may do;

We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo.
I follow thee, and make a Heaven of Hell,

To dye upon the Hand I love fo well.

[Exeunt.

Ob. Fare thee well, Nymph, e'er he do leave this Grove Thou shalt fly him, and he shall feek thy Love. Haft thou the Flower there? Welcome Wanderer.

Puck. Ay, there it is.

Enter Puck.

Ob. I pray thee give it me;

I know a Bank where the wild Time blows,
Where the Oxflips and the nodding Violet grows,
Quite over cannopy'd with lufcious Woodbine,
With fweet Musk Rofes, and with Eglatine,

There

There fleeps Titania, fome time of the Night,
Lull'd in thefe Flowers, with Dances and Delight;
And there the Snake throws her enammel'd Skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a Fairy in:

And with the Juice of this I'll ftreak her Eyes,
And make her full of hateful Fantafies.

Take thou fome of it, and feek through this Grove;
A fweet Athenian Lady is in love

With a difdainful Youth; anoint his Eyes,
But do it when the next thing he efpies

May be the Lady. Thou shalt know the Man,
By the Athenian Garments he hath on.
Effect it with fome Care, that he may prove
More fond of her than fhe upon her Love;

And look you meet me e'er the first Cock crow.

Puck. Fear not my Lord, your Servant shall do so. [Exit,
Enter Queen of Fairies, with her Train.

Queen. Come, now a Roundel, and a Fairy Song:
Then for the third Part of a Minute hence,
Some to kill Kankers in the Musk-Rofe Buds,
Some war with Reremise for their leathern Wings,
To make my fmall Elves Coats, and fome keep back
The clamorous Owl that nightly hoots, and wonders
At our queint Spirits. Sing me now afleep,
Then to your Offices, and let me reft.

Fairies Sing.

You Spotted Snakes with double Tongue,
Thorny Hedgehogs be not feen,

Newts and blind Worms do no wrong,

Come not near our Fairy Queen.

Philomel with Melody,

Sing in your fweet Lullaby,

Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby :

Never harm, nor spell, nor charm,

Come our lovely Lady nigh,

So good night with Lullaby.

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2. Fairy.

Weaving Spiders come not here;
Hence you long-leg'd Spinners, hence:
Beetles black approach not near,
Worm nor Snail do no Offence.
Philomel with Melody, &c.

1. Fairy.

Hence away; now all is well:
One aloof, ftand Centinel.

Enter Oberon.

[Exeunt Fairies.

Obe. What thou feeft when thou dost wake,

Do it for thy true Love take,
Love and languish for his fake;
Be it Ounce, or Cat, or Bear,
Pard, or Boar, with briftled Hair,
In thy Eye that shall appear;
When thou wak'ft, it is thy Dear;
Wake when some vile Thing is near.

Enter Lyfander and Hermia.

[Exit Oberon.

Lyf. Fair Love, you faint with wandring in the Woods;

And to speak troth, I have forgot our Way:

We'll reft us, Hermia, if you think it good,
And tarry for the Comfort of the Day.

Her. Be it fo, Lyfander; find you out a Bed,
For I upon this Bank will reft my Head.

Lyf One Turf fhall ferve as Pillow for us both,
One Heart, one Bed, two Bofoms, and one Troth.
Her. Nay good Lyfander, for my Sake, my Dear,
Lye further off yet, do not lye fo near.

Lyf. O take the Senfe fweet of my Innocence,
Love takes the Meaning in Love's Conference;
I mean that my Heart unto yours is knit,
So that but one Heart can you make of it:
Two Bofoms interchanged with an Oath,
So then two Bofoms, and a fingle Troth:
Then by your Side no Bed-room me deny
For lying fo, Hermia, I do not lye.

Her. Lyfander riddles very prettily;
Now much befhrew my Manners, and my Pride,
If Hey via meant to fay, Lysander ly'd.

But

But gentle Friend, for Love and Curtefie
Lye further off in human Modefty;
Such Separation as may well be faid
Becomes a virtuous Batchelor, and a Maid;
So far be diftant, and good night fweet Friend,
Thy Love ne'er alter 'till thy fweet Life end.
Lys. Amen, Amen, to that fair Prayer fay I,
And then end Life when I end Loyalty:
Here is thy Bed, Sleep give thee all his Reft.
Her. With half that Wifh, the Withers Eyes be prest.
[They fleep.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Through the Foreft have I gone, But Athenian find I none,

On whose Eyes I might approve

This Flower's Force in ftirring Love:
Night and Silence; who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear;
This is he, my Master said,
Defpifed the Athenian Maid?
And here the Maiden fleeping found
On the dank and dirty Ground.
Pretty Soul, the durft not lye

Near this Lack-love, this kill Curtefie.
Churl, upon thy Eyes I throw

All the Power this Charm doth owe:
When thou wak'ft, let Love forbid
Sleep his Seat on thy Eyelid :

So awake when I am gone,

For I muft now to Oberon.

Enter Demetrius and Helena running.

Hel. Stay, thot hou kill me, fweet Demetrius.

[Exit.

Dem. I charge thee hence, and do not haunt me thus.
Hel. O wilt thou Darling leave me? Do not fo.

Dem. Stay on thy Peril, I alone will go. [Exit Demetrius.
Hel. O I am out of Breath in this fond Chace,

The more my Prayer, the leffer is my Grace.
Happy is Hermia, wherefoe'er fhe lyes;
For the hath bleffed and attractive Eyes.

How came her Eyes fo bright? Not with falt Tears;
If fo, my Eyes are oftner wash'd than hers:

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