|
And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, `
`
Marking th' embarked traders on the flood; `
`
When we have laugh'd 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 do I rear up her boy; `
`
And for her sake I will not part with him. `
`
OBERON. How long within this wood intend you stay? `
`
TITANIA. Perchance till after Theseus' wedding-day. `
`
If you will patiently dance in our round, `
`
And see our moonlight revels, go with us; `
`
If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts. `
`
OBERON. Give me that boy and I will go with thee. `
`
TITANIA. Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away. `
`
We shall chide downright if I longer stay. `
`
Exit TITANIA with her train `
`
OBERON. Well, go thy way; thou shalt not from this grove `
`
Till I torment thee for this injury. `
`
My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememb'rest `
`
Since once I sat upon a promontory, `
`
And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back `
`
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath `
`
That the rude sea grew civil at her song, `
`
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres `
`
To hear the sea-maid's music. `
`
PUCK. I remember. `
`
OBERON. That very time I saw, but thou couldst not, `
`
Flying between the cold moon and the earth `
`
Cupid, all arm'd; a certain aim he took `
`
At a fair vestal, throned by the west, `
`
And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow, `
`
As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts; `
`
But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft `
`
Quench'd in the chaste beams of the wat'ry moon; `
`
And the imperial vot'ress passed on, `
`
In maiden meditation, fancy-free. `
`
Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell. `
`
It fell upon a little western flower, `
`
Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound, `
`
And maidens call it Love-in-idleness. `
`
Fetch me that flow'r, the herb I showed thee once. `
`
The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid `
`
Will make or man or woman madly dote `
`
Upon the next live creature that it sees. `
`
Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again `
`
Ere the leviathan can swim a league. `
`
PUCK. I'll put a girdle round about the earth `
`
In forty minutes. Exit PUCK `
`
OBERON. Having once this juice, `
`
I'll watch Titania when she is asleep, `
`
And drop the liquor of it in her eyes; `
`
The next thing then she waking looks upon, `
`
Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, `
`
On meddling monkey, or on busy ape, `
`
She shall pursue it with the soul of love. `
`
And ere I take this charm from off 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 invisible; `
`
And I will overhear their conference. `
`
`
`
Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him `
`
`
`
DEMETRIUS. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. `
`
Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? `
`
The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. `
`
Thou told'st me they were stol'n unto 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. `
`
HELENA. 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 shall have no power to follow you. `
`
DEMETRIUS. Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? `
`
Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth `
`
Tell you I do not nor I cannot love you? `
`
HELENA. And even for that do I love you the more. `
`
I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, `
`
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you. `
`
Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, `
`
Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, `
`
Unworthy as I am, to follow you. `
`
What worser place can I beg in your love, `
`
And yet a place of high respect with me, `
`
Than to be used as you use your dog? `
`
DEMETRIUS. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; `
`
For I am sick when I do look on thee. `
`
HELENA. And I am sick when I look not on you. `
`
DEMETRIUS. You do impeach your modesty too much `
`
To leave the city and commit yourself `
`
Into the hands of one that loves you not; `
`
To trust the opportunity of night, `
`
And the ill counsel of a desert place, `
`
With the rich worth of your virginity. `
`
HELENA. Your virtue is my privilege for that: `
`
It is not night when I do see your face, `
`
Therefore I think I am not in the night; `
`
Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, `
`
For you, in my respect, are all the world. `
`
Then how can it be said I am alone `
`
When all the world is here to look on me? `
`
DEMETRIUS. I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, `
`
And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. `
`
HELENA. The wildest hath not such a heart as you. `
`
Run when you will; the story shall be chang'd: `
`
Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; `
`
The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind `
`
Makes speed to catch the tiger- bootless speed, `
`
When cowardice pursues and valour flies. `
`
DEMETRIUS. I will not stay thy questions; let me go; `
`
Or, if thou follow me, do not believe `
`
But I shall do thee mischief in the wood. `
`
HELENA. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, `
`
You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius! `
`
Your wrongs do set 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. `
`
Exit DEMETRIUS `
`
I'll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, `
`
To die upon the hand I love so well. Exit HELENA `
`
OBERON. Fare thee well, nymph; ere he do leave this grove, `
`
Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love. `
`
`
`
Re-enter PUCK `
`
`
`
Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. `
`
PUCK. Ay, there it is. `
`
OBERON. I pray thee give it me. `
`
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, `
`
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, `
`
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, `
`
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine; `
`
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night, `
`
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; `
`
And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, `
`
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in; `
`
And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes, `
`
And make her full of hateful fantasies. `
`
Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove: `
`
A sweet Athenian lady is in love `
`
With a disdainful youth; anoint his eyes; `
`
But do it when the next thing he espies `
`
May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man `
`
By the Athenian garments he hath on. `
`
Effect it with some care, that he may prove `
`
More fond on her than she upon her love. `
`
And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow. `
`
PUCK. Fear not, my lord; your servant shall do so. Exeunt `
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
SCENE II. `
`
Another part of the wood `
`
`
`
Enter TITANIA, with her train `
`
`
`
TITANIA. Come now, a roundel and a fairy song; `
`
Then, for the third part of a minute, hence: `
`
Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds; `
`
Some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings, `
`
To make my small elves coats; and some keep back `
`
The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders `
`
At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep; `
`
Then to your offices, and let me rest. `
`
`
`
The FAIRIES Sing `
`
`
`
FIRST FAIRY. You spotted snakes with double tongue, `
`
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen; `
`
Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong, `
`
Come not near our fairy Queen. `
`
CHORUS. Philomel with melody `
`
Sing in our sweet lullaby. `
`
Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby. `
`
Never harm `
`
Nor spell nor charm `
`
Come our lovely lady nigh. `
`
So good night, with lullaby. `
`
SECOND FAIRY. Weaving spiders, come not here; `
`
Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence. `
`
Beetles black, approach not near; `
`
Worm nor snail do no offence. `
`
CHORUS. Philomel with melody, etc. [TITANIA Sleeps] `
`
FIRST FAIRY. Hence away; now all is well. `
`
One aloof stand sentinel. Exeunt FAIRIES `
`
`
`
Enter OBERON and squeezes the flower on TITANIA'S eyelids `
`
`
`
OBERON. What thou seest when thou dost wake, `
`
Do it for thy true-love take; `
`
Love and languish for his sake. `
`
Be it ounce, or cat, or bear, `
`
Pard, or boar with bristled hair, `
`
In thy eye that shall appear `
`
|
