So then, two bofoms, and a single troth.
Then, by your fide no bed-room me deny;
For, lying fo, Hermia, I do not lie.

HER. Lyfander riddles very prettily:

Now much befhrew my manners and my pride,
If Hermia meant to fay, Lyfander lied.
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
Lie further off; in human modesty
Such feparation, as, may well be said,
Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid:

So far be diftant; and good night, fweet friend:
Thy love ne'er alter, till thy fweet life end!

Lrs. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, fay I
And then end life, when I end loyalty!
Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his reft!
HER. With half that wish the wisher's

Enter PUCK.

eyes

Puck. Through the forest have I gone,
But Athenian found I none,

On whofe eyes I might approve
This flower's force in ftirring love.
Night and filence! who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear:
This is he, my master said,

Despised the Athenian maid;

be prefs'd!
[They fleep.

And here the maiden, fleeping found,
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty foul! fhe durft not lie
Near this lack-love, kill courtesy.
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe:
When thou wak'ft, let love forbid

Sleep his feat on thy eye-lid.
So awake, when I am gone;

For I must now to Oberon.

Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA running.

[Exit.

HEL. Stay, though thou kill me, fweet Demetrius.

DEM. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. HEL. O, wilt thou darkling 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 lies;
For fhe hath bleffed, and attractive eyes.

How came her eyes fo bright? Not with falt tears:
If fo, my eyes are oftener wafh'd than hers.

No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;

For beafts that meet me, run away for fear :
Therefore, no marvel, though Demetrius
Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus.
What wicked and diffembling glass of mine
Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne?—
But who is here? Lyfander! on the ground!
Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound :-
Lyfander, if you live, good fir, awake.

Lrs. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet sake.

[Waking.

Transparent Helena! Nature here shows art,
That through thy bofom makes me fee thy heart.
Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word

Is that vile name, to perish on my fword!

HEL. Do not fay fo, Lyfander; fay not fo:

What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? Yet Hermia ftill loves you: then be content.

Lrs. Content with Hermia? No: I do repent
The tedious minutes I with her have spent.
Not Hermia, but Helena I love :

Who will not change a raven for a dove?
The will of man is by his reafon sway'd;
And reason fays you are the worthier maid.
Things growing are not ripe until their season :
So I, being young, till now ripe not to reafon;
And touching now the point of humạn skill,
Reason becomes the marshal to my will,

And leads me to your eyes; where I o'erlook
Love's ftories, written in love's richest book.

HEL. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When, at your hands, did I deferve this fcorn? Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, That I did never, no, nor never can, Deserve a fweet look from Demetrius' eye,

But you muft flout my infufficiency?

Good troth, you do me wrong, good footh, you do,
In fuch difdainful manner me to woo.

But fare

you well perforce I must confefs, I thought you lord of more true gentleness. O, that a lady, of one man refus'd,

[Exit.

Lrs. She fees not Hermia :-Hermia, fleep thou there;

Should, of another, therefore be abus'd!

And never may'ft thou come Lyfander near!

For, as a furfeit of the sweetest things

The deepest loathing to the ftomach brings;

Or, as the herefies, that men do leave,
Are hated most of those they did deceive;
So thou, my furfeit, and my herefy,
Of all be hated; but the most of me!

And all my powers, address your love and might,

To honour Helen, and to be her knight !

[Exit.

HER. [starting.]Help me, Lyfander, help me! do thy best,

To pluck this crawling ferpent from my breaft!

Ah me, for pity!—what a dream was here?
Lyfander, look, how I do quake with fear:
Methought, a ferpent eat my heart away,
And you fat fmiling at his cruel prey:-
Lyfander! what, remov'd? Lyfander! lord!
What, out of hearing? gone? no found, no word?
Alack, where are you? fpeak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves; I fwoon almost with fear.
No? then I well perceive you are not nigh:
Either death, or you, I'll find immediately.

ACT III.

[Exit.

SCENE I. The fame. The Queen of Fairies lying asleep. Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING.

Bor. Are we all met?

QUIN. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal: This green plot shall be our ftage, this hawthorn brake our tyring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the duke. Bor. Peter Quince,

QUIN. What fay'ft thou, bully Bottom?

Bor. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a fword to kill himfelf; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?

SNOUT. By'rlakin, a parlous fear.

STAR. I believe, we must leave the killing out, when all is done.

Bor. Not a whit; I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue: and let the prologue feem to fay, we will do no harm with our fwords; and that Pyramus is not killed indeed: and, for the more better affurance, tell them, that I Pyramus am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: This will put them out of fear.

QUIN. Well, we will have fuch a prologue; and it shall be written in eight and fix.

BOT. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight.

SNOUT. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?
STAR. I fear it, I promise you.

BOT. Mafters, you ought to confider with yourselves : to bring in, God fhield us! a lion among ladies, is a moft dreadful thing: for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion, living; and we ought to look to it.

SNOUT. Therefore, another prologue must tell, he is not a lion.

Bor. Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck; and he himself muft fpeak through, faying thus, or to the fame defect, -Ladies, or fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life: No, I am no fuch thing; I am a man as other men are:-and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them plainly, he is Snug the joiner.

QUIN. Well, it fhall be fo. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light. SNUG. Doth the moon fhine, that night we play ourplay?