Her. Ome! you juggler! you canker-blossom! | Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully. Did not you tell me, I should know the man By the Athenian garments, he had on? And so far blameless proves my enterprize, That I have'nointed an Athenian's eyes: And so far am I glad it so did sort, As this their jangling I esteem a sport. With drooping fog, as black as Acheron; As one come not within another's way. Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue, And sometime rail thou like Demetrius; And from each other look thou lead them thus, With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep: Then crush this herbinto Lysander's eye; Whose liquor hath this virtuous property, When they next wake, all this derision Shall seem a dream, and fruitless vision ; With league, whose date till death shall never end. Whiles I in this affair do thee employ, I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy; And then I will her charmed eye release From monster's view, and all things shall be peace. Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste; To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too: For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger; At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there, Troop home to church-yards; damned spirits all, That in cross-ways and floods have burial, They wilfully themselves exile from light, And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night. Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red, Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams, But, nothwithstanding, haste; make no delay! We may effect this business yet ere day. (Exit Oberon Puck. Up and down, up and down; I will lead them up and down: I am fear'd in field and town; Goblin, lead them up and down. Here comes one. Enter LysandeR. Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou now! Thou shalt aby it. Puck. Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thon ? Puck. Follow me then Enter DEMETRIUS. Thou runaway, thou coward, art thon fled ? Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head? Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars, Telling the bushes, that thou look'st for wars, (Exit. And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child! That draws a sword on thee, Faths boum tha, COM fres 150 a thea me. Tita. Tell on That With Dem. Yea; art thou there? And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head, [Exeunt. Bot. Where's Peas-blossom? Ida VF sieur Cobweb? The villain is much lighter heel'd than I: Cob, Ready: HO I follow'd fast, but faster he did sly; Bot. Monsieur Cobweb, good monsieur, get your That fallen am I in dark uneven way, weapons in your hand, and kill me a redhipped hum ther Side And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day! ble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good monsieur, [Lies down. bring me the honey-bag! Do not fret yourself too For if but once thou show me thy grey light, much in the action, monsieur; and, good monsieur, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite. (Sleeps. have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be loath at Re-enter Puck and DEMETRIUS. to have you over-flown with a honey-bag, signior.-Puck. Ho, ho! ho, ho! Coward, why com’st thou not? Where's monsieur Mustard-seed? he. SOL Dem. Abide me, if thou dar’st; for well I wot, Must. Ready. Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place; Bot. Give me your nief, monsieur Mustard-seed.Pray drick And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face, you, leave your courtesy, good monsieur. Where art thou? Must. What's your will? Puck. Come hither; I am here. Bot. Nothing, good monsieur, but to help cavalero Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber's, monsieur; hable this dear, for, methinks, I am marvellous hairy about the face: If ever I thy face by day-light see: and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, Now, go thy way! –Faintness constraineth me I must scratch. To measure out my length on this cold bed. Tita. What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love? have the tongs and the bones. Abate thy hours! shine, comforts, from the east; Bot. Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks, I have a great desire to a Bot. 1 had rather have a handful, or two, of dried peas. But, I pray you, let none of your people stir TU Here she comes, curst and sad : me; I have an exposition of sleep come upon me. Cupid is a knavish lad, Tita. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms. Ånd Thus to make poor females mad. Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away!- Lace Her. Never so weary, never so in woe, Gently entwist,--the female ivy so Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers; Enrings the barky fingers of the elm. he I can no further crawl, no further go; o, how I love thee! how I dote on thee! [They sleep. und My legs can keep no pace with my desires. Oberon advances. Enter Puck. Here will i est me, till the break of day. Obe. Welcome, good Robin! See'st thou this sweet H Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray! sight? [Lies down. Her dotage now I do begin to pity. For meeting her of late, behind the wood, Seeking sweet savours for this hateful fool, I did upbraid her, and fall out with her: For she his hairy temples then had rounded With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers ; Was wont to swell, like round and orient pearls, Stood now within the pretty flow'rets' eyes, Like tears, that did their own disgrace bewail. When I had, at my pleasure, taunted her, And she, in mild terms, begg'd my patience, I then did ask of her her changeling child; Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent To bear him to my bower in fairy land. And now I have the boy, I will undo This hateful imperfection of her eyes. That he, awaking, when the other do, May all to Athens back again repair; And think no more of this night's accidents, But as the fierce vexation of a dream, Be, as thou wast'wont to be; Tita. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed, [Touching her eyes with an herb. While (thy amiable cheeks do coy, See, as thou wast wont to see: up For Dest head, ! Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower Horns and shout within. DENETRIUS, LYSANDER, HerHath such force and blessed power. mia, and Helena, wake and start up. Tita. My Oberon! what visions have I seen! Begin these wood-birds but to couple now? Lys. Pardon, my lord. [He and the rest kneel to Theseus. Tita. How came these things to pass ? The. I pray you all, stand up! I know, you are two rival enemies ; That hatred is so far from jealousy, I cannot truly say how I came here: And now I do bethink me, so it is ;) Was, to be gone from Athens, where we might be Without the peril of the Ahenian law. Ege. Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough: I beg the law, the law upon his head. They would have stol'n away, they would, Demetrius, Thereby to have defeated you and me: You, of your wife; and me, of my consent; Of my consent, that she should be your wife. Dein. My lord, fair llelen told me of their stealth, Ofthis their purpose hither, to this wood; And I in fury hither follow'd them; Fair Helena in fancy following me. But, my good lord, I wot not, by what power, (But by some power it is,) my love to llermia, Melted as doth the snow, seems to me now [Exeunt. As the remembrance of an idle gawd, [Horns sound within. Which in my childhood I did dote upon: Is only Helena. To her, my lord, Was I betroth'd ere I saw Hermia; But, as in health, come to my natural taste, Now do I wish it, loveit, long for it, The. Fair lovers, you are fortunately met : Of this discourse we will hear more anon. - These couples shall eternally be knit. Our purpos'd hunting shall be set aside.- Away, with us, to Athens ! Three and three, We'll hold a feast of great solemnity.-- [Exeunt Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and train. When every thing seems double. Hel. Somethinks: And I have found Demetrius, like a jewel, Dem. It seems to me, think, And this Lysander; this Demetrius is; The duke was here, and bid us follow him? Her. Yea; and my father. Hel. And Hippolyta. Dem. Why then, we are awake: let's follow him ; And, by the way, let us recount our dreams! (Exeunt. As they go out, Bottom awakes. Bot. When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer : --my next is, Most fair Pyramus.-Hey, ho! - Peter The. Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their Quince ! Flute, the bellows-mender! Snout,the tiuker! 1 St arveling! God's mylife! stolen hence, and left me a ܪ horns, Trepavic a ditis broe basic bring bebles There i asleep! I have had a most rare vision. I have had a Lovers, and madmen, have such seething brains, timit dream,-past the wit of man to say, what dream it was : Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream. More, than cool reason ever comprehends. Methought I was--there is no man can tell what. Me- The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Post thought I was, and methought I had, --but man is but a Are of imagination all compact: patched fool, if he will offer to say, what methought I One sees more devils, than vast hell can hold; had. The eye of man hath not heard, tho ear of man That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic, this hath not seen: man's hand is not able to taste, his Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt: Mhe. An tongue to conceive, por his heart to report, what my The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to Ebeatfo this dream : it shall be called Bottom's Dream, be- heaven; cause it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter And, as imagination bodies forth end of a play, before the duke. Peradventure, to make The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death. [Exit. Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation, and a name. SCENE II.-- Athens. A room in Quince's house. Such tricks hath strong imaginations Enter Quince, Flute, Sxout, and STARVELING. That, if it would but apprehend some joy, Quin. Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he come It comprehends some bringer of that joyi home yet? Gr, in the night, imagining some fear, dut Flute. If he come not, then the play is marred; it goes And all their minds transfigur'd so together, not forward, doth it? More witnesseth than fancy's images, The . I Athens, able to discharge Pyramus, but he. But, howsoever, strange, and admirable. Flute. No; he hath simply the best wit of any handy- Enter Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena. craft man in Athens. The. Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth. – Quin. Yea, and the best person too: and he is a very Joy, gentle friends! joy, and fresh days of love paramour, for a sweet voice. Accompany your hearts ! Flute. You must say, paragon: a paramour is, God Lys. More than to us bless us, a thing of nonght. Wait on your royal walks, your board, your bed! The. Come now; what masks, what dances shall we Not if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made Between our after-supper, and bed-time? Out Where is our usual manager of mirth ? And Flute. O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost six - What revels are in hand ? Is there no play, Trea pence a-day during his life; he could not have'scaped To ease the anguish of a torturing hour? sixpence a-day: an the duke had not given him six- Call Philostrate! Love pence a-day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged; he Philost. Here, might Theseus. would have deserved it: sixpence a-day, in Pyramus, The. Say,what abridgment have you for this evening? or nothing What mask? what music? How shall we beguile Pha Enter BOTTOM. The lazy time, if not with some delight? Bot. Where are these lads? where are these hearts ? Philost. There is a brief how many sports are ripe; Quin. Bottom!-0 most courageous day! O most Make choice of which your lighness will see first! Pre happy hour! (Gives a paper. TH. Bot. Masters, I am to discourse wonders : but ask The. [reads.] The battle with the Centaurs, to be menot, what; for, if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. sung TE I will tell you every thing, right as it fell out. By an Athenian eunuch, to the harp. Quin. Let us hear, sweet Bottom ! We'll none of that: that have I told my love, Bot. Not a word of me. All that I will tell you, is, In glory of my kinsman Hercules. that the duke hath dined. Get your apparel together; The riot of the tipsy Bachanals, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage. pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look That is an old device; and it was play'd o'er his part; for, the short and the long is, our play is When I from Thebes came last a conqueror. preferred. In any case, let Thisby have clean linen; The thrice three Muses mourning for the death and let pot him, that plays the on, pare his nails, for of learning, late deceas'd in beggary, they shall hang out for the lion's claws. And, most That is some satire, keen, and critical, dear actors, eat no onions, nor garlick, for we are to Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony. utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt, but to hear A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus, them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words; away; And his love Thisbe: very tragical mirth. [Exeunt. Merry and Tragical? Tedious and brief? That is, hot ice, and wonderous strange snow. How shall we find the concord of this discord? Philost. A play there is, my lord, some ten words SCENE I.-The same. An apartment in the palace long; of Theseus. Which is as brief, as I have known a play; Enter Theseus, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, Lords, and But by ten words, my lord, it is too long; Attendants. Which makes it tedions: for in all the play lip. 'Tis strange, my Theseus, that these lovers There is not one word apt, one player fitted. speak of. And tragical, my noble lord, it is ; Which, when I saw rehears'd, I must confess, men. go away! brains, hold; antic, Erom earth to 66 your bed! dances shall re rs, ne? Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears “This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn, “Presenteth moon-shine: for, if you will know, The. What are they that do play it? By moon-shine did these lovers think no scorn, “Did scare away, or rather did affright: * And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall ; Philost. No, my noble lord, “Which lidn vile with bloody mouth did stain: It is not for you : I have heard it over, “Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth, and tall, And finds his trusty Thisby's mantle slain : “Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, “And, Thisby tarrying in mulberry shade, The. I will hear that play: “His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, For never any thing can be amiss, Let lion, moon-shine, wall, and lovers twain, When simpleness and duty tenderit. At large discourse, while here they do remain." Go, bring them in ;-and take your places, ladies! (Exeunt Prol. Thisbe, Lion, and Moonshine. (Exit Philostrate. The. I wonder, if the lion be to speak. asses do. Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, “Did whisper ofton very secretly. That I am that same wall; the truth is so : “And this the cranny is, right and sinister, “ Through which the fearfullovers are to whisper." Throttle their practis'd accent in their fears, The. Would you desire lime and hair to speak better? And, in conclusion, dumbly have broke off, Dem. It is the wittiest partition, that ever I heard Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet, discourse, my lord. The. Pyramus draws near the wall: silence! Enter PYRAMUS. Pyr. “O grim-look'd night! O night with hue so black ! O night, О night, alack, alack, alack, I fear my Thisby's promise is forgot!- 'Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, eyne! (Wall holds up his fingers. But with good will. To shew our simple skill, “Thanks, courteous wall : Jove shield thee well for That is the true beginning of our end. this! “But what see I? No Thisby do I see. “Curst be thy stones for thus deceiving me!" again. You shall know all, that you are like to know. Pyr. No, in truth, sir, he should not. Deceiving Enter ThisBE. This. O wall, fall often hast thou heard my moans, “Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.” Enter Pyramus and Thisbe, Wall, Moonshine, and Pyr.”“I see a voice: now will I to the chink, Lion, as in dumb show. " To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. This. “My love! thou art my love, I think.”. Pyr. “Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace; “This beauteous lady Thisby is, certain. 'Andʻlike Limander am I trusty still.”. This. “And I like Helen, till the fates me kill." Pyr. “Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true. "And through wall's chink, poor souls, they are This. “As Shafalus to Procrus, I to yon. Pyr. "O, kiss me through the hole of this vile wall.“ y; content -nfess, |