SONG. 1 Fai. You spotted snakes, with double tongue, Thorny hedge-hogs, be not seen; Chorus. Newts, and blind-worms,2 do no wrong; Philomel, with melody, Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby: So, good night, with lullaby. II. 2 Fai. Weaving spiders, come not here; Chorus. Philomel, with melody, &c. [Exeunt Fairies. Titania sleeps. Enter Oberon. Obe. What thou seest, when thou dost wake, [Squeezes the flower on Titania's eyelids. Do it for thy true love take; Love, and languish for his sake: In thy eye that shall appear Enter Lysander and Hermia. [Exit. Lys. Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood; (1) Efts. (2) Slow-worms. (3) The small tiger. And to speak truth, I have forgot our way; We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good," And tarry for the comfort of the day. Her. Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will rest my head. Lys. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. Her. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie so near. Lys. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence; Love takes the meaning, in love's conference. mean, that my heart unto yours is knit, So that but one heart we can make of it: Two bosoms interchained with an oath; So then, two bosoms, and a single troth. Then, by your side no bed-room me deny ; For, lying so, Hermia, I do not lie. Her. Lysander riddles very prettily:Now much beshrew my manners and my pride, If Hermia meant to say, Lysander lied. But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy Lie further off; in human modesty Such separation, as, may well be said, Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid: So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend: Thy love ne'er alter, till thy sweet life end! Lys. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I; And then end life, when I end loyalty! Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest! Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd! [They sleep. Enter Puck. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, On whose eyes I might approve Despised the Athenian maid; Enter Demetrius and Helena, running. [Exit. Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. me thus. Hel. O, wilt thou darkling2 leave me? do not so. go. For beasts that meet me, run away for fear: sake. Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content. Who will not change a raven for a dove? Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, Should, of another, therefore be abus'd! [Exit. Lys. She sees not Hermia :-Hermia, sleep thou there; And never mays't thou come Lysander near! The deepest loathing to the stomach brings; To honour Helen, and to be her knight! [Exit. Her. [Starting.] Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best, Ah me, To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! ACT III. SCENE 1.-The same. The queen of fairies lying asleep. Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling. Bot. Are we all met? Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal : this green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tyring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the duke. Bot. Peter Quince,— Quin. What say'st thou, bully Bottom? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Snout. By'rlakin,2 a parlous3 fear. Star. I believe, we must leave the killing out, when all is done. (1) By all that is dear. (2) By our ladykin. (3) Dangerous. |