You may let the tame Man go Ly. What can I do would'st have me beat her from me No though I hate her yet I cannot harm her Her How can you do me greater harm than this Hate me wherefore ah me my dearest Love Am not I Hermia are not you Lysander Or am I alter'd since you saw me last This night you lov'd me and this night you fly me Have you forsaken me oh Heav'n forbid Come tell me truly do you hate me now Ly. Ay by my Life And wish I never may behold thee more Let this remove all doubt for nothing's truer Than I hate thee and love fair Helena Her O then 't is you you Jugler Canker-blossom You Thief of Love you who have come by Night And stoln Lysander's Heart Hel. Indeed 't is fine Have you no Modesty no touch of Shame No Bashfulness let not this Pigmie tear Impatient answers from my milder Tongue Her Pigmie why so Ay that way goes the Game Now I perceive she has made Comparisons Between our Statures she has urg'd her height Her Manly Presence and tall Personage And are you grown so high in his Esteem Because I am so Dwarfish and so low How low am I thou painted May-Pole speak How low am I Ly. Be not afraid she shall not hurt thee Sweet De. No Sir she shall not though you take her part Hel. When she is angry she 's a very Shrew She was a Vixen when she went to School And though she is but little she is fierce Her Little again nothing but low and little 'T is you encourage her t' abuse me thus Let me come at her Ly. Away you Dwarf De. You are too officious Ly. Now she holds me not Now follow if thou dar'st and let us try Which of has most right to Helena De Follow nay I 'll go with you yes before you Ex. Ly. De. Her You Mistress all this stir is about you Nay go not back Hel. I dare not trust you Hermia Your hands I know are quicker for a Fray My Legs are longer tho' to run away Ex. Hel. running and Her after her Ob. This is thy negligence still thou mistak'st Or else committ'st thy Knaveries willingly Rob. Believe me King of Shadows I mistook Did you not tell me I should know the Man By the Embroider'd Garment he had on If he had made to the right Woman court We had had no Divertisement no Sport Ob. Thou see'st these Lovers seek a place to fight Haste Robin haste and overcast the Night These furious Rivals you must lead astray Be sure they come not in each others way Now like Lysander now Demetrius Call here and there mis-lead and tire 'em thus Till o'er their Eyes Death's Counterfeit sound Sleep With Leaden Legs and Batty Wings shall creep Then crush this Herb into Lysander's Eye The Liquor has this virtuous property It will remove the Errors of this night And bring his Eye-Balls to their own true sight When next they wake all that has past shall seem A meer Illusion a Fairy Dream While I in this Affair do thee employ I 'll to my Queen and get her Indian Boy Then from the Charm I will her eye release Send home the Clown and all shall be at peace Rob. This must be done with speed I must not stay For with her Dragons Wings Night flies away See yonder shines Aurora's Harbinger At whose approach Ghosts wandring here and there Troop home to Churchyards Damned Spirits all That in Cross-ways and Floods have Burial Already to their Wormy-Beds are gone For fear Bright Day their shames should look upon They wilfully Exile themselves from Light And must for ever wander in the Night Ob. But we are Spirits of another sort Can any where at any time resort I have more work for thee make no delay We must effect this Business yet e're day Ex. Ob. Rob. Up and down up and down I will lead 'em up and down I am fear'd in Field and Town Goblin lead 'em up and down here comes one Enter Lysander Ly. Where art thou proud Demetrius answer where Rob. Here Villain drawn and ready where art thou Ly I shall be with you straight Rob. Follow me then to evener ground Leads Lysander out and returns Enter Lysander He leads him in Ly. He goes before me and still dares me on When I come where he calls me he is gone 'T is very dark the way uneven too I 'm tyr'd with running here I 'll lay me down And wait with patience the approach of day Then if I meet him we will end our Fray Sleeps Enter Robin and Demetrius Rob. Speak Coward answer me why com'st thou not De. Stay Villain if thou dar'st Thou run'st before me shifting every place Stand if thou art a Man and meet me fairly Where art thou Rob. I am here De. I see thee not answer me where Rob. Here here De. Now thou derid'st me thou shalt buy this dear When I thy Coward face by day-light see My faintness forces me to rest a while To measure out my length on this cold ground Thou wilt not with the breaking Day be found Sleeps Enter Helena Hel. Oh weary tedious Night abate thy Hours Shine from the East that I may fly to Town From those who my poor Company detest And sleep that sometimes shuts up Sorrows Eye Steal me a while from my own Company Sleeps Rob There 's yet but three come one more Two of both kinds make up four Here she comes pevish and sad Cupid is a Knavish Lad Thus to make poor Maidens mad Enter Hermia Her Never was Maid so weary and so wrong'd Wet with cold Dew and torn with cruel Briars I can scarce crawl I can no farther go My Legs can keep no pace with my desires Here I will rest the remnant of the Night Heav'n guard Lysander if they meet and fight Sleeps Enter Oberon Thou hast perform'd exactly each Command Titania too has given me the sweet Boy And now I have him I will straight undo The hated imperfection of her Eyes And gentle Puck take thou the Asses Head From the transform'd Clown she doated on That he awaking when the others do May with his Fellows to their Homes repair And think no more of this Night's Accidents Than of the fierce vexation of a Dream But first I will release the Fairy Queen Be as thou wert wont to be See as thou wert wont to see Cinthia 's Bud and Cupid 's Flow'r Has such force and Blessed Pow'r Now my Titania wake She rises Tit. My Oberon What Visions have I seen Methought I was enamour'd of an Ass Ob. There lies your Love Tit. How came these things to pass How I detest that hateful Visage now Ob. Robin take from the Fool the Ass's head Rob. Hark thou King of Shadows hark Sure I hear the morning Lark Ob. Let him warble on I 'll stay And bless these Lover's Nuptial Day Sleep happy Lovers for some Moments sleep Rob. So when thou
This Man has my Consent to Marry her Stand forth Lysander this most Noble Duke This has Bewitch'd the Bosom of my Child Thou thou Lysander thou hast given her Spells In Bracelets of thy Hair Rings Lockets Verses Arts that prevail on unexperienc'd Youth With cunning thou hast stoln my Daughter's Heart Turn'd her Obedience which is due to me To Stubborness If therefore Royal Sir My Daughter does not here before your Grace Consent to Marry with Demetrius Let the stern Law punish her Disobedience And Cage her in a Nunnery Du. Be advis'd Fair Hermia To you your Father should be as a God The Maker of those Beauties yes and one To whom you are but as a Form in Wax By him Imprinted and within his Pow'r To leave the Figure or to race it out Her O would my Father look'd but with my Eyes Du. No no your Eyes must with his Judgment look Her Let me intreat you Sir to Pardon me I know not by what Power I am made bold Nor how it may concern my Modesty In such a Presence to unfold my thoughts But I beseech your Grace that I may know The worst that may befal me in this case If I refuse to Wed Demetrius Du. You must Abjure For ever the Society of Men. Therefore Fair Hermia question your Desires Know of your Youth examine well your Blood Whether if you refuse your Father's Choice You can indure the Habit of a Nun To be immur'd for ever in a Cloister Her Is there no Mean No other Choice my Lord Du. None Hermia none Therefore prepare to be Obedient Or like a Rose to wither on the Tree Consider well take till to morrow Morning And give me then your Resolution De. Relent sweet Hermia and Lysander yield Your doubtful Title to my certain right Ly. You have her Father's Love Demetrius Let me have Hermia's Marry marry him Eg. Scornful Lysander true he has my Love And what is mine my Love shall render him And she is mine and all my right in her I give and settle on Demetrius Ly. I am my Lord as Nobly Born as he My Fortune 's every way as great as his And without boast my Love is more than his But what is more than all these boasts can be I am Belov'd of Beautious Hermia Why should this Faithless Man Invade my Right He who solicited Old Nedar's Daughter And won her Love The Beautious Hellena Tho' she 's neglected she poor Lady dotes Upon this spotted and inconstant Man Du. 'T is true Lysander I have heard as much Hermia resolve to be obedient Or as the Law ordains it you must take An everlasting Farewel of the World To Morrow in the Morning give your answer so farewell Ex. all but Her and Ly. Ly. O my true Hermia I have never found By Observation nor by History That Lovers run a smooth and even course Either they are unequal in their Birth Her O cross too high to be impos'd on Love Ly. Or if there be a Simpathy in choice War Sickness or pale Death lay Siege to it Making it momentary as a sound Swift as the Lightning in the blackest night That at one Instant shews both Heav'n and Earth Yet e'er a man can say behold the Flame The jaws of darkness have devour'd it up So quick even brightest things run to Confusion Her If then true Lovers have been ever cross'd It stands as a Decree in Destiny Then let us teach each other Patience Because it is a customary thing Ly. 'T is well advis'd my Hermia Pray hear me I have an Aunt a Widow She has no Child and is extreamly rich She chose me loves me bred me as her Son Has setled all her Fortune upon me To her we 'll fly and there my sweetest Hermia There if you give consent I 'll marry you And thither this Inhuman Cruel Law Cannot pursue us If thou lov'st me then Steal from thy Father's House this very night And in the Wood a mile without the Town Near the great spreading Oak I 'll stay for thee And at some little distance from that place Have all things ready to convey thee thence Her Oh my Lysander I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest Bow By his best Arrow with the Golden Head By all the Oaths which ever Men have broke In number more than ever Women spoke I will where thou appoint'st meet my Lysander Ly. Enough my Love look here comes Hellena Enter Hellena Her Welcome fair Hellena Hel. You mock me Hermia when you call me fair 'T is you are fair 't is you Demetrius loves Sickness is catching oh were Beauty so I 'd catch your Graces Hermia e'er I go My Ear should catch your Voice my Eye your Eye My Tongue should catch your Tongue 's sweet Harmony O teach me how you look and with what art You charm and govern my Demetrius's Heart Her I frown upon him yet he loves me still Hel. Oh that your frowns could teach my smiles such Skill Her I give him Curses when he gives me Love Hel. Oh that my Prayers could such Affection move Her His Folly Hellena is none of mine Hel. No 't is your Beauty wou'd that Fault were mine Her Take comfort he no more shall see my Face Ly. To you fair Hellena we 'll disclose our minds This very night when Luna does behold Her Silver Visage in the Watry Glass Decking with liquid-Pearl the bladed-Grass A time propitious to unhappy Lovers We from this cursed Town will steal away Her And in the Wood where often you and I Upon faint Primrose Beds have laid us down Emptying our Bosoms of our secret thoughts There my Lysander and my self shall meet To seek new Friends new Habitations Ly. Madam farewell O may the Pow'rs above Make Hellen happy in Demetrius's Love Exeunt Lysander and Hermia Hel. Oh why should she be more belov'd than I My Beauty is as much extol'd as hers But what of that Demetrius thinks not so He will not see that which all others do Love looks not with the Eyes but with the Mind Therefore the God of Love is painted blind Love never had of Judgment any Taste Wings and no Eyes must figure thoughtless Haste For the same reason Love is call'd a Child Because so often in his choice beguil'd As Boys ev'n at their Sports themselves forswear So the Boy Love is perjur'd every where Before Demetrius saw fair Hermia's Eyes He swore his Heart was made my Beauty's Prize But when from Hermia new heat he felt His frozen Oaths did in an Instant melt I 'll to Demetrius tell him of their flight The place they meet at by the Moon 's pale light Then to the Wood he will pursue the Maid And if he thanks me I am overpaid Exit Enter Quince the Carpenter Snug the Joyner Bottom the Weaver Flute the Bellows-mender Snout the Tinker and Starveling the Taylor Qu. Is all our Company here Bo. You had best call 'em generally Man by Man according to the
the opportunity of Night And the ill Counsel of a Desart place With the rich purchase of your Virgin Treasure Hel. Your Virtue is my Guard Demetrius It is not night when I behold that Face Nor can this Wood want Worlds of Company For you my Love are all the World to me Then how can I be said to be alone When all the World is here to guard my Virtue De. I 'll run from thee and hide me in the Brakes And leave thee to the Mercy of Wild Beasts Hel. The wildest Beast has not a Heart like you Run when you will the Story shall be chang'd Apollo flies Daphne pursues the God The Dove chases the Vulture the mild Hind Makes haste to catch the Tyger prepostrous Chace When Cowardise pursues and Valour flies De. Plague me no more return e'er 't is too late Follow me not for fear my Rage should tempt me To some unmanly Act and mischief thee Ex. De. Hel. Ay in the Temple in the Town and Field You do me mischief every where Demetrius Such Wrongs will be a scandal to your Sex I 'll follow if he rids me of my Woe I 'll kiss the hand that gives the fatal blow Ex. Hel. Ob. Poor Nymph farewell Before he leaves this Grove Thou shalt fly him and he shall seek thy Love Enter Robin-Good-Fellow Welcome my Puck hast thou the Flow'r Rob. 'T is here Ob. Give it me Puck I know there is a bank where wild Time blows Where Ox-lips and the nodding Violet grows All over Canopied with Woodbine sweet Where Eglantine and where Musk-Roses meet There my Titania Sleeps lull'd in Delights And tyr'd in Dancing with her Fairy Sprights 'T is there the Snake casts her Enammell'd skin Too large a Robe to cloathe a Fairy in There with this wondrous Juice I 'le streak her Eyes Take some of it you 'l find within this Grove A most Unhappy Nymph who is in Love With a disdainful Youth anoint his Eyes But do it that the next thing he espies May be that Lady thou shalt know the Man By the Embroider'd Garment he has on Do it and meet me at the Crystal Lake Rob. I will and bring the Nymph when he shall wake Ob. What different Passions in her Soul will move To see his former Hatred turn'd to Love Exeunt Enter Titania and her Train Tit. Take Hands and trip it in a round While I Consecrate the ground All shall change at my Command All shall turn to Fairy-Land The Scene changes to a Prospect of Grotto's Arbors and delightful Walks The Arbors are Adorn'd with all variety of Flowers the Grotto's supported by Terms these lead to two Arbors on either side of the Scene of a great length whose prospect runs toward the two Angles of the House Between these two Arbors is the great Grotto which is continued by several Arches to the farther end of the House Now Fairies search search every where Let no Unclean thing be near Nothing Venomous or Foul No Raven Bat or hooting Owle No Toad nor Elf nor Blind-worm's Sting No Poisonous Herb in this place Spring Have you search'd is no ill near All. Nothing nothing all is clear Tit. Let your Revels now begin Some shall Dance and some shall Sing All Delights this place surround Every sweet Harmonious Sound That e're Charm'd a skilful Ear Meet and Entertain us here Let Eccho's plac'd in every Grot Catch and repeat each Dying Note A PRELUDE Then the First SONG COme all ye Songsters of the Sky Wake and Assemble in this Wood But no ill-boding Bird be nigh None but the Harmless and the Good May the God of Wit inspire The Sacred Nine to bear a part And the Blessed Heavenly Quire Shew the utmost of their Art While Eccho shall in sounds remote Repeat each Note Each Note each Note Chorus May the God c. Now joyn your Warbling Voices all Sing while we trip it on the Green But no ill Vapours rise or fall Nothing offend our Fairy Queen Chorus Sing while we trip c. At the end of the first Stanza a Composition of Instrumental Musick in imitation of an Eccho Then a Fairy Dance Tit. Come Elves another Dance and Fairy Song Then hence and leave me for a while alone Some to kill Kankers 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 clamarous Owl that hoots and wonders at us Each knows her Office Sing me now to Sleep And let the Sentinels their Watches keep She lyes down 2. SONG Enter Night Mystery Secresie Sleep and their Attendants Night Sings Ni. SEe even Night her self is here To favour your Design And all her Peaceful Train is near That Men to Sleep incline Let Noise and Care Doubt and Despair Envy and Spight The Fiends delight Be ever Banish'd hence Let soft Repose Her Eye-lids close And murmuring Streams Bring pleasing Dreams Let nothing stay to give offence See even Night c. Mys I am come to look all fast Love without me cannot last Love like Counsels of the Wise Must be hid from Vulgar Eyes 'T is holy and we must conceal it They profane it who reveal it I am come c. Se. One charming Night Gives more delight Than a hundred lucky Days Night and I improve the tast Make the pleasure longer last A thousand thousand several ways Make the pleasure c. Sl. Hush no more be silent all Sweet Repose has clos'd her Eyes Soft as feather'd Snow does fall Softly softly steal from hence No noise disturb her sleeping sence Rest till the Rosie Morn's uprise Chorus Hush no more c. A Dance of the Followers of Night Enter Oberon Ob. What thou seest when thou dost wake For thy Lover thou must take Sigh and Languish for his sake Be it Ounce or Wolf or Bear Pard or Boar with bristel'd Hair In thy Eye what first appear Make that Beastly thing thy Dear Wake when some vile Creature 's near Ex. Ob. Enter Lysander and Hermia Ly. You faint my Sweet with wandring in the Wood I fear my Hermia we mistook our way Let us lye down and rest if you think good And tarry for the comfort of the Day Her Let it be so Lysander Go lay thee down and so good-night dear Friend Our Loves ne're alter till our Lives shall end Ly. Amen to that sweet Pray'r my Charming Love May my Life end when I inconstant prove They lye down at a distance Enter Robin-Good-Fellow Rob. Through the Forrest I have gone But a Stranger find I none With Embroider'd Garment on On whose Eyes I might approve This Flowr's force in Moving Love Night and silence who is here He does such a Garment wear This is he my Master said Scorn'd and dispis'd the lovely Maid Here 's the Virgin sleeping sound On the Dank and dewy Ground Churl upon thy Eyes I throw All the pow'r this Charm does owe. At the first Cock wake and spy She who Loves
Blood Approach you Furies fell O Fates come come Cut thread and thrum Quail crush conclude and quell Ro. If this wont move the Ladies poor Pyramus will take pains to little purpose Py. O wherefore Nature did'st thou Lions frame Since Lion vile has here deflour'd my Dear Wich is no no which was the fairest Dame That liv'd that lov'd that lik'd that look'd with chear Come Tears confound Out Sword and wound The Pap of Pyramus Ay that left Pap Where Heart doth hop As Bird doth hop in Cage Thus die I thus thus thus Now am I dead Now am I fled My Soul is in the Sky Tongue lose thy light Eyes take your flight Now die die die die Enter Thisbe Th. Asleep my Love What dead my Dove O Pyramus arise Speak speak quite dumb Dead dead a Tomb Must cover my sweet Eyes These Lilly-Lips this Cherry-Nose These yellow Cowslip-Cheeks Are gone are gone Lovers make moan His Eyes are green as Leeks Tongue not a word Come trusty Sword Come Blade my Breast imbrue Now farewell Friends Thus Thisbe ends Adieu adieu adieu They all come in Snout Come get up Pyramus and Thisbe and let me speak the Epilogue Ro. No no I 'll be the Epilogue Robin runs in amongst them Qu. O monstrous we are haunted Pray Masters fly Masters Ail Help help help Exeunt running several ways Ro. I 'll follow you I 'll lead you such a round Through Bog through Bush through Brake through Brier Sometimes a Horse I 'll be sometimes a Hound A Hog a headless Bear sometimes a Fire And neigh and grunt and bark and roar and burn Like Horse Hog Hound Bear Fire at every turn Ex. Rob. Enter Bottom with an Ass's Head on Bot. Why do they run away This is a piece of Knavery among 'em to make me afraid Enter Snout Sn. O Bottom Thou art chang'd What 's that I see on thee Bot. What do you see You see an Ass-head of your own that you see Enter Peter Quince Qu. Bless thee Bottom bless thee thou art translated Exeunt Snout and Quince Bot. I find their Knavery they would fain make an Ass of me and fright me if they could But I won't stir from this place do what they can I will walk up and down here and I will sing that they may hear I am not afraid SINGS The Woosel-Cock so black of hue With Orange-tawny Bill The Thrustle with his Note so true The Wren with little Quill Titania wakes Tit. What Angel wakes me from my Flowry Bed Bot. The Finch the Sparrow and the Lark The One-tun'd Cuckow gray Whose Note most Married Men do mark And dare not answer Nay For indeed who wou'd set his wit to so foolish a Bird who wou'd give a Bird the lie tho' he cry Cuckow never so often Tit. I pray thee lovely Mortal sing again My Ear is much enamour'd with thy Note My Eye is fix'd on thy Majestick Shape Oh how thy Graces charm me I am forc'd At the first sight to say to swear I love thee Bot. Methinks Mistress you should have little Reason for that and yet to say Truth Reason and Love keep little Company together now a days the more the pity that some honest Neighbour will not make 'em Friends Nay I can break a Jest on occasion Tit. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful Bot. Not so neither but if I had Wit enough to get out of this Wood I have enough to serve my own turn Tit. Out of this Wood never desire to go Here you shall stay whether you will or no. I 'll purge your grossness you shall never die But like an airy Spirit you shall fly Where are my Fairy Spirits Enter 4 Fairies 1 Fa. I am here 2 Fa. And I. 3 Fa. And I. 4. Fa. And I. All. What shall we do Tit. Attend this Charming Youth Dance as he walks and gambole in his Eye Feed him with Apricooks and Dew-berries With purple Grapes ripe Figs and Mulberries The Hony-Bags steal from the Humble-bees For his Night-Tapers crop their waxen thighs And light 'em at the fiery Glow-worms Eyes And pluck the Wings from painted Butter-flies To fan the Moon-beams from his sleeping Eyes Bow to him Elves do Homage to my Love 1 Fa. Hail Mortal hail 2 Fa. Hail 3 Fa. Hail 4 Fa. Hail Tit. Come wait upon him lead him to my Bower The Moon methinks looks with a watry Eye And when she weeps then every little Flower Laments for some lost Virgin 's Chastity Tye up my Love's Tongue bring him silently Exeunt Enter Oberon Ob. By this time my Titania should be wak'd I long to know what came first to her Eye Enter Robin-Good-Fellow Here comes my Messenger Welcome mad Spright What pranks have you been playing in the Grove Rob. My Lady with a Monster is in love I led sweet Pyramus through the Fairy Pass And plac'd him just before the sleeping Queen She wak'd and saw him and straight lov'd the Ass His comly Visage and his graceful Meen Ob. 'T is as I wish'd my Puck but tell me now How fares the scornful Youth Rob. That 's finish'd too I found 'em sleeping on a Bed of Brakes I streak'd his eyes he sees her when he wakes Demetrius and Hermia cross the Stage Ob. Stand close they come Now hate her if you can Rob. This is the Woman but not that the Man Ob. What hast thou done thou hast mistaken quite And laid the Juice on the true Lover's sight Rob. Then Fate o'er-rules where one Man keeps his Troth A thousand fail by breaking Oath on Oath Ob. About the Wood go swifter than the Wind. You shall the poor despairing Helen find By some Illusion train and bring her here I 'll charm his Eyes And when the Damsel 's near We 'll wake Demetrius Rob. I go I go Swift as an Arrow from a Tartar's Bow Ex. Rob. Enter Titania Bottom and Fairies Tit. Come lovely Youth sit on this flowry Bed While I thy amiable looks survey Garlands of Roses shall adorn thy Head A thousand Sweets shall melt themselves away To charm my Lover till the break of day Shall we have Musick sweet Bot. Yes if you please Tit. Away my Elves prepare a Fairy Mask To entertain my Love and change this place To my Enchanted Lake The Scene changes to a great Wood a long row of large Trees on each side A River in the middle Two rows of lesser Trees of a different kind just on the side of the River which meet in the middle and make so many Arches Two great Dragons make a Bridge over the River their Bodies form two Arches through which two Swans are seen in the River at a great distance Enter a Troop of Fawns Dryades and Naides A Song in two Parts IF Love 's a Sweet Passion why does it torment If a Bitter oh tell me whence comes my content Since I suffer with pleasure why should I complain Or grieve at my Fate when I know 't is in