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A wood near Athens.
[Enter, from opposite sides, a Fairy, and PUCK]
PUCK
,
, ,
, ___
How now | spirit,| whither | wander | you?
FAIRY
2 ,
2 , , ,
Over hill,| over dale,| through bush,| through
brier,
2 ,
2 , ,
,
Over park,| over pale,| through flood,| through
fire,
, ,
, ___ ,
, ___
__
I do | wander | every|where,| swifter | than the
| moon's | sphere;
,
, ,
, ,
, ,
___
And I | serve the | fairy | queen, to | dew her |
orbs u|pon the | green.
, ,
, 2 ,
The cow|slips tall | her pen|sioners be,
,
T T T
,
In their | gold coats, spots | you see,
,
, ,
,
Those be | rubies,| fairy | favors,
,
, ,
,
In those | freckles,| live their | savors,
, T
T T T T T
I must | go seek some | dewdrops here
, ,
, , ,
And hang | a pearl | in ev|ery cow|slip's ear.
, ,
, ,
,
Farewell | thou lob | of spir|its, I'll | be
gone,
, ,
, , ,
Our queen | and all | our elves | come here |
anon.
PUCK
, ,
, , ,
The king | doth keep | his rev|els here |
tonight,
, ,
, , ,
Take heed | the queen | come not | within | his sight,
, , ,
, ,
For Ob|eron | is pas|sing fell | and wrath,
, ,
, ,
,
Because | that she,| as her | attend|ant, hath
,
, x
, 2 ,
A love|ly boy | stolen from | an Ind|ian king,
, ,
, ,
,
She nev|er had | so sweet | a chang|eling,
, , ,
, ,
And jeal|ous Ob|eron | would have | the child
,
, , ,
,
Knight of | his train,| to trace | the for|ests
wild.
, , ,
, ,
But she |(perforce)| withholds | the lov|ed boy,
,
x ,
, ,
Crowns him | with flowers,| and makes | him all |
her joy.
, , ,
, ,
And now | they nev|er meet | in grove,| or green,
, ,
, ,
,
By fount|ain clear,| or spang|led star|light sheen,
, ,
, , ,
But they | do square,| that all | their elves |
for fear
, 2 T T T , ,
Creep into | acorn-cups | and hide | them there.
FAIRY
2 , ,
, ,
,
Either I | mistake | your shape | and mak|ing
quite,
, ,
, ,
,
Or else | you are | that shrewd | and knav|ish
sprite
T Tx T ,
, ,
Called Robin Good|fellow.| Are not | you he,
, ,
, ,
,
That frights | the maid|ens of | the vil|lagery,
, ,
, ,
,
Skim^milk,| and some|times lab|or in | the
quern,
, , ,
, ,
And boot|less make | the breath|less house|wife^churn,
, ,
, ,
,
And some|time make | the drink | to bear | no*
barm,
, , ,
, 2
,
Mislead | night-wand/erers,| laughing | at their harm,
,
T T . T T . T
T
Those that | Hobgoblin call | you, and sweet
Puck,
, , ,
, ,
You do | their work,| and they | shall have |
good luck.
, ,
Are not | you he?
PUCK
, , oo
| Thou speakst | aright;|
,
, , 2 ,
,
I am | that mer|ry wand|erer of | the night:
, , ,
, ,
I jest | to Ob|eron,| and make | him smile,
, , ,
, ,
When I | a fat | and bean-|fed horse | beguile,
,
, ,
, ,
Neighing | in like|ness of | a fil|ly foal,
, ,
, ,
,
And some|time lurk | I^in | a gos|sip's bowl,
, ,
, ,
,
In ve|ry like|ness of | a roast|ed crab:
, , ,
, ,
And when | she drinks,| against | her lips | I
bob,
, ,
, ,
,
And on | her with|ered dew|lap pour | the ale.
, ,
, ,
,
The wis|est aunt | telling | the sad|dest tale,
, 2
T T T ,
,
Sometime for | three-foot stool,| mistak|eth me,
, , 2
T T T ,
Then slip | I from her | bum, down top|ples she,
, ,
, , ,
And tail|or cries,| and falls | into | a cough.
, . T T T ,
,
And then | the whole quire hold | their hips,|
and laugh,
, , ,
, ,
And wax|en in | their mirth,| and neeze,| and
swear,
, 2
, , ,
,
A mer|rier hour | was nev|er wast|ed there.
, ,
, , ___
But room | fairy,| here comes | Obe|ron.
FAIRY
, ,
And here | my mist|ress:
,
, ,
Would | that he | were gone.
[Enter, from one side, OBERON, with his train; from the other, TITANIA, with
hers]
OBERON
, ,
T
Ill met | by moon|light,
T . T ,
Proud Titan|ia.
TITANIA
, ,
, , ,
What,^jeal|ous Ob|eron?| Fairy | skip^hence.
??
, ,
, ,
,
I have | forsworn | his bed | and comp|any.
OBERON
Tx T T
, , ,
Tarry rash want|on; am | not I | thy lord?
TITANIA
, ,
, ,
,
Then I | must be | thy la|dy: but | I know
,
x , , ,
When thou | wast stolen | away | from fair|y land,
, ,
, ,
,
And in | the shape | of Cor|in, sat | all day,
,
, , ,
,
Playing | on pipes | of corn,| and vers|ing love
, 2 , ,
, ,
To am|orous Phil|lida.| Why art | thou here
, , ,
, ,
Come from | the farth|est Steppe | of In|dia?
, ,
, , ,
But that | forsooth | the boun|cing Am|azon
, ,
, , 2 ,
Your busk|ined mist|ress, and | your war|rior love,
, 2 ,
, , ,
To Thes|eus must | be wed|ded; and | you come,
, , ,
, ,
To give | their bed | joy and | prosper|ity.
OBERON
, ,
, , ,
How canst | thou thus | for shame | Titan|ia,
,
, ,
, ,
Glance at | my cred|it, with | Hippol|yta?
,
, , ,
,
Knowing | I know | thy love | to Thes|eus?
, ,
, , 2
,
Didst^thou | not lead | him through | the
glim|mering night
, , , ,
,
From Per|igen|ia,| whom he | ravished?
, , ,
, ,
And make | him with / fair eag|les break | his
faith
, , ,
, ,
With Ar|iad|ne, and | Ati|opa?
TITANIA
,
, ,
, ,
These are | the for|geries | of jeal|ousy,
, ,
, , ,
And nev|er since | the mid|dle sum|mer's spring
,
, ,
, ,
Met we | on hill,| in dale,| forest,| or mead,
, ,
, , ,
By pav|ed fount|ain, or | by rush|y brook,
, ,
, ,
,
Or in | the beach|ed mar|gent of | the sea,
, ,
, ,
,
To dance | our ring|lets to | the whist|ling wind,
, ,
, ,
,
But with | thy brawls | thou hast | disturbed |
our sport.
, ,
, ,
,
Therefore | the winds,| piping | to us | in vain,
, ,
, ,
,
As in | revenge,| have sucked | up from | the sea
, ,
, ,
,
Conta|gious fogs:| which fal|ling in | the land,
, ,
, , ,
Have eve|ry pelt|ing riv|er made | so proud,
, ,
, ,
,
That they | have ov|erborne | their cont|inents:
, , ,
, ,
The ox | hath there|fore stretched | his yoke |
in vain,
, ,
, , ,
The plow|man lost | his sweat,| and the / green
corn
, ,
, ,
,
Hath rot|ted, ere | his youth | attained | a beard:
, , , ,
,
The fold | stands emp/ty in | the drown|ed field,
, , ,
, 2 ,
And crows | are fat|ted with | the mur|rion
flock,
. T T T , ,
,
The nine men's mor|ris is / filled up | with mud,
,
, , , ,
And the / quaint maz|es in | the want|on green,
, ,
, , 2 ,
For lack | of tread | are un|distin|guishable.
, , ,
, ,
The hum|an mort|als want | their wint|er
here,
, ,
, ,
,
No night | is now | with hymn | or car|ol
blessed;
, , ,
, ,
Therefore | the moon |(the gov|erness | of
floods)
,
, , ,
,
Pale in | her ang|er, wash|es all | the air;
, ,
, , ,
That rheu|matic | disea|ses do | abound.
, ,
, ,
,
And through | this dis|temper|ature,| we see
, , ,
, ,
The seas|ons alt|er; hoar|y-head|ed frosts
,
, ,
, ,
Far in | the fresh | lap of | the crim|son rose,
, ,
, ,
,
And on | old^Hi|ems' chin | and i|cy crown,
, 2 , 2 ,
, ,
An od|orous chap|let of sweet | summer | buds
<- ,
, 2 ,
, ,
Is || as in | mockery | set. The | spring, the | summer,
, ,
, ,
,
The chil|ding au|tumn, ang|ry wint|er change
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Their wont|ed liv|eries,| and the maz|ed world,
, , ,
, ,
By their | increase,| now* knows | not^which | is
which;
T T T ,
,
,
And this same | proge|ny of | evils,
, ,
, ,
,
Comes from | our de|bate, from | our dis|sension,
, ,
, , ,
We are | their par|ents and | orig|inal.
OBERON
, ,
, ,
,
Do you | amend | it then,| it lies | in you,
,
, 2 , ,
,
Why should | Titan|ia cross | her Ob|eron?
,
, , ,
,
I do | but beg | a lit|tle change|ling boy,
, ,
To be | my hench|man.
TITANIA
, ,
,
Set | your heart | at rest,
, ,
T T . T ,
The fair|y land | buys not the child | of me,
, ,
, , 2
, ->
His moth|er was | a vot|aress | of my ord||er,
, 2
, , ,
,
And | in the spiced | Indi|an air,| by night
, ,
, , ,
Full^of|ten hath | she gos|siped by | my side,
, ,
, , ,
And sat | with me | on Nep|tune's yel|low sands,
, 2 ,
, , ,
Marking | the embark|ed trad|ers on | the flood,
, ,
, , ,
When we | have laughed | to see | the sails |
conceive,
, , ,
, ,
And grow | big-bel/lied with | the want|on wind:
, ,
, , ,
Which she | with pret|ty and | with swim|ming gait,
, 2 ,
, , ,
Following |(her womb | then rich | with my /
young squire)
, , ,
, ,
Would im|itate,| and sail | upon | the land,
, ,
, , ,
To fetch | me tri|fles, and | return | again,
, ,
, , ,
As from | a voy|age, rich | with merch|andise.
, 2 ,
, ,
,
But she | being mort|al, 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
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Perchance | till aft|er Thes|eus' wed|ding-day.
, , ,
, ,
If you | will pa|tiently | dance in | our round,
, ,
, ,
,
And see | our moon|light^rev|els, 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 fair|y king|dom. Fair|ies away:
,
T T T 2 , ,
We shall | chide downright,| if I long|er stay.
[Exit TITANIA with her train]
OBERON
, ,
, , ,
Well, go*| thy way:| thou shalt | not from | this
grove,
, , ,
, ,
Till I | torment | thee for | this in|jury.
, ,
x , ,
My gent|le Puck | come hither;| Thou re|membrest
, ,
, , x
Since^once | I sat | upon | a pro|montory,
, , , , ,
And heard | a mer|maid on | a dolph|in's back,
, ,
, 2 , 2 ,
Utter|ing such | dulcet | and harmo|nious breath,
,
, , ,
,
That the / rude sea | grew civ|il at | her song,
, ,
, , ,
And cert|ain stars | shot mad/ly from | their
spheres,
, , ,
, 3
To hear | the sea-|maid's mu/sic.
PUCK
3 , 2->
I remem||ber.
OBERON
, ,
, , ,
That ve|ry time | I saw |(but thou | couldst^not)
, ,
, ,
,
Flying | between | the cold | moon and | the
earth,
, ,
, , ,
Cupid | all^armed;| a cert|ain aim | he took
, , , ,
,
At a / fair vest|al, thron|ed by | the west,
, ,
, ,
,
And loosed | his love-|shaft smart/ly from | his bow,
, , , , ,
As it | should pierce | a hund|red thous|and
hearts,
, , ,
, ,
But I | might see | young Cup|id's fie|ry shaft
, ,
, , 2
,
Quenched in | the chaste | beams of | the wat|ery
moon,
,
, 2 , ,
,
And the | impe|rial vot|aress | passed^on,
, , ,
, ,
In maid|en med|ita|tion, fan|cy-free.
,
, ,
, ,
Yet marked | I where | the bolt | of Cup|id fell.
,
, , ,
x
It fell | upon | a lit|tle west|ern flower;
. T T T ,
, ,
Before, milk white;| now pur|ple with / love's
wound,
, ,
, , ,
And maid|ens call | it, love-|in-id|leness.
,
, ,
, ,
Fetch me | that flower;| the herb | I showed
| thee once,
, ,
, ,
,
The juice | of it,| on sleep|ing eye-|lids^laid,
, ,
, , ,
Will make | or man | or wom|an mad|ly dote
, ,
, , ,
Upon | the next | live crea/ture that | it sees.
,
, ,
, ,
Fetch me | this herb,| and be | thou here |
again,
,
, , ,
,
Ere the | levi|athan | can swim | a league.
PUCK
, ,
, ,
,
I'll put | a gird|le round | about | the earth,
, ,
In for|ty min|utes.
[Exit]
OBERON
, , ,
Hav|ing once | this juice,
, ,
, ,
,
I'll watch | Titan|ia, when | she is | asleep,
,
, ,
, ,
And drop | the li|quor of | it in | her eyes.
. T
T T
, ,
,
The next thing then | she wak|ing looks | upon,
,
, ,
, ,
(Be it | on li|on, bear,| or wolf,| or bull,
, ,
, , ,
On med|dling monk|ey, or | on bu|sy 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 | anoth|er herb)
, , ,
, ,
I'll make | her rend|er up | her page | to me.
, ,
, , ,
But who | comes^here?| I am | invis|ible,
, ,
, , ,
And I | will ov|erhear | their con|ference.
[Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA, following him]
DEMETRIUS
, , ,
, ,
I love | thee not,| therefore | pursue | me not,
,
, , , ,
Where is | Lysan|der, and / fair Herm|ia?
, , , , ,
The one | I'll slay,| the oth|er slay|eth me.
, ,
x ,
,
Thou toldst | me they | were stolen | unto | this
wood;
, ,
, , ,
And here | am I,| and wode | within | this wood,
, ,
, , ,
Because | I can|not meet | my Herm|ia.
, , ,
, ,
Hence, get^|thee gone,| and fol|low me | no
more.
HELENA
, , , , ,
You draw | me, you / hard-heart|ed ad|amant,
, , , , ,
But yet | you draw | not ir|on, for / my heart
, ,
, ,
,
Is true | as steel.| Leave you | your power | to
draw,
, ,
, , ,
And I | shall have | no power | to fol|low you.
DEMETRIUS
, ,
, ,
,
Do I | entice | you? Do | I speak | you fair?
, ,
, ,
,
Or rath|er do | I not | in plain|est truth,
, 2 ,
, , ,
Tell you I | do not,| nor I | cannot | love you?
HELENA
, ,
, ,
2 ,
And ev|en for | that do | I love | you the more;
, ,
, , ,
I am | your span|iel, and | Demet|rius,
, ,
, , ,
The more | you beat | me, I | will fawn | on you.
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Use me but | as your | spaniel;| spurn me,|
strike me,
, , ,
, ,
Neglect | me, lose | me; on|ly give | me leave
, ,
, ,
,
(Unworth|y as | I am)| to fol|low you.
, ,
, ,
,
What wors|er place | can I | beg in | your love,
, ,
, ,
,
(And yet | a place | of high | respect | with me)
, , ,
, ,
Than to | be us|ed as | you use | your dog.
DEMETRIUS
,
, , ,
x
Tempt^not | too* much | the hat|red 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 mod|esty | too much,
, , ,
, ,
To leave | the ci|ty, and | commit | yourself
, ,
, ,
,
Into | the hands | of one | that loves | you not,
, , ,
, ,
To trust | the op|portu|nity | of night,
, ,
, ,
,
And the / ill couns|el of | a des|ert place,
,
, , , ,
With the / rich worth | of your | virgin|ity.
HELENA
, ,
, ,
,
Your vir|tue is | my priv|ilege:| for that
, ,
, , ,
It is | not night | when I | do see | your face.
, ,
, ,
,
Therefore | I think | I am | not in | the night,
, ,
T T .
T
,
Nor doth | this wood | lack worlds of comp|any,
, ,
, ,
,
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 mer|cy of / wild beasts.
HELENA
, ,
, ,
,
The wild|est hath / not such | a heart | as you;
,
, ,
, ,
Run when | you will,| the sto|ry shall | be
changed:
,
, , ,
,
Apol|lo flies,| and Daph|ne holds | the chase;
, ,
, , ,
The dove | pursues | the grif|fin, the / mild
hind
, ,
, , ,
Makes^speed | to catch | the tig|er. Boot|less speed,
, ,
, ,
,
When cow|ardice | pursues,| and val|or flies.
DEMETRIUS
, , ,
, ,
I will | not stay | thy ques|tions, let | me go;
, ,
, ,
,
Or if | thou fol|low me,| do not | believe,
, ,
, ,
,
But I | shall do | thee mis|chief in | the wood.
HELENA
,
, ,
, ,
Aye, in | the temp|le, in | the town,| and field
, , ,
, ,
You do | me mis|chief. Fie | Demet|rius,
,
, ,
, ,
Your wrongs | do set | a scan|dal on | my sex:
, ,
, ,
,
We can|not fight | for love,| as men | may do;
, ,
, ,
,
We should | be wooed,| and were | not made | to
woo.
[Exit DEMETRIUS]
, ,
, x
,
I'll fol|low thee,| and make | a heaven | of hell,
, , ,
, ,
To die | upon | the hand | I love | so well.
[Exit]
OBERON
, , ,
, ,
Fare thee / well nymph,| ere he | do leave | this
grove,
, ,
, ,
,
Thou shalt | fly him,| and he | shall seek | thy
love.
, ,
, ,
, 2
Hast thou | the flow|er there?| Welcome |
wanderer.
PUCK
, ,
Aye, there^|it is.
OBERON
,
, ,
I pray | thee give | it me.
,
, , T T
T
I know | a bank | where the | wild thyme blows,
, ,
, , 2
,
Where ox|lips and | the nod|ding vi|olet grows,
x
, 2 ,
, __
Quite^over-|canopied | with lus|cious wood|bine,
, ,
, ,
,
With sweet | musk ros/es and | with
eg|lantine;
T T . T
, ,
,
There sleeps Titan|ia, some|time of | the night,
,
, ,
, ,
Lulled in | these flowers,| with dan|ces and |
delight:
, ,
, ,
,
And there | the snake | throws her | enam|elled
skin,
T T . T , ,
,
Weed wide enough | to wrap | a fair|y in.
, ,
, , ,
And with | the juice | of this | I'll streak | her eyes,
, , ,
, ,
And make | her full | of hate|ful fant|asies.
, ,
, ,
,
Take thou | some of | it, and / seek through |
this grove;
, , 2 , ,
,
A sweet | Athe|nian la|dy is | in love
, ,
, , ,
With a | disdain|ful youth:| anoint | his eyes,
, , ,
, ,
But do | it when | the next | thing he | espies,
, , , ,
,
May be | the la|dy. Thou | shalt know | the man,
, ,
2 , , ,
By the | Athe|nian gar|ments he | hath on.
, , ,
, ,
Effect | it with / some care,| that he | may
prove
, , ,
, ,
More fond | on her,| than she | upon | her love;
, , ,
. T T T
And look | thou meet | me ere | the first cock crow.
PUCK
, , ,
, ,
Fear not | my lord,| your serv|ant shall | do so.
[Exeunt]