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A Midsummer Night's Dream

Act IV, Scene 1

The same.
 
[LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA lying asleep.  Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED, and other Fairies attending; OBERON behind unseen]
 
TITANIA
        ,               ,      ,            x      ,
      Come, sit^|thee down | upon | this flower|y bed,
            ,        ,  ,        ,         ,
      While I | thy am|ia|ble cheeks | do coy,
            ,       ,   ,       2        T      T     T
      And stick | musk ros/es in thy | sleek smooth head,
            ,          ,            ,        ,       ,
      And kiss | thy fair | large^ears,| my gent|le joy.
 
BOTTOM
Where's Peaseblossom?
 
PEASEBLOSSOM
Ready.
 
BOTTOM
Scratch my head, Peaseblossom. Where's Monsieur Cobweb.
 
COBWEB
Ready.
 
BOTTOM
Monsieur Cobweb, good monsieur get you your weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hipped humble-bee, on the top of a thistle; and good monsieur bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, monsieur; and good monsieur have a care the honey-bag break not, I would be loath to have you overflown with a honey-bag signior. Where's Monsieur Mustardseed?
 
MUSTARDSEED
Ready.
 
BOTTOM
Give me your neaf, Monsieur Mustardseed. Pray you leave your courtesy good monsieur.
 
MUSTARDSEED
What's your will?
 
BOTTOM
Nothing good monsieur, but to help Cavalery Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber's monsieur, for methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face. And I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch.
 
TITANIA
        ,                 ,          ,             ,     ,
      What, wilt | thou hear | some mus|ic, my / sweet love?
 
BOTTOM
I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let's have the tongs and the bones.
 
TITANIA
          ,             ,           ,        ,         ,
      Or say | sweet* love,| what thou | desirst | to eat.
 
BOTTOM
Truly a peck of provender; I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a bottle of hay: good hay, sweet hay hath no fellow.
 
TITANIA
      ,     2     ,   2        ,
      I have a | venturous | fairy,
          2        ,          ,           ,
      That shall seek | the squir|rel's hoard,
             ,          ,     __
      And fetch | thee new | nuts.
 
BOTTOM
I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas. But I pray you let none of your people stir me, I have an exposition of sleep come upon me.
 
TITANIA
       ,              ,          ,          ,        ,
     Sleep thou,| and I | will wind | thee in | my arms,
       ,           ,     ,        ,          ,
     Fairies | begone,| and be | always | away.
 
[Exeunt fairies]
            ,          ,    T    .    T    T       x
      So* doth | the wood|bine, the sweet hon|eysuckle,
       ,           ,          ,       ,    ,
      Gently | entwist;| the fe|male iv|y so
          ,           ,      ,       ,        ,
      Enrings | the bark|y fing|ers of | the elm.
         ,        ,           ,        ,         ,
      O how | I love | thee! How | I dote | on thee!
 
[They sleep. Enter PUCK]
 
OBERON
       ,               x
      Welcome,| good Robin:
                             ,                 ,       ,
                           Seest thou | this sweet | sight?
      <-        ,        ,       ,     ,        ,
        Her || dotage | now I | do be|gin to | pity.
            ,       ,         ,        ,          ,
      For meet|ing her | of late | behind | the wood,
        ,         ,    ,                    ,        ,
      Seeking | sweet fav/ors from | this hate|ful fool,
         ,        ,                  ,   ,          ,
      I did | upbraid | her, and / fall out | with her.
           ,          ,       x        ,          ,
      For she | his hair|y temples | then had | rounded,
          2   ,    ,         ,           ,          x
      With a cor|onet | of fresh | and frag|rant flowers.
                   ,   ,            ,        ,         ,
      And that / same dew | which some|time^on | the buds,
            ,         ,            ,          ,   2     ,
      Was wont | to swell | like round | and or|ient pearls;
             ,        ,          ,        x          ,
      Stood^now | within | the pret|ty flower|ets' eyes,
              ,           ,           ,         ,         ,
      Like* tears | that did | their own | disgrace | bewail.
           ,        ,        ,         ,       ,
      When I | had at | my pleas|ure taunt|ed her,
           ,     T   T    T        ,         ,
      And she | in mild terms | begged my | patience,
          ,         ,        ,           ,          ,
      I then | did ask | of her,| her change|ling child,
               ,             ,         ,          ,      ,
      Which straight | she gave | me, and | her fair|y sent
           ,         ,        ,          ,      ,
      To bear | him to | my bower | in fair|y land.
           ,        ,         ,        ,       ,
      And now | I have | the boy,| I will | undo
             ,       ,     ,        ,         ,
      This hate|ful im|perfec|tion of | her eyes.
            ,       ,      ,               ,        ,
      And gent|le Puck,| take this | transform|ed scalp,
            ,          ,         ,       ,   2    ,
      From off | the head | of this | Athen|ian swain;
            ,     ,        ,         ,      ,
      That he | awak|ing when | the oth|er do,
           ,        ,        ,       ,        ,
      May all | to Ath|ens back | again | repair,
            ,          ,     .   T     T     T     ,
      And think | no more | of this night's ac|cidents,
           ,          ,        ,       ,       ,
      But^as | the fierce | vexa|tion of | a dream.
            ,         ,        ,           ,      ,
      But first | I will | release | the fair|y queen.
           ,         ,           ,        ,
      Be thou | as thou | wast wont | to be;
       ,         ,           ,       ___
      See as | thou wast | wont to | see.
       ,        ,         ,         ,
      Dian's | bud, or | Cupid's | flower,
        ,           ,           ,        ,
      Hath such | force and | blessed | power.
       ,          ,       ,               ,     ,
      Now my | Titan|ia wake | you my / sweet queen.
 
TITANIA
          ,   ,          ,         ,        ,
      My Ob|eron,| what vis|ions have | I seen!
           ,         ,      ,        ,       ,
      Methought | I was | enam|ored of | an ass.

OBERON
               ,           ,
      There* lies | your love.
 
TITANIA
                                   ,             ,          ,
                             How came | these things | to pass?
       ,              ,          ,          ,       ,
      Oh, how^|mine^eyes | do loathe | his vis|age now!
 
OBERON
       ,           ,      ,            ,          ,
      Silence | awhile.| Robin | take^off | his head:
         ,       ,       ,           ,            ,
      Titan|ia, mus|ic call,| and strike | more dead
            ,        ,         ,             ,          ,
      Than com|mon sleep;| of all | these, five | the sense.
 
TITANIA
       ,          ,        ,         ,         ,
      Music,| ho mus|ic, such | as charm|eth sleep.
 
[Music, still]
 
PUCK
        ,           ,                  ,      T      T    T
      When thou | wakst, with | thine^own | fool's eyes peep.
 
OBERON
             ,        ,         ,            ,           ,
      Sound^mus|ic; Come | my queen,| take^hands | with me
            ,           ,           ,           ,        ,
      And rock | the ground | whereon | these sleep|ers be.
            ,        ,        ,        ,   ,
      Now thou | and I | are new | in am|ity,
            ,       ,       ,          ,      ,
      And will | tomor|row mid|night, sol|emnly
        T    .   T   T    2     ,          ,      ,
      Dance in Duke Thes|eus' house | triumph|antly,
            ,      .  T  T    T         ,    ,
      And bless | it to all fair | prosper|ity:
        ,                 ,          ,        ,       ,
      There shall | the pairs | of faith|ful lov|ers be
       ,             ,    2    ,        ,     ,
      Wedded | with Thes|eus, all | in jol|lity.
 
PUCK
       ,        ,        ,          __
      Fairy | king, at|tend, and | mark,
      ,        ,         ,         __
      I do | hear the | morning | lark.
 
OBERON
        ,         ,         ,        ___
      Then my | queen in | silence | sad,
        ,        ,            ,        ___
      Trip we | after | the night's | shade;
       ,         ,          ,         __
      We the | globe can | compass | soon,
        ,         ,         ,           ,
      Swifter | than the | wander|ing moon.
 
TITANIA
        ,         ,          ,         __
      Come my | lord, and | in our | flight,
        ,        ,         ,          ___
      Tell me | how it | came this | night,
        ,        ,          ,         ___
      That I | sleeping | here was | found,
        ,           ,         ,         __
      With these | mortals | on the | ground.
 
[Exeunt]
 
[Horns winded within.  Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train]
 
THESEUS
          ,        ,      T   T   .   T     ,
      Go one | of you,| find out the for|ester,
           ,         ,     ,       ,         ,
      For now | our obs|erva|tion is | performed;
            ,          ,         ,       ,        ,
      And since | we have | the va|ward of | the day,
           ,            ,         ,      ,         ,
      My love | shall hear | the mus|ic of | my hounds.
          ,    3  3      ,       ,        ,          ,
      Uncoup|le in the west|ern val|ley, let | them go;
           ,        ,          ,         ,     ,
      Dispatch | I say,| and find | the for|ester.
           ,            ,      ,            ,          ,
      We will | fair* queen,| up to | the mount|ain's top,
            ,         ,    ,        ,    ,
      And mark | the mus|ical | confu|sion
            ,          ,     ,        ,     ,
      Of hounds | and ech|o in | conjunc|tion.
 
HIPPOLYTA
         ,          ,     ,         ,        ,
      I was | with Her|cules | and Cad|mus once,
            ,       ,         ,            ,           ,
      When in | a wood | of Crete | they bayed | the bear
              ,          ,       ,      ,        ,
      With hounds | of Spart|a; nev|er did | I hear
            ,         ,        ,        ,            ,
      Such gal|lant chid|ing. For | besides | the groves,
            ,           ,          ,      ,        ,
      The skies,| the fount|ains, eve|ry reg|ion near,
              ,         ,   2   ,       ,       ,
      Seemed^all | one^mu|tual cry.| I nev|er heard
          ,    ,    .  T   T     T             ,       2->
      So mus|ical | a discord, such | sweet* thund||er.
 
THESEUS
            ,           ,     ,             ,        ,
      My hounds | are bred | out of | the Spart|an kind,
            ,          ,       ,            ,           ,
      So flewed,| so sand|ed, and | their heads | are hung
             ,           ,        ,         ,       ,
      With ears | that sweep | away | the morn|ing dew,
        T     T     .   T      ,                ,  2     ,
      Crook-kneed, and dew-|lapped, like | Thessa|lian bulls,
        ,            ,           ,           ,            ,
      Slow in | pursuit,| but matched | in mouth | like bells,
        T    Tx    T       ,          ,     ,
      Each under each.| A cry | more tune|able
           ,      ,        ,          ,             ,
      Was nev|er hal|loed^to,| nor cheered | with horn,
           ,          ,       ,         ,     ,
      In Crete,| in Spart|a, nor | in Thes|saly;
        ,                ,          ,            ,           ,
      Judge when | you hear.| But soft,| what nymphs | are these?
 
EGEUS
           ,      ,            ,         ,       ,
      My lord,| this is | my daught|er here | asleep,
            ,        ,        ,       ,   2    ,
      And this | Lysand|er, this | Demet|rius is,
            ,    ,         ,        ,    ,
      This Hel|ena, | old Ned|ar's Hel|ena,
          ,      ,           x       ,      ,
      I wond|er of | their being | here to|gether.
 
THESEUS
           ,            ,        ,       ,       ,
      No doubt | they rose | up ear|ly, to | observe
            ,        ,          ,       ,        ,
      The rite | of May;| and hear|ing our | intent,
        ,              ,         ,       ,     ,
      Came here | in grace | of our | solem|nity.
            ,       ,      ,         ,         ,
      But speak | Ege|us, is | not this | the day
            ,   2             ,   ,       ,          ,
      That Herm|ia should / give ans|wer of | her choice?
 
EGEUS
          ,        ,
      It is,| my lord.  \\
 
THESEUS
           ,          ,         ,           ,            ,
      Go* bid | the hunts|men wake | them with | their horns.
 
[Horns and shout within. LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA wake and start up]
            ,         ,        T     Tx   T         ,
      Good mor|row friends:| Saint Valentine | is past:
       . T    T     T     ,              ,      ,
      Begin these wood-|birds but | to coup|le now?
 
LYSANDER
       ,            ,
      Pardon | my lord.
 
THESEUS
                            ,         ,           ,
                        I pray | you all | stand^up.
          ,         ,         ,      ,    ,
      I know | you two | are riv|al en|emies.
            ,           ,       ,    ,             ,
      How comes | this gent|le con|cord in | the world,
            ,       ,       ,          ,      ,
      That hat|red is | so far | from jeal|ousy,
           ,          ,          ,        ,    ,
      To sleep | by hate,| and fear | no en|mity.
 
LYSANDER
           ,        ,        ,      ,     ,
      My lord,| I shall | reply | amaz|edly,
             ,           ,        ,        ,        ,
      Half^sleep,| half^wak|ing. But | as yet,| I swear,
         ,       ,      ,              ,    ,
      I can|not tru|ly say | how^I / came here.
           ,       ,          ,       ,         ,
      But as | I think |(for tru|ly would | I speak)
           ,       ,       ,          ,       ,
      And now | do I | bethink | me, so | it is;
          ,           ,   2   ,       ,        ,
      I came | with Herm|ia hith|er. Our | intent
       ,    2       ,          ,         ,          ,
      Was to be | gone from | Athens,| where we | might be
           ,         ,      ,      2   ,  2    ,
      Without | the per|il of | the Athe|nian law.
 
EGEUS
         ,        ,          ,          ,       ,
      Enough,| enough,| my lord:| you have | enough;
         ,         ,         ,      ,          ,
      I beg | the law,| the law,| upon | his head:
        ,       2          x      ,            ,       ,   2
      They would have | stolen a|way, they | would De|metrius,
            ,        ,       ,       ,         ,
      Thereby | to have | defea|ted you | and me:
       ,              ,         ,       ,        ,
      You of | your wife,| and me | of my | consent;
          ,        ,          ,            ,          ,
      Of my | consent,| that she | should be | your wife.
 
DEMETRIUS
           ,           ,       ,        ,            ,
      My lord,| fair* Hel|en told | me of | their stealth,
           ,           ,        ,        ,          ,
      Of this | their pur|pose hith|er, to | this wood,
          ,       ,     ,       ,          ,
      And I | in fu|ry hith|er fol|lowed them;
            ,    ,       ,      ,     2    ,
      Fair Hel|ena,| in fan|cy fol|lowing me.
           ,          ,       ,     ,              x
      But my | good^lord,| I wot | not by*| what power,
            ,     ,   ,           T   T   T
      (But by | some pow/er it | is) my love
          ,   2     ,      ,         ,
      To Herm|ia (melt|ed as | the snow)
      <-  ,             ,     ,    2    ,                    x    ,
        Seems to || me now | as the re|membrance | of an / idle gaud,
             ,        ,        ,         ,      ,
      Which in | my child|hood^I | did dote | upon:
           ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      And all | the faith,| the vir|tue of | my heart,
           ,   ,              ,        ,         ,
      The ob|ject and | the pleas|ure of | mine^eye,
          ,     ,    ,       ,         ,
      Is on|ly Hel|ena.| To her,| my lord,
       ,            ,         ,         ,   ,
      Was I | betrothed,| ere^I | see Herm|ia,
            ,        ,        ,         ,            ,
      But like | a sick|ness did | I loathe | this food,
           ,         ,       ,           ,   2     ,
      But as | in health,| come to | my na|tural taste,
       ,           ,          ,          ,     ,
      Now do | I wish | it, love | it, long | for it,
            ,         ,     ,     ,   ,
      And will | for ev|ermore | be true / to it.
 
THESEUS
        ,   ,                  ,      ,      ,
      Fair lov/ers, you | are for|tunate|ly met:
           ,         ,           ,           ,      ,
      Of this | discourse | we more | will hear | anon.
        ,     ,         ,     ,           ,
      Ege|us, I | will ov|erbear | your will;
           ,         ,       ,        ,         ,
      For in | the temp|le, by | and by | with us,
              ,         ,       ,     ,        ,
      These coup|les shall | etern|ally | be knit.
           ,          ,       ,         ,          ,
      And for | the morn|ing now | is some|thing worn,
           ,          ,        ,         ,       ,
      Our pur|posed hunt|ing shall | be set | aside.
         ,         ,       ,         ,           ,
      Away | with us | to Ath|ens; three | and three,
              ,        ,          ,        ,     ,
      We'll hold | a feast | in great | solem|nity.
        ,       ,    ,
      Come Hip|poly|ta.   \\
 
[Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train]
 
DEMETRIUS
               ,            ,          ,     ,     2   ,
      These things | seem small | and un|distin|guishable,
        T   T   T      ,           ,             ,
      Like far-off | mountains | turned in|to clouds.
 
HERMIA
           ,        ,             ,            ,      ,
      Methinks | I see | these things | with part|ed eye,
            ,      ,             ,
      When eve|rything | seems doub|le.
 
HELENA
                                         ,        ,
                                        So | methinks:
          ,          ,        ,   2      ,        ,
      And I | have found | Demet|rius, like | a jewel,
            ,         ,          ,
      Mine^own,| and not | mine^own.
 
DEMETRIUS
                                          ,         ,
                                     It seems | to me,
            ,         ,          ,         ,          ,
      That yet | we sleep,| we dream.| Do not | you think,
            ,          ,         ,        ,       ,
      The duke | was here,| and bid | us fol|low him?
 
HERMIA
       ,             ,
      Yea, and | my fath|er.
 
HELENA
                             ,        ,    ,
                            And | Hippo|lyta.
 
LYSANDER
         2    ,     ,        ,        ,        ,
      And he did | bid us | follow | to the | temple.
 
DEMETRIUS
Why then we are awake; let's follow him, and by the way let us recount our dreams.
 
[Exeunt.  BOTTOM wakes]
 
BOTTOM
When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer, My next is, Most fair Pyramus. Heigh-ho. Peter Quince! Flute the bellows-mender? Snout the tinker? Starveling? God's my life! Stolen hence, and left me asleep: I have had a most rare vision. I had a dream, past the wit of man, to say, what dream it was. Man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was, there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had. But man is but a patched fool, if he will offer to say, what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream, it shall be called Bottom's Dream, because it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter end of a play, before the duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.
 
[Exit]

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