SCENE II. Another part of the Wood. Enter OBERON. Obe. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd; Enter PUCK. Here comes my messenger.-How now, mad spirit? Near to her close and consecrated bower, And forth my mimick3 comes: When they him spy, 8 Revelry. 9 Simple fellows. 2 Head. 3 Actor. Sever themselves, and madly sweep the sky; And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls ; Their sense, thus weak, lost with their fears, thus strong, Made senseless things begin to do them wrong: I led them on in this distracted fear, And left sweet Pyramus translated there: Obe. This falls out better than I could devise. Puck. I took him sleeping,-that is finish'd too,And the Athenian woman by his side? That, when he wak'd, of force she must be ey'd. Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA. Obe. Stand close; this is the same Athenian. Puck. This is the woman, but not this the man. Dem. O, why rebuke you him that loves you so? Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe. Her. Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse; For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse. 4 Infected. If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep, Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,. The sun was not so true unto the day, As he to me: Would he have stol'n away. From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon, This whole earth may be bor'd;. and that the moon Her. What's this to my Lysander? where is he? Ah, good Demetrius, will thou give him me? Dem. I had rather give his carcase to my hounds. Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv'st me past the bounds Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him then? I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell. Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. Dem. And if I could, what should I get therefore? Her. A privilege, never to see me more. And from thy hated presence part I so: See me no more, whether he be dead or no. [Exit. Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vein: Here, therefore, for a while I will remain. So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe; Which now, in some slight measure it will pay, If for his tender here I make some stay. [Lies down. Obe. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite, And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight: Of thy misprision must perforce ensue Some true-love turn'd, and not a false turn'd true. Puck. Then fate o'er-rules; that, one man holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Obe. About the wood go swifter than the wind, And Helena of Athens look thou find : All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer With sighs of love, that cost the fresh blood dear: Hit with Cupid's archery, Sink in apple of his eye! When his love he doth espy, [Exit. Let her shine as gloriously As the Venus of the sky. When thon wak'st, if she be by, Re-enter PUCK. Puck. Captain of our fairy band, And the youth, mistook by me, Pleading for a lover's fee ; Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be! Obe. Stand aside: the noise they make, Will cause Demetrius to awake. Puck. Then will two at once, woo one; That must needs be sport alone; And those things do best please me, That befal preposterously. Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. Lys. Why should you think, that I should woo in scorn? Scorn and derision never come in tears: Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born, How can these things in me seem scorn to you, Hel. You do advance your cunning more and more. When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray! These vows are Hermia's; Will you give her o'er? Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh: |