Lys.

Get you gone, you dwarf ;

You minimus, of hindering knot-grass made; 19
You bead, you acorn!

In her behalf that scorns your services.

Let her alone; speak not of Helena;

Take not her part; for if thou dost intend 20
Never so little show of love to her,

Thou shalt abide it.

Lys.

Now she holds me not;

Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try whose right,

Or thine or mine, is most in Helena.

Dem. Follow! nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jowl.

[Exeunt LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS. Her. You, mistress, all this coil is long of you: Nay, go not back.

Hel.

I will not trust you, I,

Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray;
My legs are longer though, to run away.

[Exit.

Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.

[Exit. Obe. This is thy negligence: still thou mistak'st, Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully.

Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me, I should know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprise,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes:
And so far am I glad it so did sort,

As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

Obe. Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight:

Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;

The starry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fog, as black as Acheron ;

And lead these testy rivals so astray,

As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,
Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And sometime rail thou like Demetrius;
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep:
Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye;
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error with his might,
And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision;
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,
With league whose date till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,

I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmed eye release

From monster's view, and all things shall be peace.
Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste;
For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;

At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there,
Troop home to churchyards: hapless' spirits all,
That in cross-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;

For fear lest day should look their shames upon,
They wilfully themselves exile from light,
And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night.
Obe. But we are spirits of another sort:

I with the Morning's love have oft made sport ;21
And, like a forester, the groves may tread,
Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his salt, green streams.

But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay :
We may effect this business yet ere day.

Puck.

[Exit OBERON.

Up and down, up and down ;
I will lead them up and down:

I am fear'd in field and town;
Goblin, lead them up and down.

Here comes one.

Re-enter LYSANDER.

Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou now. Puck. Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou? Lys. I will be with thee straight.

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?

Speak!-In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head? Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars, Telling the bushes that thou look'st for wars,

And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child; I'll whip thee with a rod: he is defil'd

That draws a sword on thee.

Dem.

Yea; art thou there?

Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here.

Re-enter LYSANDER.

Lys. He
goes before me, and still dares me on;
When I come where he calls, then he is gone.
The villain is much lighter-heel'd than I:
I follow'd fast, but faster he did fly;
That fallen am I in dark uneven way,

[Exeunt.

And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day!

For if but once thou shew me thy grey light,
I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite.

[Lies down.

[Sleeps.

Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS.

Puck. Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thou not?
Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'st; for well I wot
Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place,
And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face.
Where art thou?

Puck.

Come hither: I am here.

Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy this dear, If ever I thy face by daylight see:

Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me

To measure out my length on this cold bed.-
By day's approach look to be visited.

[Lies down and sleeps.

Re-enter HELENA.

Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hours: shine, comforts, from the east;
That I may back to Athens by daylight,

From these that my poor company detest :-
And, sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye,
Steal me a while from mine own company.

Puck.

[Lies down and sleeps.

Yet but three? Come one more;
Two of both kinds makes up four.

Here she comes, curst and sad :—
Cupid is a knavish lad,

Thus to make poor females mad.

Re-enter HERMIA.

Her. Never so weary, never so in woe,

Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers ;

I can no further crawl, no further go ;

My legs can keep no pace with my desires. Here will I rest me till the break of day.

Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!

The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.

[Exit.