Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world,
By their increase, now knows not which is which.
And this same progeny of evils comes

From our debate, from our dissension;
We are their parents and original.

Obe. Do you amend it, then; it lies in you:
Why should Titania cross her Oberon?

I do but beg a little changeling boy,

To be my henchman.

Tita.

115

120

125

Set your heart at rest: The fairy land buys not the child of me. His mother was a votaress of my order; And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, Full often hath she gossip'd by my side, And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, Marking the embarked traders on the flood; When we have laugh'd to see the sails conceive And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind; Which she, with pretty and with swimming

gait

130

Following, her womb then rich with my young squire,

Would imitate, and sail upon the land

To fetch me trifles, and return again,
As from a voyage, rich with merchandise.
But she, being mortal, 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.

Obe.

135

How long within this wood intend you stay?

Tita. Perchance till after Theseus' wedding

day.

If you will patiently dance in our round,
And see our moonlight revels, go with us;

140

If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.
Obe. Give me that boy, and I will go with thee.
Tita. Not for thy fairy kingdom. - Fairies, away!
We shall chide downright, if I longer stay.

145

[Exit Titania with her train. Obe. Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this

grove

Till I torment thee for this injury.—
My gentle Puck, come hither.

Thou rememberest

Since once I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back,
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath
That the rude sea grew civil at her song,
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres
To hear the sea-maid's music.

Puck.

I remember.

150

156

Obe. That very time I saw, but thou couldst not, Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took

At a fair vestal throned by the west,

And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow,

As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts: 160
But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft
Quench'd in the chaste beans of the watery moon,
And the imperial votaress passed on,

In maiden meditation, fancy-free.

Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell:
It fell upon a little western flower,
Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound,
And maidens call it love-in-idleness.

165

Fetch me that flower; the herb I shew'd thee once:

The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid

Will make or man or woman madly dote

Upon the next live creature that it sees.

Fetch me this herb; and be thou here again
Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

170

Puck. I'll put a girdle round about the earth 175 In forty minutes.

Obe.

I'll watch Titania when she is asleep,

[Exit.

Having once this juice,

And drop the liquor of it in her eyes.

The next thing then she waking looks upon,

Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,

180

On meddling monkey, or on busy 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 another herb,

I'll make her render up her page to me.

185

But who comes here? I am invisible;

And I will overhear their conference.

Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him. Dem. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.

Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?

The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me.

Thou told'st me they were stolen unto this wood;

190

And here am I, and wode within this wood,
Because I cannot meet my Hermia.

Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

Hel. You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart

Is true as steel: leave you your power to draw,
And I shall have no power to follow you.

Dem. Do I entice you? do I speak you fair?
Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth

Tell you, I do not nor I cannot love you?

196

200

Hel. And even for that do I love you the

more.

I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius,

The more you beat me, I will fawn on you:

Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you.

What worser place can I beg in your love, —
And yet a place of high respect with me,-
Than to be used as you use your dog?

210

Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my

spirit;

For I am sick when I do look on thee.

Hel. And I am sick when I look not on you.

Dem. You do impeach your modesty too much,

To leave the city, and commit yourself

Into the hands of one that loves you not;

To trust the opportunity of night

And the ill counsel of a desert place

With the rich worth of your virginity.

215

Hel. Your virtue is my privilege: for that 220 It is not night when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the night; Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, 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? Dem.

225

I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,

And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.

Hel.

The wildest hath not such a heart as

you.

Run when you will, the story shall be changed: 230 Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase;

The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind

Makes speed to catch the tiger; bootless speed,
When cowardice pursues and valour flies.

Dem. I will not stay thy questions; let me

go:

Or, if thou follow me, do not believe

But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.

Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,

You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius!

Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex:
We cannot fight for love, as men may do;

240

We should be woo'd, and were not made to

WOO.

I'll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell,
To die upon the hand I love so well.

[Exit Dem.

[Exit.