Tita. I have a venturous fairy that shall seek The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.

Bot: 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.

Tita. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms. Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away.

So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle

Gently entwist; the female ivy so

Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.a

O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!

OBERON advances. Enter PUCK.

[They sleep.

Obe. Welcome, good Robin. See'st thou this sweet sight? Her dotage now I do begin to pity.

For meeting her of late, behind the wood,
Seeking sweet savours for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her and fall out with her :
For she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
And that same dew, which sometime on the buds
Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls,
Stood now within the pretty flow'rets' eyes,
Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.
When I had, at my pleasure, taunted her,
And she, in mild terms, begg'd my patience,
I then did ask of her her changeling child;
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent
To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.

And, gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp
From off the head of this Athenian swain;
That he awaking when the other do,
May ail to Athens back again repair;

Aud think no more of this night's accidents,

a Gifford pointed out the true meaning of this passage in his note upon a parallel passage in Ben Jonson :

"behold!

How the blue bindweed doth itself enfold
With honeysuckle, and both these entwine
Themselves with bryony and jessamine."

"In many of our counties," says Gifford, "the woodone is still the uame for the great convolvulus."

But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will release the fairy queen.
Be thou, as thou wast wont to be;

[Touching her eyes with an herb.

See, as thou wast wont to see:
Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Hath such force and blessed power.

Now, my Titania, wake you, my sweet queen.
Tita. My Oberon! what visions have I seen!
Methought I was enamour'd of an ass.

Obe. There lies your love.
Tita.

How came these things to pass?

O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!

Obe. Silence a while.-Robin, take off this head.Titania, music call; and strike more dead

Than common sleep, of all these five the sense.

Tita. Music, ho! music; such as charmeth sleep.

Puck. When thou wak'st, with thine own fool's eyes

peep.

Obe. Sound, music. [Still music.] Come, my queen, take hands with me,

And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
Now thou and I are new in amity;

And will, to-morrow midnight, solemnly,

Dance in duke Theseus' house triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair posterity:

There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.

Puck.

Obe.

Tita.

Fairy king, attend, and mark;
I do hear the morning lark.
Then, my queen, in silence sad,
Trip we after the night's shade:
We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wand'ring moon.
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.

[Exeuni. [Horns sound within.

IV.

ACT V.-SCENE II.-Enter PUCK.

Puck. Now the hungry lion roars,

Obe

And the wolf behowls the moon;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,
All with weary task fordone.
Now the wasted brands do glow,

Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud,
Puts the wretch, that lies in woe,
In remembrance of a shroud.
Now it is the time of night,

That the graves, all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite,
In the church-way paths to glide:
And we fairies, that do run

By the triple Hecate's team,
From the presence of the sun,
Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic; not a mouse
Shall disturb this hallow'd house:
I am sent, with broom before,
To sweep the dust behind the door.

Enter OBERON and TITANIA, with their Train

Through the house give glimmering light,
By the dead and drowsy fire;

Every elf, and fairy sprite,

Hop as light as bird from brier;
And this ditty, after me,

Sing, and dance it, trippingly.

Tita. First, rehearse this song by rote:
To each word a warbling note,
Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Will we sing, and bless this place.
SONG, AND DANCE.

Obe. Now, until the break of day,
Through this house each fairy stray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us shall blessed be:

E

And the issue there create
Ever shall be fortunate.
So shall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be;

And the blots of Nature's hand
Shall not in their issue stand;
Never mole, hare-lip, nor scar,
Nor mark prodigious, such as are
Despised in nativity,

Shall upon their children be.
With this field-dew consecrate,

Every fairy take his gait;

And each several chamber bless,
Through this palace with sweet peace;
Ever shall in safety rest,

And the owner of it blest.
Trip away;

Make no stay:

Meet me all by break of day.

[Exeunt OBERON, TITANIA, and Train