And this same progeny of evils comes Obe. Do you amend it then; it lies in you: I do but beg a little changeling boy, Tita. Set your heart at rest, The fairy land buys not the child of me. Would imitate; and sail upon the land, stay? Tita. Perchance, till after Theseus' weddingday. If you will patiently dance in our round, [Exeunt TITANIA, and 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 remember'st And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back, Puck. I remember. Obe. That very time I saw, (but thou could'st not,) Flying between the cold moon and the earth, At a fair vestal, throned by the west; And loos'd his love shaft smartly from his bow, As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts: But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft Quench'd in the chaste beams of the wat❜ry moon; And the imperial, vot'ress 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. Fetch me that Aower; the herb I show'd thee once ; The juice of it, on sleeping eyelids laid, Puck. I'll put a girdle round about the earth In forty minutes. Obe. Having once this juice, [Exit Puck. I'll watch Titania when she is asleep, Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him. Dem. 1 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 stol'n into this wood, And here am I, and wood within this wood, Because I cannot meet with 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 yout 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? 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: Unworthy 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? 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. Hel. Your virtue is my privilege for that. When all the world is here to look on me? Dem. I'll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts, 1 Hel. The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be chang'd: 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 ou my sex: VOL. III. 8 We cannot fight for love, as men may do; We should be woo'd, and were not made to WOO. I'll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, [Exeunt DEM. and HEL. Obe. Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove, Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love. Re-enter PUCK. Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer." Puck. Ay, there it is. Obe. I pray thee, give it me.' I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows. rove: With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes; do so. [Exeunt. |