Lyf. If thou fay fo, withdraw and prove it too.

Dem. Quick, come.

Her. Lyfander, whereto tends all this?
Lyf. Away, you Ethiope.

Dem. No, no, Sir, feem to break loofe ;
Take on as you would follow,

But yet come not; you are a tame Man, go.

Lyf. Hang off thou Cat, thou Burre; vile thing let loose, Or I will shake thee from me like a Serpent.

Her. Why are you grown fo rude

What change is this, fweet Love?

Lyf. Thy Love? Out tawny Tartar, out; Out loathed Medicine; O hated Poison, hence. Her. Do you not jeft?

Hel. Yes footh, and fo do you.

Lyf. Demetrius, I will keep my Word with thee. Dem. I would I had your Bond; for I perceive A weak Bond holds you; I'll not truft your Word. Lys. What, fhould I hurt her, ftrike her, kill her dead? Although I hate her, I'll not harm her fo.

Her. What, can you do me greater harm than hate? Hate mel wherefore? O me! what News, my Love? Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lyfander?

I am as fair now, as I was ere-while.

Since Night you lov'd me; yet fince Night you left me: Why then you left me, O the gods forbid!

In earneft, fhall I fay?

Lyf. Ay, by my Life,

And never did defire to fee thee more.

Therefore be out of hope, of question, of doubt,

Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jeft,

That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me, you Jugler, you Canker-bloffom,

You Thief of Love; what have you come by Night,
And ftollen my Love's Heart from him?
Hel. Fine, i'faith!

Have you no Modefty, no maiden Shame,
No touch of Bashfulness? What will you tear
Impatient Answers from my gentle Tongue?
e, fie, you Counterfeit, you Puppet, you.

Her. Puppet! why fo? Ay, that ways go the Game. Now I perceive that the hath made compare

Between our Statures; fhe hath urg'd her height,
And with her perfonage, her tall perfonage,

Her height, forfooth, fhe hath prevail'd with him.
And are you grown fo high in his Efteem,
Because I am fo dwarfish, and fo low?
How low am I, thou painted Maypole? Speak,
How low am I? I am not yet fo low,
But that my Nails can reach unto thine Eyes.

Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, Gentlemen,
Let her not hurt me, I was never curft:

I have no gift at all in Shrewishness;

I am a right Maid for my Cowardize :
Let her not ftrike me.

You perhaps may think,

Because she's fomething lower than my felf,
That I can match her.

Her. Lower! Hark again.

Hel. Good Hermia, do not be fo bitter with me,'
I evermore did love you, Hermia,

Did ever keep your Counfels, never wrong'd you,
Save that in Lové unto Demetrius,

I told him of your stealth into this Wood:
He follow'd you, for Love I fo low'd him,
But he hath chid me hence, and threatned me
To ftrike me, fpurn me, nay to kill me too;
And now, fo you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my Folly back,
And follow you no further. Let me go,,

You fe how fimple, and how fond I am.

Her. Why get you gone; who is't that hinders you?
Hel. A foolish Heart, that I leave here behind.

Her. What with Lylander?

Hel. With Demetrius.

Lyf. Be not afraid, fhe will not harm thee, Helena.
Dem. No, Sir, fhe fhall not, though you take her part.
Hel. She was a Vixen when he went to School;

And though the be but little fhe is fierce.

Her. Little again? Nothing but low and little ?
Why will you fuffer her to flout me thus?
Let me come to her.

Lyf.

Lyf. Get you gone, you Dwarf,

You Minimus, of hindring Knot-grafs made,
You Bead, you Acorn.

Dem. You are too officious

In her behalf that fcorns your Services.

Let her alone, fpeak not of Helena,

Take not her part: For if thou doft intend
Never fo little fhew of Love to her,

Thou shalt abide it.

Lyf. Now he holds me not,

Now follow if thou dar'ft, to try whofe Right

Of thine or mine is moft in Helena.

Dem. Follow? Nay, I'll go with thee Cheek by Jowl.

[Exit Lyfander and Demetrius.

Her. You Miftrefs, all this Coyl is long of you:

Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not truft you,

Nor longer ftay in your curft Company.
Your Hands than mine are quicker for a Fray,
My Legs are longer though, to run away.

Enter Oberon and Puck.

Ob. This is thy Negligence, ftill thou mistak'st,
Or else committ'ft thy Knaveries willingly.
Puck. Believe me, King of Shadows, I mistook:
Did not you tell me I should know the Man,
By the Athenian Garments he hath on?
And fo far blameless proves my Enterprize,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's Eyes;
And fo far am I glad, it did fo fort,
As this their Jangling I efteem a Sport.
Ob. Thou feeft thefe Lovers feek a Place to fight;
Hie therefore, Robin, overcaft the Night,
The Starry Welkin cover thou anon
With drooping Fog, as black as Acheron,
And lead thefe tefty Rivals fo aftray,
As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lyfander fometime frame thy Tongue,
Then ftir Demetrius up with bitter Wrong;
And fometime rail thou like Demetrius;
And from each other look thou lead them thus,

[Exeunt.

←

'Till o'er their Brows, Death-counterfeiting Sleep
With leaden Legs and batty Wings doth creep;
Then crush this Herb into Lyfander's Eye,
Whofe Liquor hath this virtuous Property,
To take from thence all Error, with its Might,
And make his Eye-balls rowl with wonted fight.
When they next wake, all this Derifion
Shall feem a Dream, and fruitless Vision;
And back to Athens fhall the Lovers wend
With League, whose date 'till Death shall never end.
Whiles I in this Affair do thee imploy,

I'll to my Queen, and beg her Indian Boy;
And then I will her charmed Eye release

From Monsters view, and all things fhall be Peace.
Puck. My Fairy Lord, this must be done with hafte,

For Night's fwift Dragons cut the Clouds full faft,
And yonder fhines Aurora's Harbinger;

At whofe approach, Ghosts wandring here and there,
Troop home to Church-yards; Damned Spirits all,
That in Crofs-ways and Floods have Burial,
Already to their wormy Beds are gone,

For fear left Day fhould look their Shames upon,
They wilfully exile themfelves from Light,
And must for aye confort with black-brow'd 'Night.
Ob. But we are Spirits of another fort;

I with the Morning-Love have oft made fport,
And like a Forefter the Groves may tread,
Even 'till the Eastern Gate all fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with fair bleffed Beams,
Turns into yellow Gold his falt-green Streams.
But notwithstanding hafte, make no delay,

We may effect this Bufinefs yet e'er Day. [Exit Oberon.
Puck. 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.
Enter Lyfander.

Lyf. Where art thou, proud Demetrius ?

Speak thou now.

Puck. Here, Villain, drawn and ready. Where art thou?
Lys. I will be with thee ftraight.

Puck. Follow me then to plainer Ground.

Enter

Enter Demetrius

Dem. Lyfander, speak again;

Thou Run-away, thou Coward, art thou fled?
Speak in fome Bush: Where doft thou hide thy Head?
Puck. Thou Coward, art thou begging to the Stars,
Telling the Bushes that thou look'ft for Wars,

And wilt not come? Come Recreant, come chou 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. [Exe. Lyf. He goes before me, and ftill dares me on,

When I come where he calls me, then he's gone.

The Villain is much lighter heel'd than I:

I follow'd faft, but fafter he did fly;
That fall'n am I in dark uneven way,

[Shifting places.

And here will reft me. Come thou gentle Day: [Lyes down.
For if but once thou fhew me thy gray Light,
I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this Spight.

Enter Puck and Demetrius.

Puck. Ho, ho, ho, Coward why com'ft thou not?
Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'ft: For well I wot,

Thou runn'ft before me, fhifting every place,

And dar'ft not stand, nor look me in the Face.

Where art thou?

Puck. Come hither, I am here.

Dem. Nay then thou mock'ft me; thou shalt buy this dear,

If ever I thy Face by Day-light fee.

Now go thy way: Faintnefs conftraineth me,

To measure out my length on this cold Bed,
By Day's approach look to be visited.

Enter. Helena.

[Lyes down.

Hel. O weary Night, O long and tedious Night,
Abate thy Hours, fhine Comforts from the Eaft,
That I may back to Athens by Day-light,
From thefe that my poor Company deteft,

And Sleep, that fometimes fhuts up Sorrow's Eye,
Steal me a while from mine own Company,

Puck. Yet but three? Come one more,
Two of both Kinds makes up four.

Here he comes, curft and fad,

D 4

[Sleeps.

Cupid