Shakespeare's First Folio Part 136

Ober. Do you amend it then, it lies in you, Why should t.i.tania crosse her Oberon?

I do but beg a little changeling boy, To be my Henchman

Qu. Set your heart at rest, The Fairy land buyes not the childe of me, His mother was a Votresse of my Order, And in the spiced Indian aire, by night Full often hath she gossipt by my side, And sat with me on Neptunes yellow sands, Marking th' embarked traders on the flood, When we haue laught to see the sailes conceiue, And grow big bellied with the wanton winde: Which she with pretty and with swimming gate, Following (her wombe then rich with my yong squire) Would imitate, and saile vpon the Land, To fetch me trifles, and returne againe, As from a voyage, rich with merchandize.

But she being mortall, of that boy did die, And for her sake I doe reare vp her boy, And for her sake I will not part with him

Ob. How long within this wood intend you stay?

Qu. Perchance till after Theseus wedding day.

If you will patiently dance in our Round, And see our Moone-light reuels, goe with vs; If not, shun me and I will spare your haunts

Ob. Giue me that boy, and I will goe with thee

Qu. Not for thy Fairy Kingdome. Fairies away: We shall chide downe right, if I longer stay.

Exeunt

Ob. Wel, go thy way: thou shalt not from this groue, Till I torment thee for this iniury.

My gentle Pucke come hither; thou remembrest Since once I sat vpon a promontory, And heard a Meare-maide on a Dolphins backe, Vttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, That the rude sea grew ciuill at her song, And certaine starres shot madly from their Spheares, To heare the Sea-maids musicke

Puc. I remember

Ob. That very time I say (but thou couldst not) Flying betweene the cold Moone and the earth, Cupid all arm'd; a certaine aime he tooke At a faire Vestall, throned by the West, And loos'd his loue-shaft smartly from his bow, As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts, But I might see young Cupids fiery shaft Quencht in the chaste beames of the watry Moone; And the imperiall Votresse pa.s.sed on, In maiden meditation, fancy free.

Yet markt I where the bolt of Cupid fell.

It fell vpon a little westerne flower; Before, milke-white: now purple with loues wound, And maidens call it, Loue in idlenesse.

Fetch me that flower; the hearb I shew'd thee once, The iuyce of it, on sleeping eye-lids laid, Will make or man or woman madly dote Vpon the next liue creature that it sees.

Fetch me this hearbe, and be thou heere againe, Ere the Leuiathan can swim a league

Pucke. Ile put a girdle about the earth, in forty minutes

Ober. Hauing once this iuyce, Ile watch t.i.tania, when she is asleepe, And drop the liquor of it in her eyes: The next thing when she waking lookes vpon, (Be it on Lyon, Beare, or Wolfe, or Bull, On medling Monkey, or on busie Ape) Shee shall pursue it, with the soule of loue.

And ere I take this charme off from her sight, (As I can take it with another hearbe) Ile make her render vp her Page to me.

But who comes heere? I am inuisible, And I will ouer-heare their conference.

Enter Demetrius, Helena following him.

Deme. I loue thee not, therefore pursue me not, Where is Lysander, and faire Hermia?

The one Ile stay, the other stayeth me.

Thou toldst me they were stolne into this wood; And heere am I, and wood 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 steele. Leaue you your power to draw, And I shall haue no power to follow you

Deme. Do I entice you? do I speake you faire?

Or rather doe I not in plainest truth, Tell you I doe not, nor I cannot loue you?

Hel. And euen for that doe I loue thee the more; I am your spaniell, and Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawne on you.

Vse me but as your spaniell; spurne me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me; onely giue me leaue (Vnworthy as I am) to follow you.

What worser place can I beg in your loue, (And yet a place of high respect with me) Then to be vsed as you doe your dogge

Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit, For I am sicke when I do looke on thee

Hel. And I am sicke when I looke not on you

Dem. You doe impeach your modesty too much, To leaue the Citty, and commit your selfe Into the hands of one that loues you not, To trust the opportunity of night.

And the ill counsell of a desert place, With the rich worth of your virginity

Hel. Your vertue is my priuiledge: for that It is not night when I doe see your face.

Therefore I thinke I am not in the night, Nor doth this wood lacke 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 heere to looke on me?

Dem. Ile run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, And leaue thee to the mercy of wilde beasts

Hel. The wildest hath not such a heart as you; Runne when you will, the story shall be chang'd: Apollo flies and Daphne holds the chase; The Doue pursues the Griffin, the milde Hinde Makes speed to catch the Tyger. Bootlesse speede, When cowardise pursues, and valour flies

Demet. I will not stay thy questions, let me go; Or if thou follow me, doe not beleeue, But I shall doe thee mischiefe in the wood

Hel. I, in the Temple, in the Towne, and Field You doe me mischiefe. Fye Demetrius, Your wrongs doe set a scandall on my s.e.xe: We cannot fight for loue, as men may doe; We should be woo'd, and were not made to wooe.

I follow thee, and make a heauen of h.e.l.l, To die vpon the hand I loue so well.

Enter.

Ob. Fare thee well Nymph, ere he do leaue this groue, Thou shalt flie him, and he shall seeke thy loue.

Hast thou the flower there? Welcome wanderer.

Enter Pucke.

Puck. I there it is

Ob. I pray thee giue it me.

I know a banke where the wilde time blowes, Where Oxslips and the nodding Violet growes, Quite ouer-cannoped with luscious woodbine, With sweet muske roses, and with Eglantine; There sleepes Tytania, sometime of the night, Lul'd in these flowers, with dances and delight: And there the snake throwes her enammel'd skinne, Weed wide enough to rap a Fairy in.

And with the iuyce of this Ile streake her eyes, And make her full of hatefull fantasies.

Take thou some of it, and seek through this groue; A sweet Athenian Lady is in loue With a disdainefull youth: annoint his eyes, But doe it when the next thing he espies, May be the Lady. Thou shalt know the man, By the Athenian garments he hath on.

Effect it with some care, that he may proue More fond on her, then she vpon her loue; And looke thou meet me ere the first c.o.c.ke crow

Pu. Feare not my Lord, your seruant shall do so.

Enter.

Enter Queene of Fairies, with her traine.

Queen. Come, now a Roundell, and a Fairy song; Then for the third part of a minute hence, Some to kill Cankers in the muske rose buds, Some warre with Reremise, for their leathern wings.

To make my small Elues coates, and some keepe backe The clamorous Owle that nightly hoots and wonders At our queint spirits: Sing me now asleepe, Then to your offices, and let me rest

Fairies Sing. You spotted Snakes with double tongue, Th.o.r.n.y Hedgehogges be not seene, Newts and blinde wormes do no wrong, Come not neere our Fairy Queene.

Philomele with melodie, Sing in your sweet Lullaby.

Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby, Neuer harme, nor spell, nor charme, Come our louely Lady nye, So good night with Lullaby

2.Fairy. Weauing Spiders come not heere, Hence you long leg'd Spinners, hence: Beetles blacke approach not neere; Worme nor Snayle doe no offence.

Philomele with melody, &c

1.Fairy. Hence away, now all is well; One aloofe, stand Centinell.

Shee sleepes.

Enter Oberon.