Another Part of the Wood.
 Enter OBERON.

Oberon	I wonder if Titania be awaked;
	Then what it was that next came in her eye,
	Which she must dote on in extremity.
	Here comes my messenger.

                               Enter PUCK.

								How now, mad spirit!
	What night-rule now about this haunted grove?

Puck	My mistress with a monster is in love.
	Near to her close and consecrated bower,
	While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
	A crew of patches, rude mechanicals
	That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
	Were met together to rehearse a play
	Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.
	The shallowest thickskin of that barren sort,
	Who Pyramus presented, in their sport
	Forsook his scene and entered in a brake.
	When I did him at this advantage take,
	An ass's nole I fixd on his head.
	Anon his Thisbe must be answerd,
	And forth my mimic comes. When him they spy-
	As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
	Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
	Rising and cawing at the gun's report,
	Sever themselves and madly sweep the sky-
	So, at his sight, away his fellows fly,
	And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;
	He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.
	Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears thus strong,
	Made senseless things begin to do them wrong;
	For briars and thorns at their apparel snatch;
	Some sleeves, some hats, from yielders all things catch.
	I led them on in this distracted fear,
	And left sweet Pyramus translated there;
	When in that moment, so it came to pass,
	Titania waked, and straightway loved an ass.

Oberon	This falls out better than I could devise.
	But hast thou yet latched the Athenian's eyes
	With a love-juice, as I did bid thee do?

Puck	I took him sleeping - that is finished too-
	And the Athenian woman by his side,
	That, when he waked, of force she must be eyed.

                       Enter HERMIA and DEMETRIUS.

Oberon	Stand close. This is the same Athenian.
											[They stand apart.
Puck	This is the woman, but not this the man.

Demetrius	O, why rebuke you him that loves you so?
	Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe.

Hermia	Now I but chide; but I should use thee worse,
	For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse.
	If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
	Being o'er-shoes in blood, plunge in the deep
	And kill me too.
	The sun was not so true unto the day
	As he to me. Would he have stolen away
	From sleeping Hermia? I'll believe as soon
	This whole earth may be bored, and that the moon
	May through the centre creep, and so displease
	Her brother's noontide with th' Antipodes.
	It cannot be but thou hast murdered him;
	So should a murderer look, so dead, so grim.

Demetrius	So should the murdered look; and so should I,
	Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty.
	Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear,
	As yonder Venus in her glimm'ring sphere.

Hermia	What's this to my Lysander? Where is he?
	Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me?

Demetrius	I had rather give his carcass to my hounds.

Hermia	Out, dog! Out, cur! Thou driv'st me past the bounds
	Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him then?
	Henceforth be never numbered among men!
	O, once tell true, tell true, even for my sake!
	Durst thou have looked upon him being awake,
	And hast thou killed him sleeping? O brave touch!
	Could not a worm, an adder, do so much?
	An adder did it; for with doubler tongue
	Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.

Demetrius	You spend your passion on a misprised mood.
	I am not guilty of Lysander's blood;
	Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell.

Hermia	I pray thee, tell me then that he is well.

Demetrius	An if I could, what should I get therefore.

Hermia	A privilege never to see me more.
	And from thy hated presence part I so.
	See me no more, whether he be dead or no.
											[Exit.

Demetrius	There is no following her in this fierce vein;
	Here, therefore, for a while I will remain.
	So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow
	For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe,
	Which now in some slight measure it will pay,
	If for his tender here I make some stay.
											[Lies down and sleeps.

Oberon	[Advancing, with PUCK.]
	What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite,
	And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight.
	Of thy misprision must perforce ensue
	Some true-love turned, and not a false turned true.

Puck	Then fate o'errules, that, one man holding troth,
	A million fail, confounding oath on oath.

Oberon	About the wood go swifter than the wind,
	And Helena of Athens look thou find.
	All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer,
	With sighs of love that costs the fresh blood dear.
	By some illusion see thou bring her here;
	I'll charm his eyes against she do appear.

Puck	I go, I go; look how I go,
	Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.
											[Exit.

Oberon		Flower of this purple dye,
		Hit with Cupid's archery,
		Sink in apple of his eye.
		When his love he doth espy,
		Let her shine as gloriously
		As the Venus of the sky.
		When thou wak'st, if she be by,
		Beg of her for remedy.

                              Re-enter PUCK.

Puck		Captain of our fairy band,
		Helena is here at hand;
		And the youth, mistook by me,
		Pleading for a lover's fee.
		Shall we their fond pageant see?
		Lord, what fools these mortals be!

Oberon		Stand aside. The noise they make
		Will cause Demetrius to awake.

Puck		Then will two at once woo one.
		That must needs be sport alone;
		And those things do best please me
		That befall preposterously.
											[They stand apart.

                        Enter LYSANDER and HELENA.

Lysander	Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
		Scorn and derision never come in tears.
	Look, when I vow I weep; and vows so born,
		In their nativity all truth appears.
	How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
	Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?

Helena	You do advance your cunning more and more.
		When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!
	These vows are Hermia's. Will you give her o'er?
		Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh.
	Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,
	Will even weigh; and both as light as tales.

Lysander	I had no judgement when to her I swore.

Helena	Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er.

Lysander	Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

Demetrius	[Waking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
	To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
	Crystal is muddy. O how ripe in show
	Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
	That pure congeald white, high Taurus' snow,
	Fanned with the eastern wind, turns to a crow
	When thou hold'st up thy hand. O let me kiss
	This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!

Helena	O spite! O hell! I see you are all bent
	To set against me for your merriment.
	If you were civil and knew courtesy
	You would not do me thus much injury.
	Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
	But you must join in souls to mock me too?
	If you were men, as men you are in show,
	You would not use a gentle lady so:
	To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts,
	When I am sure you hate me with your hearts.
	You both are rivals, and love Hermia;
	And now both rivals, to mock Helena:
	A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
	To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
	With your derision! None of noble sort
	Would so offend a virgin, and extort
	A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

Lysander	You are unkind, Demetrius. Be not so;
	For you love Hermia; this you know I know.
	And here, with all good will, with all my heart,
	In Hermia's love I yield you up my part;
	And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
	Whom I do love, and will do till my death.

Helena	Never did mockers waste more idle breath.

Demetrius	Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none.
	If e'er I loved her, all that love is gone.
	My heart to her but as guestwise sojourned,
	And now to Helen is it home returned,
	There to remain.

Lysander						Helen, it is not so.

Demetrius	Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,
	Lest, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.

                             Re-enter HERMIA.

	Look where thy love comes! Yonder is thy dear.

Hermia	Dark night that from the eye his function takes,
	The ear more quick of apprehension makes;
	Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense,
	It pays the hearing double recompense.
	Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found;
	Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound.
	But why unkindly didst thou leave me so?

Lysander	Why should he stay whom love doth press to go?

Hermia	What love could press Lysander from my side?

Lysander	Lysander's love - that would not let him bide-
	Fair Helena, who more engilds the night
	Than all yon fiery oes and eyes of light.
	Why seek'st thou me? Could not this make thee know
	The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?

Hermia	You speak not as you think. It cannot be.

Helena	Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
	Now I perceive they have conjoined all three
	To fashion this false sport in spite of me.
	Injurious Hermia, most ungrateful maid!
	Have you conspired, have you with these contrived
	To bait me with this foul derision?
	Is all the counsel that we two have shared,
	The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent
	When we have chid the hasty-footed time
	For parting us - O, is all forgot?
	All schooldays' friendship, childhood innocence?
	We, Hermia, like two artificial gods
	Have with our needles created both one flower,
	Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
	Both warbling of one song, both in one key,
	As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,
	Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
	Like to a double cherry, seeming parted
	But yet a union in partition,
	Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
	So, with two seeming bodies but one heart,
	Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
	Due but to one, and crownd with one crest.
	And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
	To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
	It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly;
	Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
	Though I alone do feel the injury.

Hermia	I am amazd at your passionate words.
	I scorn you not. It seems that you scorn me.

Helena	Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
	To follow me and praise my eyes and face?
	And made your other love, Demetrius,
	Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,
	To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
	Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this
	To her he hates? And wherefore doth Lysander
	Deny your love, so rich within his soul,
	And tender me, forsooth, affection,
	But by your setting on, by your consent?
	What though I be not so in grace as you,
	So hung upon with love, so fortunate,
	But miserable most, to love unloved?
	This you should pity rather than despise.

Hermia	I understand not what you mean by this.

Helena	Ay, do - persever, counterfeit sad looks,
	Make mouths upon me when I turn my back,
	Wink each at other, hold the sweet jest up;
	This sport well carried shall be chronicled.
	If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
	You would not make me such an argument.
	But fare ye well: 'tis partly my own fault,
	Which death or absence soon shall remedy.

Lysander	Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse.
	My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!

Helena	O excellent!

Hermia					Sweet, do not scorn her so.

Demetrius	If she cannot entreat, I can compel.

Lysander	Thou canst compel no more than she entreat.
	Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.
	Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do.
	I swear by that which I will lose for thee
	To prove him false that says I love thee not.

Demetrius	I say I love thee more than he can do.

Lysander	If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.

Demetrius	Quick, come.

Hermia				Lysander, whereto tends all this?

Lysander	Away, you Ethiope!

Demetrius						No, no; he'll
	Seem to break loose-
	[Turning to LYSANDER.]	take on as you would follow,
	But yet come not. You are a tame man, go!

Lysander	[To HERMIA.]
	Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing, let loose,
	Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent!

Hermia	Why are you grown so rude? What change is this,
	Sweet love-

Lysander				Thy love! Out, tawny Tartar, out!
	Out, loathd med'cine! O hated poison, hence!

Hermia	Do you not jest?

Helena						Yes, sooth, and so do you.

Lysander	Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.

Demetrius	I would I had your bond, for I perceive
	A weak bond holds you. I'll not trust your word.

Lysander	What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?
	Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so.

Hermia	What, can you do me greater harm than hate?
	Hate me! Wherefore? O me, what news, my love!
	Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander?
	I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
	Since night you loved me; yet since night you left me.
	Why then, you left me - O the gods forbid!-
	In earnest, shall I say?

Lysander								Ay, by my life;
	And never did desire to see thee more.
	Therefore be out of hope, of question, of doubt;
	Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jest
	That I do hate thee and love Helena.

Hermia	O me, you juggler, you canker-blossom,
	You thief of love! What, have you come by night
	And stol'n my love's heart from him?

Helena									Fine, i'faith!
	Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,
	No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
	Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?
	Fie, fie, you counterfeit, you puppet, you!

Hermia	Puppet? Why so? Ay, that way goes the game.
	Now I perceive that she hath made compare
	Between our statures. She hath urged her height,
	And with her personage, her tall personage,
	Her height, forsooth, she hath prevailed with him.
	And are you grown so high in his esteem
	Because I am so dwarfish and so low?
	How low am I, thou painted maypole? Speak;
	How low am I? I am not yet so low
	But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

Helena	I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen,
	Let her not hurt me. I was never curst;
	I have no gift at all in shrewishness;
	I am a right maid for my cowardice.
	Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think,
	Because she is something lower than myself,
	That I can match her.

Hermia							Lower! Hark, again.

Helena	Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.
	I evermore did love you, Hermia;
	Did ever keep your counsels, never wronged you,
	Save that in love unto Demetrius
	I told him of your stealth into this wood.
	He followed you; for love I followed him;
	But he hath chid me hence, and threatened me
	To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too.
	And now, so you will let me quiet go,
	To Athens will I bear my folly back,
	And follow you no further. Let me go;
	You see how simple and how fond I am.

Hermia	Why, get you gone. Who is't that hinders you?

Helena	A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.

Hermia	What, with Lysander?

Helena							With Demetrius.

Lysander	Be not afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena.

Demetrius	No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part.

Helena	O, when she's angry she is keen and shrewd.
	She was a vixen when she went to school,
	And, though she is but little, she is fierce.

Hermia	Little again! Nothing but low and little!
	Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?
	Let me come to her.

Lysander						Get you gone, you dwarf,
	You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made;
	You bead, you acorn.

Demetrius							You are too officious
	In her behalf that scorns your services.
	Let her alone. Speak not of Helena;
	Take not her part; for if thou dost intend
	Never so little show of love to her,
	Thou shalt aby it.

Lysander						Now she holds me not.
	Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try whose right,
	Of thine or mine, is most in Helena.

Demetrius	Follow! Nay, I'll go with thee cheek by jowl.
										[Exeunt LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS.

Hermia	You, mistress, all this coil is 'long of you.
	Nay, go not back.

Helena						I will not trust you, I,
	Nor longer stay in your curst company.
	Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray;
	My legs are longer, though, to run away.
											[Exit.
Hermia	I am amazed, and know not what to say.
											[Exit.

Oberon	[Advancing, with PUCK.]
	This is thy negligence. Still thou mistak'st,
	Or else committ'st thy knaveries wilfully.

Puck	Believe me, King of shadows, I mistook.
	Did not you tell me I should know the man
	By the Athenian garments he had on?
	And so far blameless proves my enterprise
	That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes;
	And so far am I glad it did so sort,
	As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

Oberon	Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight.
	Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;
	The starry welkin cover thou anon
	With drooping fog as black as Acheron,
	And lead these testy rivals so astray
	As one come not within another's way.
	Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,
	Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
	And sometime rail thou like Demetrius;
	And from each other look thou lead them thus,
	Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
	With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep.
	Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye;
	Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
	To take from thence all error with his might
	And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight.
	When they next wake, all this derision
	Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision;
	And back to Athens shall the lovers wend
	With league whose date till death shall never end.
	Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
	I'll to my queen and beg her Indian boy;
	And then I will her charmd eye release
	From monster's view, and all things shall be peace.

Puck	My fairy lord, this must be done with haste,
	For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
	And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger,
	At whose approach ghosts, wand'ring here and there,
	Troop home to churchyards. Damnd spirits all,
	That in crossways and floods have burial,
	Already to their wormy beds are gone,
	For fear lest day should look their shames upon;
	They wilfully themselves exile from light,
	And must for aye consort with black-browed night.

Oberon	But we are spirits of another sort.
	I with the morning's love have oft made sport,
	And like a forester the groves may tread
	Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red,
	Opening on Neptune with fair blessd beams,
	Turns into yellow gold his salt green streams.
	But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay;
	We may effect this business yet ere day.
											[Exit.

Puck		Up and down, up and down,
		I will lead them up and down.
		I am feared in field and town.
		Goblin, lead them up and down.


	Here comes one.

                            Re-enter LYSANDER.

Lysander	Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now.

Puck	[Imitating DEMETRIUS.]
	Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou?

Lysander	I will be with thee straight.

Puck	[Imitating DEMETRIUS.]			Follow me, then,
	To plainer ground.
						  [Exit LYSANDER, as following the voice.

                           Re-enter DEMETRIUS.

Demetrius						Lysander, speak again!
	Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?
	Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?

Puck	[Imitating LYSANDER.]
	Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
	Telling the bushes that thou look'st for wars,
	And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child.
	I'll whip thee with a rod; he is defiled
	That draws a sword on thee.

Demetrius									Yea, art thou there?

Puck	[Imitating LYSANDER.]
	Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here.
											[Exeunt.

                            Re-enter LYSANDER.

Lysander	He goes before me, and still dares me on.
	When I come where he calls, then he is gone.
	The villain is much lighter-heeled than I.
	I followed fast, but faster did he fly;
	That fallen am I in dark uneven way,
	And here will rest me.
											[Lies down.
							Come, thou gentle day;
	For if but once thou show me thy grey light,
	I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite.
											[Sleeps.

                       Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS.

Puck	[Imitating LYSANDER.]
	Ho, ho, ho, coward; why com'st thou not?

Demetrius	Abide me, if thou dar'st; for well I wot
	Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place,
	And dar'st not stand nor look me in the face.
	Where art thou now?

Puck							Come hither; I am here.

Demetrius	Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy this dear
	If ever I thy face by daylight see.
	Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
	To measure out my length on this cold bed.
	By day's approach look to be visited.
											[Lies down and sleeps.

                             Re-enter HELENA.

Helena	O weary night, O long and tedious night,
		Abate thy hours, shine comforts from the east
	That I may back to Athens by daylight,
		From these that my poor company detest.
	And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye,
	Steal me awhile from mine own company.
											[Lies down and sleeps.

Puck		Yet but three? Come one more;
		Two of both kinds makes up four.
		Here she comes, curst and sad.
		Cupid is a knavish lad
		Thus to make poor females mad.

                             Re-enter HERMIA.

Hermia	Never so weary, never so in woe;
		Be dabbled with the dew, and torn with briars;
	I can no further crawl, no further go;
		My legs can keep no pace with my desires.
	Here will I rest me till the break of day.
	Heavens, shield Lysander if they mean a fray!
											[Lies down and sleeps.

Puck		On the ground
		Sleep sound.
		I'll apply
		To your eye,
	Gentle lover, remedy.
						 [Squeezing the juice on Lysander's eyes.

		When thou wak'st
		Thou tak'st
		True delight
		In the sight
	Of thy former lady's eye;
	And the country proverb known,
	That every man should take his own,
	In your waking shall be shown:
		Jack shall have Jill,
		Naught shall go ill;
	The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.
											[Exit.
