University of Virginia Library

ACT. II.

SCENE a Wood, by Moon-light.
Enter a Fairy at one door, Robin Goodfellow at the other.
Ro.
Tell me Fairy, where's our Queen?
And where have you been wandering?

Fa.
Over Hill, over Dale, thro' Bush, thro' Bryer,
Over Park, over Pale, thro' Flood, thro' Fire,
I wander swifter than the Moon's bright Sphere.
I serve the Mighty Fairy-Queen,
Sprinkle her Circles on the Green.
The Cowslips tall, her Pentioners be;
Spots in their Gold Coats you see.
Those be Rubies, Fairy-Favours,
In those freckles live their savours;
I must gather Dew-drops here,
And hang a Pearl in every Cowslips Ear.
Farewell Lob-Spirit, I'll be gone,
The Queen and all her Elves come here anon.

Ro.
The King will keep his Revels here to Night,
Take heed the Queen comes not within his Sight.
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she for her Attendant hath
A Lovely Boy, stoln from an Indian King,
She never had so fair a Changling.
The Jealous Oberon would have the Child,
But she perforce with-holds the Lovely Boy.
And now they never meet in Grove, or Green,
By Fountain, or by Star-light, are they seen:
But as they quarrel, all their Elves for fear,
Creep into Acorn-Cups, and hide 'em there.

Fa.
Either I mistake your shape, and making quite,
Or else you are that shrewd, and Knavish Spright,
Call'd Robin Good-Fellow; are you not he
Fright Village-Maids and pinch each Sluttish she?
Skim Milk, and sometimes labour in the Quern,
And bootless make the breathless Huswife Chern?
And sometimes make the Drink to bear no Barm?
Mislead Night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you, and kind Puck,
You sweep their Houses, send 'em all good luck;
Are you not he?

Rob.
Yes, yes, thou speak'st aright,
I am that Merry Wanderer of the Night.
I jest to Oberon, and make him smile.
Sometimes I hide me in a Gossips Bowl,
Just in the likeness of a Roasted Crab;
And when she drinks, against her Lips I bob;
And on her wither'd Dew-lap pour the Ale,
The wisest Wife, telling the saddest Tale.
She for a Three-leg'd Stool mistaketh me,
Then slip I from her Bum, down toples she.
Look yonder, Fairy, here comes Oberon!

Fa.
Titania meets him, would we two were gone.

Enter Oberon, and Train at one Door. Titania, and her Train at the other.
Ob.
Now proud Titania I shall find your Haunts.

Tit.
What, Jealous Oberon! Faries away,
I have forsworn his Bed, and Company.

Ob.
Tarry, rash Woman, am not I thy Lord?

Tit.
And am not I your Lady too? Remember
When you did steal away from Fairy-Land,
And in the shape of Corin sat all day
Playing on Oaten-Pipes, and Singing Love
To Amorous Philida. Why are you here
Come from the farthest Verge of India?
But that some Lusty Pair, some Wedding's near,
And you must Sport, and Revel with the Bride,
And give their Bed Joy and Prosperity.

Ob.
How canst thou thus for shame, Titania,
Reflect on my past scapes? when well thou know'st,
I have pursu'd you to this very place,
Where you retir'd, to Wanton with a Boy
You lately stole from a Fair Indian.

Tit.
These are the Forgeries of Jealousie.
And never since the middle of the Summer,
Met we on Hill, or Dale, Forrest, or Mead,
By Streaming Fountain, or by Rushy Brook,
Or on the beached Margent of the Sea,
To Dance in Circles to the Whistling Wind;
But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our Sport.

Ob.
Do you amend it then, it lies in you;
Why should Titania cross her Oberon?
I only beg a little Changling Boy,
Give me him, we are Friends.

Tit.
Let this suffice,
All Fairy-Land buys not the Child of me:
His Mother was a Votress of my Order,
And for her sake I breed the pretty Boy,
And for her sake, I will not part with him.

Ob.
How long within this Wood mean you to stay?

Tit.
'Till you have Grac'd your Lover's Nuptial Day.
If you will patiently Dance in our Round,
And see our Midnight Revels, go with us;
If not, avoid my Haunts, as I will yours.

Ob.
Give me the Boy, and I will go with you.

Tit.
Not for the Wealth of India, come away.
We chide down-right, if I should longer stay.

[Exit Tit. and Train.
Ob.
Well, go thy ways, thou shalt not from this Grove,
'Till I Torment thee for this Injury.
My gentle Puck come hither, thou remembrest
Since when I sat upon a Promontory,
And heard a Mearmaid, on a Dolphin's back,
Sing with such Sweet, with such Harmonious breath,
That the Rude Sea grew Civil at her Song,
And Twinkling Stars shot madly from their Sphears,
To hear the Sea-Maid's Musick.

Rob.
I well remember it

Ob.
That very time I say (thou couldst not see it)
Flying between the cold Moon, and the Earth,
I saw young Cupid in the Mid-way hanging,
At a Fair Vestal Virgin taking aim;
Let flye his Love-Shaft smartly from his Bow,
As it would pierce a hundred thousand Hearts:
But when it came beneath the watry Moon,
The Chast Beams of Diana quench'd its heat,
And the Imperial Virgin passed on,
In Maiden Meditation, free from harm.

Rob.
What's this to me?

Ob.
Observe me, Puck.
I look'd, and mark'd the place where the Bolt 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 Flower, thou know'st I shew'd it thee.
The juice of it on Sleeping Eye-lids laid,
Will make a Man or Woman madly Dote
Upon the next Live Creature that it sees.
Fetch me this Herb, go, and be here again,
E'er the Leviathan can swim a League.

Rob.
I'll compass the whole Earth in forty minutes.

[Exit.
Ob.
When I have this Juice,
I'll find Titania where she lies asleep,
And drop some of the Liquor in her Eyes.
The next Live Thing she waking looks upon,
(Be it on Lion, Bear, or Wolf, or Bull,
The medling Monkey, or the busie Ape)
She shall (with all the eagerness of Love)
Pursue; and e're I take the Charm away,
(As I can take it with another Herb)
I'll make her render up her Page to me.
But who comes here? I am invisible;
I'll stay and over-hear their Conference.

Enter Demetrius, and Helena following him.
Dem.
Why do you follow him who Loves you not?
Where is Lysander? and Fair Hermia?
You told me they were stoln into this Wood.
I seek, but cannot find her. Hence, be gone.

Hel.
You draw me, you hard-hearted Adamant;
And yet I am not Iron, yet you draw me.

De.
Do I intice you? do I speak you fair?
I rather tell you an ill-manner'd Truth,
Tell you I do not, nor I cannot love you.

Hel.
And even for that I love Demetrius more.
Ah! what am I reduc'd to? like a Spannel,
The more you beat, the more I fawn on you.
Use me most barbarously, strike me, spurn me,
Neglect me, scorn me; only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.

De.
You throw a scandal on your Modesty,
To leave the City, and commit your self
Into the hands of one who loves you not:
To trust the opportunity of Night,
And the ill Counsel of a Desart place,
With the rich purchase of your Virgin Treasure.

Hel.
Your Virtue is my Guard, Demetrius:
It is not night when I behold that Face,
Nor can this Wood want Worlds of Company,
For you, my Love, are all the World to me,
Then how can I be said to be alone,
When all the World is here to guard my Virtue.

De.
I'll run from thee, and hide me in the Brakes,
And leave thee to the Mercy of Wild Beasts.

Hel.
The wildest Beast has not a Heart like you:
Run when you will, the Story shall be chang'd;
Apollo flies, Daphne pursues the God;
The Dove chases the Vulture; the mild Hind
Makes haste to catch the Tyger; prepostrous Chace,
When Cowardise pursues, and Valour flies.

De.
Plague me no more, return e'er 'tis too late.
Follow me not, for fear my Rage should tempt me
To some unmanly Act, and mischief thee.
[Ex. De.

Hel.
Ay, in the Temple, in the Town, and Field,
You do me mischief every where, Demetrius:
Such Wrongs will be a scandal to your Sex.
I'll follow if he rids me of my Woe,
I'll kiss the hand that gives the fatal blow.
[Ex. Hel.

Ob.
Poor Nymph, farewell. Before he leaves this Grove
Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy Love.
Enter Robin-Good-Fellow.
Welcome my Puck; hast thou the Flow'r?

Rob.
'Tis here.

Ob.
Give it me Puck.
I know there is a bank where wild Time blows,
Where Ox-lips, and the nodding Violet grows,
All over Canopied with Woodbine sweet,
Where Eglantine, and where Musk-Roses meet.
There my Titania Sleeps, lull'd in Delights,
And tyr'd in Dancing with her Fairy Sprights.
'Tis there the Snake casts her Enammell'd skin,
Too large a Robe to cloathe a Fairy in.
There with this wondrous Juice I'le streak her Eyes.
Take some of it; you'l find within this Grove,
A most Unhappy Nymph, who is in Love
With a disdainful Youth; anoint his Eyes;
But do it, that the next thing he espies
May be that Lady; thou shalt know the Man,
By the Embroider'd Garment he has on.
Do it, and meet me at the Crystal Lake.

Rob.
I will; and bring the Nymph when he shall wake.

Ob.
What different Passions in her Soul will move?
To see his former Hatred, turn'd to Love.

[Exeunt.
Enter Titania, and her Train.
Tit.
Take Hands, and trip it in a round,
While I Consecrate the ground.
All shall change at my Command,
All shall turn to Fairy-Land.

The Scene changes to a Prospect of Grotto's, Arbors, and delightful Walks: The Arbors are Adorn'd with all variety of Flowers, the Grotto's supported by Terms, these lead to two Arbors on either side of the Scene, of a great length, whose prospect runs toward the two Angles of the House. Between these two Arbors is the great Grotto, which is continued by several Arches, to the farther end of the House.
Now Fairies search, search every where,
Let no Unclean thing be near.
Nothing Venomous, or Foul,
No Raven, Bat, or hooting Owle.
No Toad, nor Elf, nor Blind-worm's Sting.
No Poisonous Herb in this place Spring.
Have you search'd? is no ill near?

All.
Nothing, nothing; all is clear.

Tit.
Let your Revels now begin,
Some shall Dance, and some shall Sing.
All Delights this place surround,
Every sweet Harmonious Sound,
That e're Charm'd a skilful Ear,
Meet, and Entertain us here.
Let Eccho's plac'd in every Grot,
Catch, and repeat each Dying Note.

A PRELUDE.

Chorus.
Chorus.
At the end of the first Stanza, a Composition of Instrumental Musick, in imitation of an Eccho. Then a Fairy Dance.

Tit.
Come Elves, another Dance, and Fairy Song;
Then hence, and leave me for a while alone.
Some to kill Kankers in the Musk-Rose-Buds;
Some War with Rere-mice for their Leathern Wings,
To make my small Elves Coats. And some keep back
The clamarous Owl, that hoots, and wonders at us.
Each knows her Office. Sing me now to Sleep;
And let the Sentinels their Watches keep.

[She lyes down.
2. SONG.
Enter Night, Mystery, Secresie, Sleep; and their Attendants.
Night Sings.
Ni.

Mys.

Se.

Sl.
Hush, no more, be silent all,
Sweet Repose has clos'd her Eyes.
Soft as feather'd Snow does fall!
Softly, softly, steal from hence.
No noise disturb her sleeping sence.
Rest till the Rosie Morn's uprise.

Chorus.
Hush, no more, &c.

A Dance of the Followers of Night.
Enter Oberon.
Ob.
What thou seest when thou dost wake,
For thy Lover thou must take,
Sigh, and Languish, for his sake.
Be it Ounce, or Wolf, or Bear,
Pard, or Boar with bristel'd Hair,
In thy Eye what first appear,
Make that Beastly thing thy Dear,
Wake, when some vile Creature's near.
[Ex. Ob.

Enter Lysander, and Hermia.
Ly.
You faint, my Sweet, with wandring in the Wood,
I fear, my Hermia, we mistook our way,
Let us lye down, and rest, if you think good,
And tarry for the comfort of the Day.

Her.
Let it be so, Lysander,
Go, lay thee down; and so good-night, dear Friend,
Our Loves ne're alter, till our Lives shall end.

Ly.
Amen to that sweet Pray'r, my Charming Love.
May my Life end, when I inconstant prove.

[They lye down at a distance.
Enter Robin-Good-Fellow.
Rob.
Through the Forrest I have gone,
But a Stranger find I none,
With Embroider'd Garment on;
On whose Eyes I might approve,
This Flowr's force in Moving Love.
Night, and silence! who is here?
He does such a Garment wear.
This is he, my Master said,
Scorn'd and despis'd the lovely Maid.
Here's the Virgin sleeping sound,
On the Dank, and dewy Ground.
Churl, upon thy Eyes I throw,
All the pow'r this Charm does owe.
At the first Cock wake, and spy,
She who Loves thee very nigh.
Farewel Lovers, I am gone;
I must now to Oberon,

[Exit.