University of Virginia Library

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

SCENE The Wood.
Enter Oberon.
Ob.
I wonder if Titania be awak'd:
Then what it was that next came in her eye,
Which she must doat on in extremity?
Enter Puck.
Here comes my messenger! how now, mad sprite!
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 rehears'd a Play
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.
And ass's nole I fixt upon one head,
And all the rest with fear distracted fled.
When in that moment (so it came to pass)
Titania wak'd, and strait way lov'd an ass.

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

Puck.
I took him sleeping; that is finish'd too.

Enter Demetrius and Hermia.
Ob.
Stand close, this is the same Athenian.

Puck.
This is the woman, but not this the man.

Dem.
O why rebuke you him that loves you so?

Her.
Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, hast giv'n me cause to curse thee:
If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
Oh, kill me too!
The sun was not so true unto the day,
As he to me. Would he have stol'n from hence,
From sleeping Hermia?
It cannot be but thou hast murder'd him.

Dem.
Why, gentle Hermia, will you still persist,
To pierce me thro' the heart with your contempt?
AIR.

Her.
What's this to my Lysander? Where is he?
Ah, good Demetrius, give him to my wishes!

Dem.
I'ad rather give his carcass to the dogs.

Her.
Thou driv'st me past the bounds
Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him then?
And hast thou kill'd him sleeping?
Hence forth be never number'd among men,
Thou serpent!

Dem.
I am not guilty of Lysander's blood,
Nor is he dead for aught that I can tell.

Her.
Then from thy hated presence will I go,
In search of my Lysander, come what may.
AIR.
[Exit Her.

Dem.
There is no following her in this fierce vein,
Upon this bank I will a while repose me.

[Lies down.
Ob.
What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite,
And laid thy love-juice on some true love's sight:
About the wood go swifter than the wind,
And Helena of Athens see thou find.
By some illusion see thou bring her here;
And send an elf with some of that same flow'r.

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

[Exit.
Ob.
I'll charm his eyes against she doth appear.

Enter Fairy with a flower.
1st. Fair.
Here is the flower.

Ob.
Now, Fairy, sing the charm.

AIR.
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.

[Exit Fairy.
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!

Ob.
Stand a side: the noise they make
Will cause Demetrius to awake.

Enter Lysander and Helena.
Lys.
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.
AIR.

Hel.
You do advance your cunning more and more,
These vows are Hermia's: give 'em not to me.

Lys.
I had no judgment when to her I swore.

Hel.
Nor none in my mind now you swear to me.

Lys.
Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

Dem.
[Waking]
O Helen, Goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyes?

Hel.
O spight! to use a simple woman thus!
You both are rivals, and love Hermia;
In my poor eyes to conjure up the tears
With your derision! 'Tis unkindly done.

Lys.
You are unkind, Demetrius, O forbear!
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 my pretensions;
And yours to Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love to death, Demetrius.

Hel.
What cruel mocking of a simple maid!

Dem.
Lysander, keep thy Hermia, I will none;
My heart to Helena is home return'd,
There ever to remain.
AIR.

Lys.
Helen, it is not so.

Dem.
Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,
Lest to thy peril thou repent. Lysander,
Look where thy love comes.

Enter Hermia.
Her.
Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,
Has made my ear more quick of apprehension:
Thou art not found, Lysander, by mine eye;
My faithful car, I thank it, brought me to thee.
But why unkindly didst thou leave me, love?

Lys.
Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go?

Her.
What love, could press Lysander from my side?

Lys.
Lysander's love, his love for Helena,
Fair Helena, who more engilds the night,
Than all yon fiery stars: why seek'st thou me?

Her.
You speak not as you think, Lysander.

Hel.
Lo, she is one of this confed'racy.
Injurious Hermia, most ungrateful maid!
‘Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd,
‘The sisters vows, the hours that we have spent,
‘When we have chid the hasty-footed time
‘For parting us; O! and is all forgot?
‘All school-days Friendship, childhood innocence?
‘We, Hermia, like two artificial Gods,
‘Created with our needles both one flower;
‘Both warbling of one song, both in one key;
‘As if our hands, our sides, voices and minds
‘Had been incorp'rate: so we grew together,
‘Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
‘But yet an union in partition.”
And will you join in scorning your poor friend?

Her.
Helen, I am amazed at your words:
I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me.

Hel.
Have you not set Lysander as in scorn,
To follow me, and praise me in derision?
And made your other love, Demetrius,
To call me goddess? wherefore is all this,
But by your setting on, by your consent?

Her.
I understand not what you mean by this.

Hel.
Ay, persevere and counterfit sad looks:
This sport well carried shall be chronicled.
But fare ye well! 'tis partly mine own fault,
Which death or absence soon shall remedy.

Lys.
Stay, gentle Helena, hear my vows, my prayers;
My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!

Hel.
O excellent!

Lys.
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.
AIR.

Dem.
I say, I love thee more than he can do.

Lys.
If thou say so, withdraw and prove it, traytor!
Now follow if thou dar'st, to try whose right,
Or thine, or mine, is most in Helena.

Dem.
Follow? Nay I'll go with thee.

[Exe. Lys. and Dem.
Her.
O me, you jugler; O, you canker-blossom;
You thief of love! What, have you come by night
And stol'n my love's heart from him?

Hel.
Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me;
I evermore did love you, Hermia:
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.

AIR. DUET.
Hel.
With various griefs my mind is torn.

Her.
And mine with rage, and love, and scorn.

Both.
My griefs can have no end.

Hel.
What greater ills can woman prove?

Her.
For friendship has betray'd my love.

Hel.
And love destroys the friend.

[Exeunt.
Oberon and Puck comes forward.
Ob.
This is thy negligence: Still thou mistak'st,
Or else commit'st thy knaveries willingly.

Puck.
Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me I should know the man
By th' Athenian garments he hath on?

Ob.
Thou see'st these lovers seek a place to fight;
Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night:
I'll lead these testy rivals so astray,
As one come not within another's way.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision:
And back the lovers shall return in truth;
Then to my Queen, and beg her Indian youth:
And then I will her charmed eye release
From monster's view, and all things shall be peace.
Away, away, make no delay,
We may effect this business yet ere day.
[Exit Puck.
AIR.
Here comes one.

Enter Lysander.
Lys.
Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak, where art thou?

Ob.
Here, recreant, here!

[Exit Ob. and Dem.
Lys.
He goes before me, dares me to the fight;
When I come where he calls me, then he's gone.
I follow'd fast, but faster he did run.
[Shifting places.
Now tir'd and fall'n in a dark, uneven way,
Here will I rest me. Come, thou gentle morning!
[Lies down.
For if but once thou shew me thy grey light,
I'll find Demetrius, and revenge my wrongs.

Enter Demetrius.
Ob.
Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thou not?

Dem.
Abide me, if thou dar'st:
Thou run'st before me, shifting every place,
And dar'st not stand. Recreant, speak;
Where art thou?

Ob.
Come thou hither: I am here.

Dem.
Nay, then thou mock'st me; thou shalt buy this dear:
By day's approach, look to be visited.
Now go thy way: Faintness constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.

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

[Sleeps.
Ob.
Yet but three? Come one more;
Two of both kinds make up four.

Enter Second Fairy.
2d Fai.
Here she comes, crost and sad.

Ob.
Cupid is a knavish lad,
Thus to make poor females mad.

Enter Hermia.
Her.
Never so weary, never so in woe;
I can no further crawl, no further go:
Here will I rest me till the break of day:
Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!

[Lies down.
Ob.
On the ground, sleep thou sound;
I'll apply, to your eye, gentle lover, remedy:
[Squeezing the juice on Lysander's eye.
And the country proverb known,
That every man should take his own,
In your waking shall be shown.
Jack shall have Jill, nought shall go ill,
The man shall have his mare again, and all be well.

AIR.
2d Fai.
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot on sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.

[Exeunt Ob. and Fai.