Act 2

Scene 1 ／running scene 3

Enter a Fairy at one door and Robin Goodfellow [ Puck ] at another

ROBIN How now, spirit, whither wander you?

FAIRY Over hill, over dale,

Through bush, through brier,

Over park , over pale ,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moon's sphere ;

And I serve the fairy queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be,

In their gold coats spots you see,

Those be rubies, fairy favours ,

In those freckles live their savours .

I must go seek some dewdrops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits, I'll be gone:

Our queen and all her elves come here anon .

ROBIN The king doth keep his revels here tonight:

Take heed the queen come not within his sight,

For Oberon is passing fell and wrath ,

Because that she as her attendant hath

A lovely boy, stol'n from an Indian king.

She never had so sweet a changeling ,

And jealous Oberon would have the child

Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild.

But she perforce withholds the lovèd boy,

Crowns him with flowers and makes him all her joy.

And now they never meet in grove or green,

By fountain clear or spangled starlight sheen ,

But they do square , that all their elves for fear

Creep into acorn cups and hide them there.

FAIRY Either I mistake your shape and making quite ,

Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite

Called Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he

That frights the maidens of the villagery ,

Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern ,

And bootless make the breathless housewife churn,

And sometime make the drink to bear no barm ,

Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?

Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,

You do their work and they shall have good luck.

Are not you he?

ROBIN Thou speak'st aright;

I am that merry wanderer of the night.

I jest to Oberon and make him smile

When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,

Neighing in likeness of a filly foal,

And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl ,

In very likeness of a roasted crab ,

And when she drinks, against her lips I bob

And on her withered dewlap pour the ale.

The wisest aunt , telling the saddest tale,

Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me,

Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,

And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough.

And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,

And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear

A merrier hour was never wasted there.

But, room , fairy! Here comes Oberon .

FAIRY And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!

Enter the King of Fairies [ Oberon ] at one door with his train, and the Queen [ Titania ] at another with hers

OBERON Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.

TITANIA What, jealous Oberon? Fairies, skip hence.

I have forsworn his bed and company.

OBERON Tarry , rash wanton , am not I thy lord ?

TITANIA Then I must be thy lady : but I know

When thou hast stol'n away from fairy land,

And in the shape of Corin sat all day,

Playing on pipes of corn and versing love

To amorous Phillida . Why art thou here,

Come from the farthest step of India?

But that, forsooth , the bouncing Amazon,

Your buskined mistress and your warrior love,

To Theseus must be wedded; and you come

To give their bed joy and prosperity?

OBERON How canst thou thus for shame, Titania,

Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,

Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?

Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering night

From Perigenia whom he ravishèd ?

And make him with fair Aegles break his faith,

With Ariadne and Antiopa ?

TITANIA These are the forgeries of jealousy,

And never since the middle summer's spring

Met we on hill, in dale, forest or mead ,

By pavèd fountain or by rushy brook,

Or in the beachèd margent of the sea,

To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,

But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sport .

Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain,

As in revenge, have sucked up from the sea

Contagious fogs, which falling in the land

Hath every petty river made so proud

That they have overborne their continents .

The ox hath therefore stretched his yoke in vain,

The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn

Hath rotted ere his youth attained a beard .

The fold stands empty in the drownèd field,

And crows are fatted with the murrion flock,

The nine men's morris is filled up with mud,

And the quaint mazes in the wanton green

For lack of tread are undistinguishable.

The human mortals want their winter here:

No night is now with hymn or carol blessed .

Therefore the moon, the governess of floods ,

Pale in her anger, washes all the air,

That rheumatic diseases do abound.

And through this distemperature we see

The seasons alter; hoary-headed frosts

Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose,

And on old Hiems ' thin and icy crown

An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds

Is, as in mockery, set. The spring, the summer,

The childing autumn, angry winter, change

Their wonted liveries, and the mazèd world

By their increase now knows not which is which;

And this same progeny of evils comes

From our debate , from our dissension :

We are their parents and original .

OBERON Do you amend it then, it lies in you.

Why should Titania cross her Oberon?

I do but beg a little changeling boy

To be my henchman .

TITANIA Set your heart at rest:

The fairy land buys not the child of me.

His mother was a votress of my order,

And in the spicèd Indian air by night

Full often hath she gossiped by my side,

And sat with me on Neptune 's yellow sands,

Marking th'embarkèd traders on the flood ,

When we have laughed to see the sails conceive

And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind,

Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait

Following — her womb then rich with my young squire —

Would imitate, and sail upon the land,

To fetch me trifles, and return again

As from a voyage, rich with merchandise.

But she, being mortal, of that boy did die:

And for her sake do I rear up her boy,

And for her sake I will not part with him.

OBERON How long within this wood intend you stay?

TITANIA Perchance till after Theseus' wedding day.

If you will patiently dance in our round

And see our moonlight revels, go with us;

If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.

OBERON Give me that boy, and I will go with thee.

TITANIA Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away.

We shall chide downright , if I longer stay.

Exeunt [ Titania and her train ]

OBERON Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove

Till I torment thee for this injury.

My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememb'rest

Since once I sat upon a promontory ,

And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back

Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath

That the rude sea grew civil at her song,

And certain stars shot madly from their spheres

To hear the sea-maid's music.

ROBIN I remember.

OBERON That very time I saw, but thou couldst not,

Flying between the cold moon and the earth,

Cupid all armed; a certain aim he took

At a fair vestal thronèd by the west,

And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow,

As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts.

But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft

Quenched in the chaste beams of the wat'ry moon;

And the imperial votress passèd on,

In maiden meditation, fancy-free .

Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid 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; the herb I showed thee once:

The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid

Will make or man or woman madly dote

Upon the next live creature that it sees.

Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again

Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

ROBIN I'll put a girdle round about the earth

In forty minutes.

[ Exit ]

OBERON Having once this juice,

I'll watch Titania when she is asleep,

And drop the liquor of it in her eyes.

The next thing when she waking looks upon,

Be it on lion, bear, or wolf or bull,

On meddling monkey or on busy ape,

She shall pursue it with the soul of love.

And ere I take this charm off from her sight,

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,

And I will overhear their conference.

He stands aside

Enter Demetrius, Helena following him

DEMETRIUS I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.

Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?

The one I'll stay, the other stayeth me.

Thou told'st me they were stolen into this wood ;

And here am I, and wood within this wood,

Because I cannot meet my Hermia.

Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

HELENA You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant ;

But yet you draw not iron, for my heart

Is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw,

And I shall have no power to follow you.

DEMETRIUS Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair ?

Or rather do I not in plainest truth

Tell you I do not nor I cannot love you?

HELENA And even for that do I love thee the more.

I am your spaniel, and, Demetrius,

The more you beat me, I will fawn on you.

Use me but as your spaniel: spurn me, strike me,

Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave ,

Unworthy as I am, to follow you.

What worser place can I beg in your love —

And yet a place of high respect with me —

Than to be used as you do use your dog?

DEMETRIUS Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,

For I am sick when I do look on thee.

HELENA And I am sick when I look not on you.

DEMETRIUS You do impeach your modesty too much,

To leave the city and commit yourself

Into the hands of one that loves you not,

To trust the opportunity of night

And the ill counsel of a desert place

With the rich worth of your virginity.

HELENA Your virtue is my privilege : for that

It is not night when I do see your face,

Therefore I think I am not in the night.

Nor doth this wood lack 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 here to look on me?

DEMETRIUS I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes ,

And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.

HELENA The wildest hath not such a heart as you.

Run when you will, the story shall be changed:

Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase ;

The dove pursues the griffin , the mild hind

Makes speed to catch the tiger. Bootless speed,

When cowardice pursues and valour flies.

DEMETRIUS I will not stay thy questions, let me go;

Or if thou follow me, do not believe

But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.

[↓ Exit Demetrius ↓]

HELENA Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,

You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius!

Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex :

We cannot fight for love, as men may do;

We should be wooed and were not made to woo.

I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,

To die upon the hand I love so well.

Exit

OBERON Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove,

Thou shalt fly him and he shall seek thy love.

Enter [ Robin ] Puck

Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer.

ROBIN Ay, there it is.

Shows the flower

OBERON I pray thee give it me.

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows ,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,

Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine ,

With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine :

There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,

Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight:

And there the snake throws her enamelled skin,

Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.

And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,

And make her full of hateful fantasies.

Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove;

Gives him some juice

A sweet Athenian lady is in love

With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes,

But do 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 prove

More fond on her than she upon her love;

And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.

ROBIN Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do so.

Exeunt

Scene 2／running scene 4

Enter Queen of Fairies [ Titania ] with her train

TITANIA Come, now a roundel and a fairy song;

Then, for the third part of a minute, hence:

Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds,

Some war with reremice for their leathern wings,

To make my small elves coats, and some keep back

The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders

At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep,

Then to your offices and let me rest.

She lies down on a bank

Fairies sing

FIRST FAIRY You spotted snakes with double tongue,

Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen.

Newts and blind-worms , do no wrong,

Come not near our fairy queen.

CHORUS Philomel , with melody

Sing in our sweet lullaby,

Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Never harm,

Nor spell nor charm,

Come our lovely lady nigh ;

So, good night, with lullaby.

SECOND FAIRY Weaving spiders, come not here.

Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence!

Beetles black, approach not near;

Worm nor snail, do no offence.

CHORUS Philomel, with melody, etc.

FIRST FAIRY Hence, away! Now all is well;

One aloof stand sentinel .

She [ Titania ] sleeps. [ Exeunt Fairies ]

Enter Oberon

OBERON What thou see'st when thou dost wake,

Squeezes juice on Titania's eyes

Do it for thy true-love take,

Love and languish for his sake.

Be it ounce or cat or bear,

Pard , or boar with bristled hair,

In thy eye that shall appear

When thou wak'st, it is thy dear.

Wake when some vile thing is near.

[ Exit ]

Enter Lysander and Hermia

LYSANDER Fair love, you faint with wand'ring in the wood,

And to speak troth , I have forgot our way:

We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,

And tarry for the comfort of the day .

HERMIA Be it so, Lysander; find you out a bed,

For I upon this bank will rest my head.

LYSANDER One turf shall serve as pillow for us both:

One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth .

HERMIA Nay, good Lysander, for my sake, my dear,

Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

LYSANDER O, take the sense , sweet, of my innocence!

Love takes the meaning in love's conference .

I mean that my heart unto yours is knit

So that but one heart we can make of it.

Two bosoms interchainèd with an oath,

So then two bosoms and a single troth.

Then by your side no bed-room me deny,

For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie .

HERMIA Lysander riddles very prettily .

Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,

If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.

But, gentle friend , for love and courtesy

Lie further off, in human modesty:

Such separation as may well be said

Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid,

So far be distant, and good night, sweet friend;

Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end!

LYSANDER Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I,

And then end life when I end loyalty!

Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest!

HERMIA With half that wish the wisher's eyes be pressed !

They sleep

Enter [ Robin ] Puck

ROBIN Through the forest have I gone,

But Athenian found I none

On whose eyes I might approve

This flower's force in stirring love.

Night and silence — who is here?

Sees Lysander

Weeds of Athens he doth wear:

This is he, my master said,

Despisèd the Athenian maid:

And here the maiden, sleeping sound,

On the dank and dirty ground.

Pretty soul, she durst not lie

Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.

Churl , upon thy eyes I throw

Puts juice on Lysander's eyes

All the power this charm doth owe .

When thou wak'st, let love forbid

Sleep his seat on thy eyelid .

So awake when I am gone,

For I must now to Oberon.

Exit

Enter Demetrius and Helena, running

HELENA Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

DEMETRIUS I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.

HELENA O, wilt thou darkling leave me? Do not so.

DEMETRIUS Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go.

Exit

HELENA O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!

The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace .

Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies ;

For she hath blessèd and attractive eyes.

How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:

If so, my eyes are oftener washed than hers.

No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;

For beasts that meet me run away for fear:

Therefore no marvel though Demetrius

Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus.

What wicked and dissembling glass of mine

Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne ?

But who is here? Lysander, on the ground;

Sees Lysander

Dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.

Lysander if you live, good sir, awake.

LYSANDER And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.

Wakes

Transparent Helena, nature shows her art

That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.

Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word

Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

HELENA Do not say so, Lysander, say not so.

What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though?

Yet Hermia still loves you; then be content.

LYSANDER Content with Hermia? No, I do repent

The tedious minutes I with her have spent.

Not Hermia but Helena now I love;

Who will not change a raven for a dove?

The will of man is by his reason swayed,

And reason says you are the worthier maid.

Things growing are not ripe until their season;

So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason.

And touching now the point of human skill ,

Reason becomes the marshal to my will

And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook

Love's stories written in love's richest book.

HELENA Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?

When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?

Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man,

That I did never, no, nor never can,

Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,

But you must flout my insufficiency?

Good troth you do me wrong, good sooth , you do,

In such disdainful manner me to woo.

But fare you well; perforce I must confess

I thought you lord of more true gentleness .

O, that a lady of one man refused

Should of another therefore be abused !

Exit

LYSANDER She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there,

And never mayst thou come Lysander near;

For as a surfeit of the sweetest things

The deepest loathing to the stomach brings,

Or as the heresies that men do leave

Are hated most of those they did deceive ,

So thou, my surfeit and my heresy,

Of all be hated, but the most of me.

And all my powers address your love and might

To honour Helen and to be her knight!

Exit

HERMIA Help me, Lysander, help me; do thy best

Wakes

To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!

Ay me, for pity; what a dream was here?

Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:

Methought a serpent ate my heart away,

And you sat smiling at his cruel prey .

Lysander! What, removed ? Lysander! Lord!

What, out of hearing? Gone? No sound, no word?

Alack, where are you? Speak, an if you hear:

Speak, of all loves ! I swoon almost with fear.

No? Then I well perceive you are not nigh.

Either death or you I'll find immediately.

Titania remains asleep

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