Hath such force and blessed power. Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen. Ober. There lies your love. Tit. How came these things to pass? O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now! Ober. Silence awhile. Robin, take off this head.Titania, music call; and strike more dead Than common sleep, of all these five the sense. Tit. Music! ho! music! such as charmeth sleep. Puck. Now, when thou wak'st, with thine own fool's eyes peep. Ober. Sound music! [still music.] Come, my queen, take hand with me, And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be. Now thou and I are new in amity, And will to-morrow midnight, solemnly Dance in Duke Theseus' house triumphantly, And bless it to all fair posterity: There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity. Puck. Fairy king, attend and mark; Ober. Then, my queen, in silence sad,* Tit. Come, my lord, and in our flight That I sleeping here was found With these mortals on the ground. [Exeunt. [Horns sound within 5 Come from the farthest steep of India. Shakspeare understood the charm of remoteness in poetry, as he did everything else. Oberon has been dancing on the sunny steeps looking towards Cathay, where the Chinese drive Their cany waggons light. * Sad.-Grave, serious (not melancholy). THE BRIDAL HOUSE BLESSED BY THE FAIRIES. Enter PUCK. Puck. Now the hungry lion roars,6 Whilst the scritch-owl scritching loud, That the graves all gaping wide, In the churchway paths to glide: • By the triple Hecate's team, To sweep the dust behind the door. Enter OBERON and TITANIA, with their train. Ober. Through this house give glimmering light, Every elf and fairy sprite, Hop as light as bird from brier; And this ditty after me Sing and dance it trippingly. Tita. First rehearse this song by rote: To each word a warbling note, Hand in hand, with fairy grace, Will we sing and bless the place. SONG AND DANCE Ober. Now, until the break of day, Through the house each fairy stray, To the best bride-bed will we, Shall upon their children be. With this field-dew, consecrate, Every fairy take his gait; And each several chamber bless Through this palace with sweet peace; E'er shall it in safety rest, And the owner of it blest. Trip away; Make no stay: Meet me all by break of day. 6" Now the hungry lion roars :”—Upon the songs of Puck and Oberon, Coleridge exclaims, "Very Anacreon in perfectness, proportion, and spontaneity! So far it is Greek; but then add, O! what wealth, what wild rangings and yet what compression and condensation of English fancy! In truth, there is nothing in Anacreon more perfect than these thirty lines, or half so rich and imaginative. They form a speckless diamond."-Literary Remains, vol. ii., p. 114. LOVERS AND MUSIC. LORENZO and JESSICA, awaiting the return home of PORTIA and NERISSA, discourse of music, and then welcome with it the bride and her attendant. Lor. The moon shines bright. In such a night as this," And they did make no noise,-in such a night Jes. Step. A friend. Lor. A friend! what friend? your name, I pray you, friend? Step. Stephano is my name; and I bring word My mistress will, before the break of day, Be here at Belmont: she doth stray about By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays Lor. Who comes with her? Step. None but a holy hermit and her maid. Lor. Sweet soul, let 's in, and there expect their coming. And yet no matter; why should we go in? [Exit STEPHANO. How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon the bank! Sit, Jessica: look, how the floor of heaven There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st,12 Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubims ; Enter MUSICIANS. Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn; Jes. I am never merry when I hear sweet music. A race of youthful and unhanded colts, Fetching mad bounds,-bellowing and neighing loud, If they but hear, perchance, a trumpet sound, You shall perceive them make a mutual stand- By the sweet power of music. Therefore the poet The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils ; And his affections dark as Erebus : Let no such man be trusted.-Mark the music. [Music. * Patines (Patine, Paténe, Ital.) have been generally understood to mean plates of gold or silver used in the Catholic service. A new and interesting commentator, however (the Rev. Mr. Hunter), is of opinion that the proper word is patterns. |