To ftrike me, fpurn me, nay, to kill me too :
And now, fo you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back,
And follow you no further: Let me go:
You fee how fimple and how fond I am.

Her. Why, get you gone: Whois't that hinders you? Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind. Her. What, with Lyfander?

Hel. With Demetrius.

Lyf. Be not afraid: fhe shall not harm thee, Helena. Dem. No, fir; fhe shall not, though you take her part. Hel. O, when she's angry, fhe is keen and fhrewd: She was a vixen when she went to school; And, though the be but little, she is fierce.

Her. Little again? Nothing but low and little?— Why will you fuffer her to flout me thus? Let me come to her.

Lyf. Get you gone, you dwarf;

You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grafs made;
You bead, you acorn.

Dem. You are too officious,

In her behalf that fcorns your

fervices.

Let her alone; fpeak not of Helena;

Take not her part: for if thou dost intend
Never fo little fhew of love to her,

Thou shalt aby it.

Lyf. Now the holds me not;.

Now follow, if thou dar'ft, to try whose right,
Or thine or mine, is moft in Helena.

Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole.

[Exeunt Lys. and DE Her. You, miftrefs, all this coil is 'long of you:

Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not trust you, I;

Nor longer stay in your curft company.

EM.

Your

Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray;
My legs are longer though, to run away.
Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.

[Exit.

[Exit, purfuing HELENA. Ob. This is thy negligence: ftill thou mistak'st, Or elfe committ't thy knaveries wilfully.

Puck. Believe me, king of fhadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me, I fhould know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And fo far blamelefs proves my enterprize,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes:
And fo far am I glad it so did fort,

As this their jangling I efteem a fport.

Ob. Thou feeft, these lovers feek a place to fight; Hie therefore, Robin, overcaft the night;

The ftarry welkin cover thou anon
With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
And lead thefe tefty rivals so aftray,
As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lyfander fometime frame thy tongue,
Then ftir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And fometime rail thou like Demetrius;
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
'Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting fleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep:
Then crufh this herb into Lyfander's eye;
Whofe liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error, with his might,
And make his eye-balls roll with wonted fight.
When they next wake, all this derifion
Shall feem a dream, and fruitless vifion;
And back to Athens fhall the lovers wend,
With league, whofe 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

And then I will her charmed eye release
From monster's view, and all things fhall be peace.
Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with hafte;
For night's fwift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And yonder fhines Aurora's harbinger;

At whofe approach, ghosts, wandering here and there,
Troop home to church-yards: damned fpirits all,
That in crofs-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;
For fear left day should look their fhames upon,
They wilfully themfelves exile from light,
And must for aye confort with black-brow'd night.
Ob. But we are fpirits of another fort:
I with the morning's love have oft made sport;
And, like a forefter, the groves may tread,
Even 'till the eaftern gate, all fiery-red,
Opening on Neptune with fair bleffed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his falt-green streams.
But, notwithstanding, hafte; make no delay :
We may effect this bufinefs yet ere day.

[Exit. Puck. Up and down, up and down;

I will lead them up and down:
I am fear'd in field and town;
Goblin, lead them up and down.

Here comes one.

Enter LYSANDER.

Lyf. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? fpeak thou

now.

Puck. Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art
Lyf. I will be with thee straight.

Puck. Follow me then

[thou?

To plainer ground. [Exit Lys. as following the voice.

Enter

Enter DEMETRIUS.

Dem. Lyfander! fpeak again.

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak. In fome bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?
Puck. 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 defil'd,
That draws a fword on thee.

Dem. Yea; art thou there?

Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here.

[Exeunt Puck, and DEM.

Re-enter LYSANDER.

Lyf. He goes before me, and still dares me on; When I come where he calls, then he is gone. The villain is much lighter heel'd, than I; I follow'd faft, but fafter he did fly; That fall'n am I in dark uneven way,

And here will reft me. Come, thou gentle day!

[Lies down For if but once thou fhew me thy gray light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this fpight. [Sleeps.

Re-enter Puck, and DEMETRIUS.

Puck. Ho, ho, ho! coward, why comest thou not?
Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'ft; for well I wot,

Thou runn'ft before me, fhifting every place;
And darft not stand, nor look me in the face.
Where art thou?

Puck. Come hither; I am here.

Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me. Thou shalt buy If ever I thy face by day-light fee:

[this dear,

Now, go thy way. Faintnefs conftraineth me

Ta

To measure out my length on this cold bed.-
By day's approach look to be vifited.

Enter HELENA.

[Lies down.

Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night, Abate thy hours: fhine, comforts, from the east ; That I may back to Athens, by day-light,

From these that my poor company deteft:And, fleep, that fometime shuts

up

forrow's eye,

Steal me a while from mine own company. [Sleeps. Puck. Yet but three? Come one more;

Two of both kinds makes up four.

Here she comes, curft, and fad :

Cupid is a knavish lad,

Thus to make poor females mad.
Enter HERMIA.

Her. Never fo weary, never fo in woe, Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers; I can no further crawl, no further

go;

My legs can keep no pace with my defires. Here will I reft me, 'till the break of day. Heavens fhield Lyfander, if they mean a fray!

Puck. On the ground

Sleep found:

I'll apply

To your eye,

Gentle lover, remedy.

[Lies down.

[Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER's eye.

When thou wak’st,

Thou tak'ft

True delight

In the fight

Of thy former lady's eye:

E/

And