SCENE I. The Same. LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA lying asleep

Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED, and other Fairies attending; OBERON behind unseen

Titania. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed, While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,

And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.
Bottom. Where 's Pease blossom?

Peaseblossom. Ready.

Bottom. Scratch my head, Peaseblossom. - Where 's Mounsieur Cobweb?

Cobweb. Ready.

Bottom. Mounsieur Cobweb, good mounsieur, get 10 you your weapons in your hand, and kill me a redhipped humble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good mounsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret

yourself too much in the action, mounsieur ; and, good mounsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be loath to have you overflown with a honeybag, signior. Where's Mounsieur Mustardseed? Mustardseed. Ready.

Bottom. Give me your neaf, Mounsieur Mustardseed? Pray you, leave your courtesy, good mounsieur. 20 Mustardseed. What's your will?

Bottom. Nothing, good mounsieur, but to help. Cavalery Cobweb to scratch.

I must to the barber's,

mounsieur, for methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face; and I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me I must scratch.

Titania. What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love?

Bottom. I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let's have the tongs and the bones.

Titania. Or say, sweet love, what thou desir'st to

eat.

Bottom. Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks I have a great desire

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to a bottle of hay; good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.

Titania. I have a venturous fairy that shall seek The squirrel's hoard and fetch thee new nuts.

Bottom. I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas. But, I pray you, let none of your people stir me; I have an exposition of sleep come upon me.

Titania. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my

arms.

Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away.

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[Exeunt fairies.

So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle

Gently entwist; the female ivy so

Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.

O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!

Enter PUCK

[They sleep.

Oberon. [Advancing.] Welcome, good Robin. See'st

thou this sweet sight?

Her dotage now I do begin to pity;

For, meeting her of late behind the wood,
Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool,

I did upbraid her and fall out with her.
For she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
And that same dew, which sometime on the buds
Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls,
Stood now within the pretty flowerets' eyes
Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.

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When I had at my pleasure taunted her
And she in mild terms begg'd my patience,
I then did ask of her her changeling child,
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent
To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
And, gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp.
From off the head of this Athenian swain ;
That, he awaking when the other do,
May all to Athens back again repair
And think no more of this night's accidents
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will release the fairy queen.
Be as thou wast wont to be,

See as thou wast wont to see;

Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Hath such force and blessed power.

Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen.

Titania. My Oberon ! what visions have I seen! Methought I was enamour'd of an ass.

Oberon. There lies your love.

Titania.

How came these things to pass?

O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!
Oberon. Silence awhile. Robin, take off this head.

Titania, music call; and strike more dead

Than common sleep of all these five the sense.

Titania. Music, ho! music, such as charmeth sleep!

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[Music, still.

Puck. Now, when thou wak'st, with thine own fool's

eyes peep.

Oberon. Sound, music! Come, my queen, take hands 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:

I do hear the morning lark.
Oberon. Then, my queen, in silence sad,
Trip we after the night's shade ;

We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wandering moon.

Titania. Come, my lord, and in our flight
Tell me how it came this night'
That I sleeping here was found
With these mortals on the ground.

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100

[Exeunt.

[Horns winded within.

Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train

Theseus. Go, one of you, find out the forester, For now our observation is perform'd;

And since we have the vaward of the day,

My love shall hear the music of my hounds.