SCENE I. The same. LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HELENA, and HERMIA
Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED, and other Fairies attending; OBERON behind unseen
TITANIA
Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
TITANIA
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,
TITANIA
And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
TITANIA
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.
BOTTOM
Where's Peaseblossom?
BOTTOM
Scratch my head Peaseblossom. Where's Mounsieur Cobweb?
BOTTOM
Mounsieur Cobweb, good mounsieur, get you your
BOTTOM
weapons in your hand, and kill me a red-hipped
BOTTOM
humble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good
BOTTOM
mounsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret
BOTTOM
yourself too much in the action, mounsieur; and,
BOTTOM
good mounsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not;
BOTTOM
I would be loath to have you overflown with a
BOTTOM
honey-bag, signior. Where's Mounsieur Mustardseed?
BOTTOM
Give me your neaf, Mounsieur Mustardseed. Pray you,
BOTTOM
leave your courtesy, good mounsieur.
MUSTARDSEED
What's your Will?
BOTTOM
Nothing, good mounsieur, but to help Cavalery Cobweb
BOTTOM
to scratch. I must to the barber's, monsieur; for
BOTTOM
methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face; and I
BOTTOM
am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me,
TITANIA
What, wilt thou hear some music,
BOTTOM
I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let's have
BOTTOM
the tongs and the bones.
TITANIA
Or say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat.
BOTTOM
Truly, a peck of provender: I could munch your good
BOTTOM
dry oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a bottle
BOTTOM
of hay: good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.
TITANIA
I have a venturous fairy that shall seek
TITANIA
The squirrel's hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.
BOTTOM
I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas.
BOTTOM
But, I pray you, let none of your people stir me: I
BOTTOM
have an exposition of sleep come upon me.
TITANIA
Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.
TITANIA
Fairies, begone, and be all ways away.
TITANIA
So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
TITANIA
Gently entwist; the female ivy so
TITANIA
Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.
TITANIA
O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!
OBERON
Welcome, good Robin.
OBERON
See'st thou this sweet sight?
OBERON
Her dotage now I do begin to pity:
OBERON
For, meeting her of late behind the wood,
OBERON
Seeking sweet favours from this hateful fool,
OBERON
I did upbraid her and fall out with her;
OBERON
For she his hairy temples then had rounded
OBERON
With a coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
OBERON
And that same dew, which sometime on the buds
OBERON
Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls,
OBERON
Stood now within the pretty flowerets' eyes
OBERON
Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.
OBERON
When I had at my pleasure taunted her
OBERON
And she in mild terms begg'd my patience,
OBERON
I then did ask of her her changeling child;
OBERON
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent
OBERON
To bear him to my bower in fairy land.
OBERON
And now I have the boy, I will undo
OBERON
This hateful imperfection of her eyes:
OBERON
And, gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp
OBERON
From off the head of this Athenian swain;
OBERON
That, he awaking when the other do,
OBERON
May all to Athens back again repair
OBERON
And think no more of this night's accidents
OBERON
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
OBERON
But first I will release the fairy queen.
OBERON
Be as thou wast wont to be;
OBERON
See as thou wast wont to see:
OBERON
Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower
OBERON
Hath such force and blessed power.
OBERON
Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen.
TITANIA
My Oberon! what visions have I seen!
TITANIA
Methought I was enamour'd of an ass.
OBERON
There lies your love.
TITANIA
How came these things to pass?
TITANIA
O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!
OBERON
Silence awhile. Robin, take off this head.
OBERON
Titania, music call; and strike more dead
OBERON
Than common sleep of all these five the sense.
TITANIA
Music, ho! music, such as charmeth sleep!
PUCK
Now, when thou wakest, with thine
PUCK
own fool's eyes peep.
OBERON
Sound, music! Come, my queen, take hands with me,
OBERON
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
OBERON
Now thou and I are new in amity,
OBERON
And will to-morrow midnight solemnly
OBERON
Dance in Duke Theseus' house triumphantly,
OBERON
And bless it to all fair prosperity:
OBERON
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
OBERON
Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.
PUCK
Fairy king, attend, and mark:
PUCK
I do hear the morning lark.
OBERON
Then, my queen, in silence sad,
OBERON
Trip we after the night's shade:
OBERON
We the globe can compass soon,
OBERON
Swifter than the wandering moon.
TITANIA
Come, my lord, and in our flight
TITANIA
Tell me how it came this night
TITANIA
That I sleeping here was found
TITANIA
With these mortals on the ground.
