A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Page: 32

By day's approach look to be visited.

[Lies down and sleeps.]

[Enter HELENA.]

HELENA
O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hours! Shine comforts from the east,
That I may back to Athens by daylight,
From these that my poor company detest:--
And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye,
Steal me awhile from mine own company.

[Sleeps.]

PUCK
Yet but three? Come one more;
Two of both kinds makes up four.
Here she comes, curst and sad:--
Cupid is a knavish lad,
Thus to make poor females mad.

[Enter HERMIA.]

HERMIA
Never so weary, never so 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 desires.
Here will I rest me till the break of day.
Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!

[Lies down.]

PUCK
On the ground
Sleep sound:
I'll apply
To your eye,
Gentle lover, remedy.

[Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER'S eye.]

When thou wak'st,
Thou tak'st
True delight
In the sight
Of thy former lady's eye:
And the country proverb known,
That every man should take his own,
In your waking shall be shown:
Jack shall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill;
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.

[Exit PUCK.--DEMETRIUS, HELENA &c, sleep.]



ACT IV

SCENE I. The Wood.

[Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASBLOSSOM, 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 Peasblossom?

PEASBLOSSOM
Ready.

BOTTOM
Scratch my head, Peasblossom.--
Where's Monsieur Cobweb?

COBWEB
Ready.

BOTTOM
Monsieur Cobweb; good monsieur, get you your weapons in
your hand and kill me a red-hipped humble-bee on the top of a
thistle; and, good monsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not
fret yourself too much in the action, monsieur; and, good
monsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be