You bead, you acorn—

DEMETRIUS You are too officious

In her behalf that scorns your services.

Let her alone. Speak not of Helena.

Take not her part. For if thou dost intend

Never so little show of love to her,

Thou shalt aby it.

LYSANDER Now she holds me not.

Now follow, if thou dar’st, to try whose right,

Of thine or mine, is most in Helena.

DEMETRIUS

“Follow”? Nay, I’ll go with thee, cheek by jowl.

Demetrius and Lysander exit.

HERMIA

You, mistress, all this coil is long of you.

Helena retreats.

Nay, go not back.

HELENA I will not trust you, I,

Nor longer stay in your curst company.

Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray.

My legs are longer though, to run away.      She exits.

HERMIA

I am amazed and know not what to say.      She exits.

OBERON, to Robin

This is thy negligence. Still thou mistak’st,

Or else committ’st thy knaveries willfully.

ROBIN

Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.

Did not you tell me I should know the man

By the Athenian garments he had on?

And so far blameless proves my enterprise

That I have ’nointed an Athenian’s eyes;

And so far am I glad it so did sort,

As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

OBERON

Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight.

Hie, therefore, Robin, overcast the night;

The starry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fog as black as Acheron,

And lead these testy rivals so astray

As one come not within another’s way.

Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue;

Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong.

And sometime rail thou like Demetrius.

And from each other look thou lead them thus,

Till o’er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep

With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep.

Then crush this herb into Lysander’s eye,

He gives a flower to Robin.

Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,

To take from thence all error with his might

And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight.

When they next wake, all this derision

Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision.

And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,

With league whose 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 then I will her charmed eye release

From monster’s view, and all things shall be peace.

ROBIN

My fairy lord, this must be done with haste,

For night’s swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,

And yonder shines Aurora’s harbinger,

At whose approach, ghosts wand’ring here and

there

Troop home to churchyards. Damned spirits all,

That in crossways and floods have burial,

Already to their wormy beds are gone.

For fear lest day should look their shames upon,

They willfully themselves exile from light

And must for aye consort with black-browed night.

OBERON

But we are spirits of another sort.

I with the Morning’s love have oft made sport

And, like a forester, the groves may tread

Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red,

Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,

Turns into yellow gold his salt-green streams.

But notwithstanding, haste! Make no delay.

We may effect this business yet ere day.      He exits.

ROBIN

Up and down, up and down,

I will lead them up and down.

I am feared in field and town.

Goblin, lead them up and down.

Here comes one.

Enter Lysander.

LYSANDER

Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now.

ROBIN, in Demetrius’ voice

Here, villain, drawn and ready. Where art thou?

LYSANDER I will be with thee straight.

ROBIN, in Demetrius’ voice Follow me, then, to

plainer ground.      Lysander exits.

Enter Demetrius.

DEMETRIUS Lysander, speak again.

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?

Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy

head?

ROBIN, in Lysander’s voice

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 defiled

That draws a sword on thee.

DEMETRIUS Yea, art thou there?

ROBIN, in Lysander’s voice

Follow my voice. We’ll try no manhood here.

They exit.

Enter Lysander.

LYSANDER

He goes before me and still dares me on.

When I come where he calls, then he is gone.

The villain is much lighter-heeled than I.

I followed fast, but faster he did fly,

That fallen am I in dark uneven way,

And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day,

For if but once thou show me thy gray light,

I’ll find Demetrius and revenge this spite.

He lies down and sleeps.

Enter Robin and Demetrius.

ROBIN, in Lysander’s voice

Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why com’st thou not?

DEMETRIUS

Abide me, if thou dar’st, for well I wot

Thou runn’st before me, shifting every place,

And dar’st not stand nor look me in the face.

Where art thou now?

ROBIN, in Lysander’s voice

Come hither. I am here.

DEMETRIUS

Nay, then, thou mock’st me. Thou shalt buy this

dear

If ever I thy face by daylight see.

Now go thy way. Faintness constraineth me

To measure out my length on this cold bed.

By day’s approach look to be visited.

He 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.

She lies down and sleeps.

ROBIN

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!

She lies down and sleeps.

ROBIN

On the ground

Sleep sound.

I’ll apply

To your eye,

Gentle lover, remedy.

Robin applies the nectar

to Lysander’s eyes.

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;

Naught shall go ill;

The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be

well.

He exits.

Scene 1