FLUTE O.

(As Thisbe) As true as truest horse that yet would

never tire.

Enter ⌈Robin leading⌉ Bottom with the ass-head

BOTTOM (as Pyramus)

If I were fair, Thisbe, I were only thine.

QUINCE O monstrousl O strange! We are haunted. Pray, masters; fly, masters: help! ⌈The clowns all exeunt⌉

ROBIN

I’ll follow you, I’ll lead you about a round,

Through bog, through bush, through brake,

through brier.

Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire,

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,

Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn. Exit

⌈Enter Bottom again, with the ass-head⌉

BOTTOM Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

Enter Snout

SNOUT O Bottom, thou art changed. What do I see on thee?

BOTTOM What do you see? You see an ass-head of your own, do you? ⌈Exit Snout⌉

Enter Quince

QUINCE Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee. Thou art translated. Exit

BOTTOM I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me, to fright me, if they could; but I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.

(Sings)

The ousel cock so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill;

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill.

TITANIA (awaking)

What angel wakes me from my flow’ry bed?

BOTTOM (sings)

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,

The plainsong cuckoo grey,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer ‘Nay’—

for indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird?

Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry ’Cuckoo’

never so?

TITANIA

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again.

Mine ear is much enamoured of thy note;

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me

On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.

BOTTOM Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays—the more the pity that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

TITANIA

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

BOTTOM Not so, neither; but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

TITANIA

Out of this wood do not desire to go.

Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.

I am a spirit of no common rate:

The summer still doth tend upon my state;

And I do love thee. Therefore go with me.

I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee,

And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,

And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so

That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.

Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed!

Enter four fairies: Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed

A FAIRY

Ready.

ANOTHER And I.

ANOTHER And I.

ANOTHER And I.

⌈ALL FOUR⌉ Where shall we go?

TITANIA

Be kind and courteous to this gentleman.

Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes.

Feed him with apricots and dewberries,

With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;

The honeybags steal from the humble-bees,

And for night tapers crop their waxen thighs

And light them at the fiery glow-worms’ eyes

To have my love to bed, and to arise;

And pluck the wings from painted butterflies

To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.

Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

A FAIRY Hail, mortal.

⌈FANOTHER⌉ Hall.

ANOTHER Hail.

ANOTHER Hail.

BOTTOM I cry your worships mercy, heartily.—I beseech your worship’s name.

COBWEB Cobweb.

BOTTOM I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb. If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.—Your name, honest gentleman?

PEASEBLOSSOM Peaseblossom.

bottom I pray you commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance, too.—Your name, I beseech you, sir?

MUSTARDSEED Mustardseed.

BOTTOM Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well. That same cowardly giantlike ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house. I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.

TITANIA (to the Fairies)

Come, wait upon him, lead him to my bower.

The moon, methinks, looks with a wat’ry eye,

And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,

Lamenting some enforced chastity.

Tie up my love’s tongue; bring him silently. Exeunt

3.2 Enter Oberon, King of Fairies

OBERON

I wonder if Titania be awaked,

Then what it was that next came in her eye,

Which she must dote on in extremity.

Enter Robin Goodfellow

Here comes my messenger. How now, mad spirit?

What nightrule now about this haunted grove?

ROBIN

My mistress with a monster is in love.

Near to her close and consecrated bower

While she was in her dull and sleeping hour

A crew of patches, rude mechanicals

That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,

Were met together to rehearse a play

Intended for great Theseus’ nuptial day.

The shallowest thickskin of that barren sort,

Who Pyramus presented, in their sport

Forsook his scene and entered in a brake,

When I did him at this advantage take.