Lys. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. Her. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie so near. Lys. O, take the sense 38, sweet, of my innocence; Love takes the meaning, in love's conference. I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit; So that but one heart we can make of it: Her. Lysander riddles very prettily:- So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend: Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his rest! Her. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be [They sleep. press'd! Enter PUCK. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, But Athenian found I none, On whose eyes I might approve [Exit. Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running. Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. Dem. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so. Dem. Stay, on thy peril; I alone will go. [Exit Demetrius. Hel. O, I am out of breath, in this fond chace! The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. Happy is Hermia, whereso'er she lies; For she hath blessed, and attractive eyes. How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears: If so, my eyes are oftner wash'd than hers. No, no, I am as ugly as a bear; For beasts that meet me, run away for fear: sake, Lys. And run through fire I will, for thy sweet [Waking. Transparent Helena; Nature here shows art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. Is that vile name, to perish on my sword! What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content. Lys. Content with Hermia? No: I do repent The tedious minutes I with her have spent. Not Hermia, but Helena I love: Who will not change a raven for a dove? And leads me to your eyes; where I o'erlook Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? But you must flout my insufficiency? Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, In such disdainful manner me to woo. But fare you well: perforce I must confess, I thought you lord of more true gentleness. O, that a lady, of one man refus'd, Should, of another, therefore be abus'd! [Exit. Lys. She sees not Hermia: - Hermia, sleep thou there; And never may'st thou come Lysander near! For, as a surfeit of the sweetest things The deepest loathing to the stomach brings; So thou, my surfeit, and my heresy, And all my powers, address your love and might, To honour Helen, and to be her knight! [Exit. Her. [Starting.] Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best, To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Methought a serpent eat my heart away, The same. ACT III. SCENE I. The Queen of Fairies lying asleep. 40 Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING. Bot. Are we all met? Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal: This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tyring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the duke. Bot. Peter Quince, Quin. What say'st thou, bully Bottom? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Snout. By'rlakin, a parlous fear. Star. I believe, we must leave the killing out, when all is done. |