4" But no more sights.”—What a world of horrors is in this little I have ventured to give the extract this title, because it not only contains the whole story of the fairy part of the Midsummer Night's Dream, but by the omission of a few lines, and the transposition of one small passage (for which I beg the reader's indulgence), it actually forms a separate little play. It is nearly such in the greater play; and its isolation was easily, and not at all injuriously effected, by the separation of the Weaver from his brother mechanicals. Enter OBERON at one door with his train; and TITANIA at another with hers. Ober. Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. Tit. What! jealous Oberon? Fairies, skip hence; I have forsworn his bed and company. Ober. Tarry, rash wanton; am not I thy lord? To give their bed joy and prosperity? Ober. How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania, Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? Didst thou not lead him through the glimmering night From Perigenia, whom he ravished? And make him with fair Æglé break his faith, With Ariadne, and Antiope? Tit. These are the forgeries of jealousy: To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, From our debate, from our dissension: We are their parents and original. Ober. Do you amend it then: it lies in you: Why should Titian cross her Oberon ? I do but beg a little changeling boy, To be my henchman,t • Nine men's morris.-A rustic game, played with stones upon lines cut in the ground. t Henchman-Page. The fairy land buys not the child of me. To fetch me trifles and return again, Ober. How long within this wood intend you stay? If you will patiently dance in our round, If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts. [Exeunt TITANIA and her train. Till I torment thee for this injury.— My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou remember'st Since once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back, Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, And certain stars shot madly from their spheres, Ober. That very night I saw (but thou couldst not), Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took At a fair vestal, throned by the west;* And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow, * At a fair vestal, throned by the west.—An allusion to Queen Elizabeth. See in the Rev. Mr. Halpin's remarks on this passage, published by the Shakspeare Society, a most ingenious speculation on the hidden meaning of it, as a bit of secret court history. As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts: In maiden meditation, fancy free. Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell It fell upon a little western flower, Before milk-white; now purple with love's wound, And maidens call it Love-in-idleness.* Fetch me that flower: the herb I showed thee once : Will make or man or woman madly dote Upon the next live creature that it sees. Fetch me this herb: and be thou here again, Puck. I'll put a girdle round about the earth, Tit. Come, now a roundel, and a fairy song; Some, war with rear mice for their leathern wings, Then to your offices, and let me rest. *Love-in-idleness.-The heart's-ease SONG 1st Fai. You spotted snakes with double tongue, Newts and blind worms, do no wrong; Chorus. Philomel with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby, Lulla, lulla, lullaby: lulla, lulla, lullaby; So, good night-with lullaby. 2d Fai. Weaving spiders, come not here; Hence you long-legged spinners, hence: Chorus. Philomel with melody, &c. [Exeunt FAIRIES, TITANIA sleeps. Enter OBERON. Ober.-What thou seest when thou dost awake [Squeezes the flower on Titania's eyelids. Do it for thy true love take; Love and languish for his sake: Be it ounce, or cat, or bear, In thy eye that shall appear When thou wak'st, it is thy dear; Wake, when some vile thing is near. [Exit. Enter BOTTOM, singing; Puck having clapt on him an ass's head SONG. Bot. The ousel-cock, so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, The throstle with his note so true, The wren with little quill Tit. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again; Mine ear is much enamor'd of thy note; [Wakes. |