Enter DEMETRIUS， HELENA following him
DEMETRIUS. I love thee not， therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander and fair Hermia？ The one I'll slay， the other slayeth me. Thou toldst me they were stoln unto this wood， And here am I， and wood within this wood， Because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence， get thee gone， and follow me no more. HELENA. You draw me， you hard-hearted adamant； But yet you draw not iron， for my heart Is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw， And I shall have no power to follow you. DEMETRIUS. Do I entice you？ Do I speak you fair？ Or， rather， do I not in plainest truth Tell you I do not nor I cannot love you？ HELENA. And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel； and， Demetrius， The more you beat me， I will fawn on you. Use me but as your spaniel， spurn me， strike me， Neglect me， lose me； only give me leave， Unworthy as I am， to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love， And yet a place of high respect with me， Than to be used as you use your dog？ DEMETRIUS. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit； For I am sick when I do look on thee. HELENA. And I am sick when I look not on you. DEMETRIUS. You do impeach your modesty too much To leave the city and commit yourself Into the hands of one that loves you not； To trust the opportunity of night， And the ill counsel of a desert place， With the rich worth of your virginity. HELENA. Your virtue is my privilege for that： It is not night when I do see your face， Therefore I think I am not in the night； Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company， For you， in my respect， are all the world. Then how can it be said I am alone When all the world is here to look on me？ DEMETRIUS. I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes， And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. HELENA. The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will； the story shall be changd： Apollo flies， and Daphne holds the chase； The dove pursues the griffin； the mild hind Makes speed to catch the tiger- bootless speed， When cowardice pursues and valour flies. DEMETRIUS. I will not stay thy questions； let me go； Or， if thou follow me， do not believe But I shall do thee mischief in the wood. HELENA. Ay， in the temple， in the town， the field， You do me mischief. Fie， Demetrius！ Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex. We cannot fight for love as men may do； We should be wood， and were not made to woo. Exit DEMETRIUS I'll follow thee， and make a heaven of hell， To die upon the hand I love so well. Exit HELENA OBERON. Fare thee well， nymph； ere he do leave this grove， Thou shalt fly him， and he shall seek thy love.
Re-enter PUCK
Hast thou the flower there？ Welcome， wanderer. PUCK. Ay， there it is. OBERON. I pray thee give it me. I know a bank where the wild thyme blows， Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows， Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine， With sweet musk-roses， and with eglantine； There sleeps Titania sometime of the night， Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight； And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin， Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in； And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes， And make her full of hateful fantasies. Take thou some of it， and seek through this grove： A sweet Athenian lady is in love With a disdainful youth； anoint his eyes； But do it when the next thing he espies May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man By the Athenian garments he hath on. Effect it with some care， that he may prove More fond on her than she upon her love. And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow. PUCK. Fear not， my lord； your servant shall do so. Exeunt
SCENE II. Another part of the wood
Enter TITANIA， with her train
TITANIA. Come now， a roundel and a fairy song； Then， for the third part of a minute， hence： Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds； Some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings， To make my small elves coats； and some keep back The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep； Then to your offices， and let me rest.
The FAIRIES Sing
FIRST FAIRY. You spotted snakes with double tongue， Thorny hedgehogs， be not seen； Newts and blind-worms， do no wrong， Come not near our fairy Queen. CHORUS. Philomel with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby. Lulla， lulla， lullaby； lulla， lulla， lullaby. Never harm Nor spell nor charm Come our lovely lady nigh. So good night， with lullaby. SECOND FAIRY. Weaving spiders， come not here； Hence， you long-leggd spinners， hence. Beetles black， approach not near； Worm nor snail do no offence. CHORUS. Philomel with melody， etc. [TITANIA Sleeps] FIRST FAIRY. Hence away； now all is well. One aloof stand sentinel. Exeunt FAIRIES
Enter OBERON and squeezes the flower on TITANIA'S eyelids
OBERON. What thou seest when thou dost wake， Do it for thy truelove take； Love and languish for his sake. Be it ounce， or cat， or bear， Pard， or boar with bristled hair， In thy eye that shall appear When thou wakst， it is thy dear. Wake when some vile thing is near. Exit
