A Midsummer Night's Dream

And so far blameless proves my enterprise,

That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes,

And so far am I glad it so did sort365, As this their jangling366 I esteem a sport.

OBERON Thou see'st these lovers seek a place to fight: Hie368 therefore, Robin, overcast the night, The starry welkin369 cover thou anon With drooping fog as black as Acheron370, And lead these testy371 rivals so astray As372 one come not within another's way.

Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue373, Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong374; And sometime rail375 thou like Demetrius; And from each other look thou lead them thus,

Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep

With leaden legs and batty378 wings doth creep;

Then crush this herb379 into Lysander's eye,

Gives herb

Whose liquor hath this virtuous380 property, To take from thence all error with his381 might, And make his eyeballs roll with wonted382 sight.

When they next wake, all this derision383

Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision,

And back to Athens shall the lovers wend385

With league whose date386 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-swift dragons cut392 the clouds full fast, And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger393, At whose approach, ghosts, wand'ring here and there,

Troop home to churchyards; damned spirits all,

That in crossways and floods396 have burial, Already to their wormy beds are gone;

For fear lest day should look their shames upon,

They wilfully themselves exile from light

And must for aye consort400 with black-browed night.

OBERON But we are spirits of another sort:

I with the morning's love have oft made sport402, And, like a forester403, the groves may tread, Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red,

Opening on Neptune405 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.

Exit