Dem. You do impeach your modefty too much, Hel. Your virtue is my privilege; for that When all the world is here to look on me? Dem. I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beafts. Hel. The wildeft hath not fuch a heart as you; Dem. I will not ftay thy questions; let me go: Hel. Ay, in the temple, in the town,' the field, Your wrongs do fet a fcandal on my fex: We cannot fight for love, as men may do ; [Exeunt Puck. Ay, there it is. Ob. I pray thee, give it me; I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, O'er O'er-canopy'd with lufcious woodbine, And with the juice of this I'll ftreak her eyes, Take thou fome of it, and feek through this grove ; With a difdainful youth; anoint his eyes; Efect it with fome care, that he may prove And, look, you meet me ere the first cock crow. Enter Queen of Fairies, with her train. Queen. Come, now a roundel, and a fairy song: Some war with rear-mice for their leathern wings, Fairies fing. You fpotted fnakes with double tongue, (12) Then for the third part of a minute bence,] But the Queen fets them work, that is to keep them employ'd for the remainder of the night: The Poet, undoubtedly, intended her to say, dance your round, and fing your fong, and then inftantly (before the third part of a minute) begone to your refpective duties. F 2 Philomel Philomel, with melody, Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby: So good night, with lullaby. 2 Fairy. Weaving fpiders come not here; 1 Fairy. Hence, away; now all is well: One, aloof, ftand centinel. [Exeunt Fairies. The Queen Aliceps. Enter Oberon. Ob. What thou feeft, when thou doft wake, Do it for thy true love take; Love and languish for his fake; [Exit Oberen. Enter Lyfander and Hermia. Ly. Fair love, you faint with wandring in the wood; And, to fpeak troth, I have forgot our way: We'll reft us, Hermia, if you think it good, And tarry for the comfort of the day. Her. Be't fo, Lyfander; find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will reft my head. Lyf. One turf fhall ferve as pillow for us both, One heart, one bed, two bofoms, and one troth, Her. Nay, good Lyfander; for my fake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie fo near. L. O take the fenfe, fweet, of my conference; (13) Her. Lyfander riddles very prettily; So far be diftant; and good night, fweet friend; Here is my bed; fleep give thee all his reft! Her. With half that with, the wifher's eyes be preft! [They Neep Enter Puck. Puck. Through the foreft have I gone, But Athenian found I none, On whofe eyes I might approve This flower's force in ftirring love: (13) O take the fenfe, fweet, of my innocence; Love takes the meaning in love's conference.] 'Tis plain he e, i that the players, for the fake of the jingle between fenfe and innotence, tranfpos'd the two laft words in the two lines, and fo male unintelligible nonfenfe of them. Let us adjust them, and this will be the meaning. When the interpreted his words to an evil meaning, he fays, O, take the fenfe of my conference; i. e. judge of my meaning by the drift of the other part of my difcourfe; and let that interpret this. A very proper rule to be always obferv'd, when we would judge of any one's meaning: the want of which is the mofe common cause of misinterpretation. He goes on and fays, Love takes the meaning in love's innocence. e. The innocence of your love may teach you to discover mine. Another very fine fentiment. So that thefe two most beautiful lines were perfectly disfigur'd in the aukward tranfpofition. Mr. Warbu Ma E 3 Night. Night and filence! who is here? And here the maiden fleeping found For I must now to Oberon. Enter Demetrius and Helena running. [Exit.. Hel. Stay, tho' thou kill me, fweet Demetrius! [Exit Demetrius.. For beafts, that meet me, run away for fear. Do (as a monster) fly my prefence thus. (14) Near to this lack-love, this kill-curtefy.] Thus, in all the printed editions. But this verfe, as Ben Johnson fays, is broke loofe from his fellows, and wants to be tied up. I believe, the Poet wrote;. Near to this kill-courtesy. Ard fo the line is reduced to the meafure of the other. But this term being fomewhat quaint and uncommon, the players, in my opinion, officioufly clap'd in the other, as a comment; and fo it has ever fince held poffeffion. But |