SCENE V.
Enter Queen of Fairies, with her train.
Queen.
Come, now a roundel, and a Fairy song:
7 noteThen, for the third part of the midnight, hence;
Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds,
Some war with rear-mice for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats; and some keep back
The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots, and wonders
At 8 noteour queint sports. Sing me now asleep:
Then to your Offices, and let me rest.
Fairies sing.
You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;
Newts and blind worms, do no wrong;
Come not near our fairy Queen.
Philomel, with melody,
Sing in your sweet lullaby;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby:
Never harm, nor spell, nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh;
So good night with lullaby.
-- 120 --
2 Fairy.
Weaving spiders come not here;
Hence, you long-leg'd spinners, hence:
Beetles black, approach not near,
Worm, nor snail, do no offence,
Philomel with melody, &c.
1 Fairy.
Hence, away; now all is well:
One, aloof, stand Centinel.
[Exeunt Fairies. The Queen sleeps.
Enter Oberon.
Ob.
What thou seest, when thou dost wake,
Do it for thy true love 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 wak'st, it is thy dear;
Wake, when some vile thing is near.
[Exit Oberon.
Alexander Pope [1747], The works of Shakespear in eight volumes. The Genuine Text (collated with all the former Editions, and then corrected and emended) is here settled: Being restored from the Blunders of the first Editors, and the Interpolations of the two Last: with A Comment and Notes, Critical and Explanatory. By Mr. Pope and Mr. Warburton (Printed for J. and P. Knapton, [and] S. Birt [etc.], London) [word count] [S11301].
