The.
Go, one of you, find out the forester;—
And since we have the vaward of the day,^{6 note}
My love shall hear the music of my hounds.
Uncouple in the western valley; go;
We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top,
And mark the musical confusion
Of hounds and echo in conjunction.

Hip.
I was with Hercules, and Cadmus, once,
When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear
Such gallant chiding;^{7 note} for, besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seem'd all one mutual cry: I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.

The.
My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
So flew'd,^{8 note} so sanded:^{9 note} and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew;
Crook-knee'd, and dew-lap'd like Thessalian bulls;
Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bells,
Each under each. A cry more tuneable
Was never holla'd to, nor cheer'd with horn,

In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly:
Judge, when you hear.—But, soft; what nymphs are these?

Ege.
My lord, this is my daughter here asleep;
And this, Lysander; this Demetrius is;
This Helena, old Nedar's Helena:
I wonder of their being here together.

The.
Speak, good Egeus; is not this the day
That Hermia should give answer of her choice?

Ege.
It is, my Lord.

The.
Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns.
No doubt, that they, hearing of our intent,
Came here in grace of our solemnity.— [Horns sound. Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia, and Helena, wake and start up.

The.
Good morrow, friends.

Lys.
Pardon, my lord. [He and the rest kneel to Theseus.

The.
I pray you all, stand up.
I know you are two rival enemies;
How comes this gentle concord in the world,
That hatred is so far from jealousy,
To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity?

Lys.
My lord, I shall reply amazedly,
Half 'sleep, half waking: but, as I think,
I came with Hermia hither: our intent
Was, to be gone from Athens, where we might be
Without the peril of the Athenian law.

Ege.
Enough, enough, my lord: you have enough:
I beg the law, the law upon his head.—
They would have stol'n away, they would, Demetrius,
Thereby to have defeated you and me.

Dem.
My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth,
And I in fury hither follow'd them:
But, my good lord, I wot not by what power,
My love to Hermia seems to me now
As the remembrance of an idle gawd,^{10 note}

And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,
The object, and the pleasure of mine eye,
Is only Helena.

The.
Fair lovers, you are fortunately met:
Of this discourse we more will hear anon.—
Egeus, I will overbear your will;
For in the temple, by and by with us,
These couples shall eternally be knit.
And, for the morning now is something worn,
Our purpos'd hunting shall be set aside.—
Away, with us, to Athens: Three and three,
We'll hold a feast in great solemnity.—
Come, my Hippolyta. [Horns sound. [Exeunt Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and train. END OF ACT FOURTH.

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