XL

THE BLOSSOM

ON a day-alack the day!-
Love, whose month was ever May,
Spied a blossom passing fair
Playing in the wanton air:

Through the velvet leaves the wind,
All unseen, 'gan passage find;
That the lover, sick to death,

Wish'd himself the heaven's breath.
'Air,' quoth he, 'thy cheeks may blow;
Air, would I might triumph so!

But, alas, my hand hath sworn

Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn:

Vow, alack, for youth unmeet;

Youth so apt to pluck a sweet.

Do not call it sin in me,

That I am forsworn for thee;
Thou for whom Jove would swear

Juno but an Ethiope were;

And deny himself for Jove,

Turning mortal for thy love.

XLI

Shakespeare.

THE FAIRY LIFE

1

OVER hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

THE FAIRY LIFE

I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green:
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours:
I must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
Shakespeare.

XLII

2

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 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.

Weaving spiders, come not here;

Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence!

Beetles black, approach not near;

Worm, nor snail, do no offence.

35

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.

PUCK sings:

XLIII

3

Shakespeare.

Now the hungry lion roars,

And the wolf behowls the moon;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,

All with weary task fordone.
Now the wasted brands do glow,

Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud,

Puts the wretch that lies in woe

In remembrance of a shroud.
Now it is the time of night,

That the graves, all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite,
In the churchway paths to glide:
And we fairies, that do run

By the triple Hecate's team,
From the presence of the sun,

Following darkness like a dream,

THE FAIRY LIFE

Now are frolic; not a mouse
Shall disturb this hallow'd house :
I am sent with broom before

To sweep the dust behind the door.

Shakespeare.

XLIV
4

COME unto these yellow sands,

And then take hands:

Courtsied when you have, and kiss'd,

The wild waves whist,

Foot it featly here and there;

And, sweet sprites, the burthen bear.
Hark, hark!

Bow, wow,

The watch-dogs bark:

Bow, wow.

Hark, hark! I hear

The strain of strutting chanticleer

Cry, Cock-a-diddle-dow!

Shakespeare.

XLV
5

WHERE the bee sucks, there suck I;

In a cowslip's bell I lie :

There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat's back I do fly

After summer merrily :

Merrily, merrily, shall I live now,

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

Shakespeare.

XLVI

THE FAIRY QUEEN PROSERPINA

HARK, all you ladies that do sleep!
The fairy-queen Proserpina

Bids you awake and pity them that weep.
You may do in the dark

What the day doth forbid ;
Fear not the dogs that bark,
Night will have all hid.

But if you let your lovers moan,
The fairy-queen Proserpina

Will send abroad her fairies every one,

That shall pinch black and blue

Your white hands and fair arms

That did not kindly rue

Your paramours' harms.

In myrtle arbours on the downs
The fairy-queen Proserpina,

This night by moonshine leading merry rounds,
Holds a watch with sweet Love,

Down the dale, up the hill;

No plaints or groans may move
Their holy vigil.

All

you

that will hold watch with Love,

The fairy-queen Proserpina

Will make you fairer than Dione's dove: