William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream

ACT IV 1. SCENE I. The Wood. (continued)

TITANIA
How came these things to pass?
O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!

OBERON
Silence awhile.--Robin, take off this head.
Titania, music call; and strike more dead
Than common sleep, of all these five, the sense.

TITANIA
Music, ho! music; such as charmeth sleep.

PUCK
Now when thou wak'st, with thine own fool's eyes peep.

OBERON
Sound, music. [Still music.] Come, my queen, take hands with me,
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
Now thou and I are new in amity,
And will to-morrow midnight solemnly
Dance in Duke Theseus' house triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair prosperity:
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.

PUCK
Fairy king, attend and mark;
I do hear the morning lark.

OBERON
  Then, my queen, in silence sad,
  Trip we after night's shade.
  We the globe can compass soon,
  Swifter than the wand'ring moon.

TITANIA
  Come, my lord; and in our flight,
  Tell me how it came this night
  That I sleeping here was found
  With these mortals on the ground.

[Exeunt. Horns sound within.]

[Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and Train.]

THESEUS
Go, one of you, find out the forester;--
For now our observation is perform'd;
And since we have the vaward of the day,
My love shall hear the music of my hounds,--
Uncouple in the western valley; go:--
Despatch, I say, and find the forester.--

[Exit an ATTENDANT.]

We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top,
And mark the musical confusion
Of hounds and echo in conjunction.

HIPPOLYTA
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; 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.