Page:Midsummer Night's Dream (1918) Yale.djvu/46

34   The ousel-cock, so black of hue, With orange-tawny bill, The throstle with his note so true, The wren with little quill.'

&emsp;Tita. [Awaking.] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo gray, Whose note full many a man doth mark, And dares not answer, nay;'

&emsp;for indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a &emsp;bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he &emsp;cry 'cuckoo' never so?

Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force, perforce, doth move me, On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days. The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

Bot. Not so, neither; but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go: Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common rate;  131 ousel-cock: male blackbird 134 quill: note 138 plain-song; cf. n. 154 gleek: jest 