_Through this house_ in _glimmering light_.
V.i.408 (106,6) [Now, until the break of day] This speech, which
both the old quartos give to Oberon, is in the edition of 1623,
and in all the following, printed as the song. I have restored
it to Oberon, as it apparently contains not the blessing which
he intends to bestow on the bed, but his declaration that he
will bless it, and his orders to the fairies how to perform the
necessary rites. But where then is the song?--I am afraid it is
gone after many other things of greater value. The truth is that
two songs are lost. The series of the scene is this; after the
speech of Puck, Oberon enters, and calls his fairies to a song,
which song is apparently wanting in all the copies. Next Titania
leads another song, which is indeed lost like the former, tho'
the editors have endeavoured to find it. Then Oberon dismisses
his fairies to the dispatch of the ceremonies.
The songs, I suppose, were lost, because they were not inserted
in the players parts, from which the drama was printed.
V.i.440 (107,8) [Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue] That is, If we
be dismiss'd without hisses.
V.i.444 (107,9) [Give me your hands] That is, Clap your hands. Give
us your applause.
(107,8) General Observation. Of this play there are two editions in
quarto; one printed for Thomas Fisher, the other for James Roberts,
both in 1600. I have used the copy of Roberts, very carefully collated,
as it seems, with that of Fisher. Neither of the editions
approach to exactness. Fisher is sometimes preferable, but Roberts
was followed, though not without some variations, by Hemings and
Condel, and they by all the folios that succeeded them.
Wild and fantastical as this play is, all the parts in their
various modes are well written, and give the kind of pleasure which
the author designed. Fairies in his time were much in fashion;
common tradition had made them familiar, and Spenser's poem had
made them great.