At length one chanc’d to find a nut, In th’ end of which a hole was cut, Which lay upon a hazel-root, There scatter’d by a squirrel, Which out the kernel gotten had: When quoth this Fay, “Dear queen, be glad, Let Oberon be ne’er so mad, I’ll set you safe from peril. “Come all into this hut (quoth she), Come closely in, be rul’d by me, Each one may here a chuser be, For room ye need not wrestle, Nor need ye be together heapt.” So one by one therein they crept, And lying down, they soundly slept, As safe as in a castle. Nymphidia, that this while doth watch, Perceiv’d if Puck the queen should catch, That he would be her over-match, Of which she well bethought her; Found it must be some pow’rful charm, The queen against him that must arm, Or surely he would do her harm, For throughly he had sought her. And list’ning if she aught could hear, That her might hinder, or might fear; But finding still the coast was clear, Nor creature had descry’d her: Each circumstance and having scann’d, She came thereby to understand, Puck would be with them out of hand, When to her charms she hy’d her. And first her fern seed doth bestow, The kernel of the mistletoe; And here and there as Puck should go, With terror to affright him, She night-shade straws to work him ill, Therewith her vervain and her dill, That hind’reth witches of their will, Of purpose to despight him. Then sprinkles she the juice of rue, That groweth underneath the yew, With wine drops of the midnight dew, From lunary distilling; The wolewarp’s brain mixt therewithal, And with the same the pismire’s gall: For she in nothing short would fall, The Fairy was so willing. Then thrice under a brier doth creep, Which at both ends was rooted deep, And over it three times did leap, Her magic much availing: Then on Proserpina doth call, And so upon her spell doth fall, Which here to you repeat I shall, Not in one tittle failing. “By the croaking of the frog; By the howling of the dog; By the crying of the hog Against the storm arising; By the evening curfew-bell; By the doleful dying knell; O let this my direful spell, Hob, hinder thy surprising. “By the Mandrake’s dreadful groans: By the Lubrican’s sad moans; By the noise of dead men’s bones In charnel houses rattling; By the hissing of the snake, The rustling of the fire-drake, I charge thee this place forsake, Nor of Queen Mab be prattling. “By the whirlwind’s hollow sound, By the thunder’s dreadful stound, Yells of spirits underground, I charge thee not to fear us: By the screech-owl’s dismal note, By the black night-raven’s throat, I charge thee, Hob, to tear thy coat With thorns, if thou come near us.”