And the youth, miftook by me,
Pleading for a lover's fee.
Shall we their fond pageant fee?
Lord, what fools thefe mortals be!

Ob. Stand afide: the noise, they make,
Will caufe Demetrius to awake.

Puck. Then will two at once woo one;
That must needs be sport alone.
And those things do beft please me,

That befal prepoft'rously.

Enter Lyfander and Helena.

Lyf. Why fhould you think, that I fhould woo in fcorn;

Scorn and derifion never come in tears.

Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows fo born,
In their nativity all truth appears :

How can these things in me feem fcorn to you,
Bearing the badge of faith, to prove them true?
Hel. You do advance your cunning more and more
When truth kills truth, O devilish, holy, fray!
These vows are Hermia's: will you give her o'er?
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh;
Your vows to her and me, put in two fcales,
Will even weigh, and both as light as tales.
Lyf. I had no judgment when to her I fwore.
Her. Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er.
Lyf. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.
Dem. [awaking.]O Helen, goddefs, nymph, per-
fect, divine,

To what, my love, fhall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy; O how ripe in fhow

Thy lips, thofe kiffing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus Inow,
Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow
K 4

When

your hearts.

When thou hold'ft up thy hand. O let me kifs
(a) This Pureness of pure white, this feal of bliss.
Hel. O fpight, O hell! I fee you all are bent
To fet against me, for your merriment:
If you were civil, and knew courtesie,
You would not do me thus much injury.
3 Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But muft join infolents to mock me too?
If you are men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle lady fo:
To vow and fwear, and fuper-praise my parts;
When I am fure, you hate me with
You both are rivals, and love Hermia,
And now both rivals to mock Helena.
A trim exploit, a manly enterprize,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
With your derifion! none of nobler fort
Would fo offend a virgin, and extort
A poor foul's patience, all to make you sport.
Lyf. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not fo;
For you love Hermia; this, you know, I know.
And here with all good will, with all my heart,
In Hermia's love I yield you up my part;
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love, and will do to my death.

Hel. Never did mockers wafte more idle breath.
Dem. Lyfander, keep thy Hermia, I will none;
If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone.

3

Can you not hate me, as I know you do,

}

}

But you must join IN SOULS to mock me too?] This is fpoken to Demetrius. The last line is nonfenfe.

be read thus,

They should

But muft join INSOLENTS to mock me too?

meaning Lyfander, who, as fhe thought, mocked her when he declared his paffion for her.

[(a) This pureness, Oxford Edit.Vulg. This Princess.]

My

My heart to her but, as gueft-wife, fojourn'd;
And now to Helen it is home return'd,

There ever to remain.

Lyf. It is not fo.

Dem. Difparage not the faith, thou doft not know, Left to thy peril thou abide it dear.

Look, where thy love comes, yonder is thy dear.

Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, The ear more quick of apprehenfion makes : Wherein it doth impair the feeing sense, It pays the hearing double recompence. Thou art not by mine eye, Lyfander, found; Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy found. But why unkindly didft thou leave me fo?

Lyf. Why should he stay, whom love doth prefs to go? Her. What love could prefs Lyfander from my fide? Lyf. Lyfander's love, that would not let him 'bide, Fair Helena; who more engilds the night,

Than all yon fiery O's and eyes of light.
Why feek'st thou me? could not this make thee know,
The hate, I bear thee, made me leave thee fo?

Her. You speak not, as you think; it cannot be.
Hel. Lo, fhe is one of this confed'racy;
Now, I perceive, they have conjoin'd all three,
To fashion this false sport in fpight of me.
Injurious Hermia, moft ungrateful maid,

Have you confpir'd, have you with these contriv'd
To bait me with this foul derifion?

Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd,
The fifters vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hafty-footed time
For parting us; O! and is all forgot?

All school-days friendship, childhood innocence?

We,

We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,
Created with our needles both one flower,
Both on one fampler, fitting on one cushion;
Both warbling of one fong, both in one key;
As if our hands, our fides, voices, and minds
Had been incorp'rate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, feeming parted,
But yet an union in partition;

Two lovely berries molded on one stem,
So with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, (a) like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.
And will you rend our ancient love afunder,
To join with men in fcorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly;

Our fex, as well as I, may chide you for it;
Though I alone do feel the injury.

Her. I am amazed at your paffionate words:
I fcorn you not; it seems, that you scorn me.
Hel. Have you not fet Lyfander, as in fcorn,
To follow me, and praife my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius,

(Who, even but now, did fpurn me with his foot) To call me goddefs, nymph, divine, and rare, Precious, celeftia!? wherefore fpeaks he this

To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lyfander
Deny your love, fo rich within his foul,
And tender me, forfooth, affection 1;
But by your setting on, by your confent?
What though I be not fo in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, fo fortunate;
But miferable most, to love unlov'd?
This you fhould pity, rather than defpife.
Her. I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do, perfever, counterfeit fad looks,

[(a) -like. M. Falks, Efquire.

Vulg. life]

Make

Make mouths upon me, when I turn my back;
Wink each at other, hold the fweet jeft up:
This fport, well carried, fhall be chronicled.
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me fuch an argument:
But fare ye well, 'tis partly mine own fault,
Which death or abfence foon fhall remedy.

Lyf. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excufe;
My love, my life, my foul, fair Helena!
Hel. O excellent!

Her. Sweet, do not fcorn her fo.

Dem. If the cannot entreat, I can compel. Lyf. Thou canft compel, no more than the entreat: Thy threats have no more strength, than her weak Prayers.

Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do;

I fwear, by that which I will lofe for thee,
To prove him falfe, that fays, I love thee not.
Dem. I fay, I love thee more than he can do.
Lyf. If thou fay fo, withdraw and prove it too.
Dem. Quick, come.

Her. Lyfander, whereto tends all this?
Lyf. Away, you Ethiope!

Dem. No, no, he'll feem

To break away; take on as he would follow,

But yet come not; you are a tame man, go.

Lyf. Hang off, thou cat, thou burr; vile thing, let loofe;

Or I will shake thee from me, like a ferpent.

Her. Why are you grown fo rude? what change is this?

Sweet love!

Lyf. Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out; Out, loathed medicine: hated poifon, hence. Her. Do you not jeft?

Hel. Yes, footh, and fo do you.

Lyf. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.

Dem.