ob. About the wood go fwifter than the wind, And Helena of Athens fee thou find.

All fancy-fick fhe is, and pale of cheer,

With fighs of love that cofts the fresh blood dear;
By fome illufion fee thou bring her here;
I'll charm his eyes against the doth appear.
Puck. I go, I go, look how I go,

Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow.
Ob.. Flower of this purple dye,
Hit with Cupid's archery,

Sink in apple of his eye!
When his love he doth efpy,
Let her fhine as gloriously
As the Venus of the sky.

When thou wak'ft, if fhe be by,
Beg of her for remedy.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Captain of our fairy band,
Helena is here at hand,

And the youth mistook by me
Pleading for a lover's fee.

Shall we their fond pageant fee?
Lord, what fools thefe mortals be!

Ob. Stand afide: the noife they make.

Will caufe. Demetrius to awake.

Pack. Then will two at once woo one That must needs be fport alone.

And thofe things do beft pleafe me,

That befal prepoft'roufly.

SCENE VII.

Enter Lyfander and Helena..

[Exiti

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 so-born
In their nativity all truth appears :

How

most beautiful

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!
Thefe 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.
Hel. 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, perfect,
divine,

That

!

To what, my love, fhall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy; O how ripe in fhow
Thy lips, thofe kiffing cherries, tempting grow
pure congealed white, high Taurus fnow,
Fann'd with the eaftern wind, turns to a crow
When thou hold'ft up thy hand. O let me kifs
This Princefs of pure white, this feal of bliss.
Hel. O fpight, O hell! I fee you all are bent
To fet againft me for your merriment:
If you were civil, and knew courtefie,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me as I know you do,
But you muft join in fouls to mock me too?
If
you are men, as men you are in fhow,
You would not ufe a gentle lady fo:
To vow and fwear, and fuperpraife my parts,
When I am fure you hate me with
your hearts.
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 noble fort
Would fo offend a virgin, and extort
A pour 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

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.
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 ftay, 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 fpeak 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 falfe fport 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 fhar'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 fchool-days friendfhip, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,

Fara

ไล

&

• Created with our needles both one flower,
Both on one fampler, fitting on one cufhion;
Both warbling of one fong, both in one key, Me
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 ftem,
So with two feeming bodies, but one heart,
Two of the first life, coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one creft..
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
Though I alone do feel the injury.

for it,

Her. Helen I am amazed at your words:
I fcorn you not; it feems that you scorn me..
Hel. Have you not fet Lyfander as in fcorn
To follow me, and praise 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, celeftial? wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lyfander
Deny your love, fo rich within his foul,
And tender me, forfooth, affection;
But by your fetting on, by your confent?
What though I be not fo in grace as you,,
So hung upon with love, fo fortunate;
But miferable moft, to love unlov'd?
This you should pity rather than defpife.
Her. I understand not what you mean by this,
Hel. Ay do, perfever, counterfeit fad looks,

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.
Ly Thou canft compel no more than fhe entreat
Thy threats have no more ftrength than her weak praife..
Helen, I love thee, by my life I do,

I swear 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 fhake 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 poison, hence. Her. Do you not jest?

Hel. Yes footh, and fo do you.

Lyf. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee. Dem. I would I had your bond; for I perceive A weak bond holds you; I'll not truft your word. Lyf. What, fhould I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead? Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so.

Her. What, can you do me greater harm than hate? Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love?

Am