ישר

To leave the figure, or disfigure it:
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman,
Her. So is Lyfander.

The. In himself he is;

But in this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other must be held the worthier.

Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes."
The. Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.
Her. I do intreat your Grace to pardon me:
I know not by what pow'r I am made bold,
Nor how it may concern my modefty
In fuch a prefence here to plead my thoughts:
But I beseech your Grace, that I may know
The worst that may befal me in this cafe,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

The. Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the society of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your defires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, not yielding to your father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun;
For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon?
Thrice bleffed they that master so their blood,
To undergo fuch maiden pilgrimage!
But a earthlier happy is the rofe distill'd,
Than that, which withering on the virgin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessedness.

Her. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,

Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his lordship, to whose unwish'd yoak
My foul consents not to give Sov'reignty.

The. Take time to pause, and by the next new moon,

(The fealing day betwixt my love and me,
For everlasting bond of fellowship)
Upon that day either prepare to die,
For disobedience to your father's will;
Or elfe to wed Demetrius, as he would;

Or on Diana's altar to proteft
For aye, austerity and fingle life.

Dem. Reient sweet Hermia, and Lysander yield

Thy crazed title to my certain right.

Lyf. You have her father's love, Demetrius;

Let me have Hermia's; do you marry him.

Ege. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love;

And what is mine, my love shall render him.
And she is mine, and all my right of her
I do eftate unto Demetrius.

Lyf. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he,
As well poffeft: my love is more than his:
My fortune's ev'ry way as fairly rank'd,
If not with vantage, as Demetrius :
And, which is more than all these boasts can be,
I am belov'd of beauteous Hermia.

Why should not I then profecute my right?
Demetrius (I'll avouch it to his head)
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
And won her foul; and she, sweet lady, doats
Devoutly doats, doats in idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

The. I must confefs that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought t'have spoke thereof; But being over-full of felf-affairs,

My mind did lose it. But Demetrius come,
And come Egeus, you shall go with me,
I have fome private schooling for you both.
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm your self
To fit your fancies to your father's will;
Or else the law of Athens yields you up
(Which by no means we may extenuate)
To death, or to a vow of single life.
Come my Hippolita; what cheer my love?
Demetrius and Egeus go along,
I must employ you in some business
Againft our nuptials, and confer with you
Of fomething nearly that concerns your selves.

Ege. With duty and defire we follow you. [Exeunt.

SCENE SCENE II.

Manent Lyfander and Hermia,

Lyf. How now, my love? why is your cheek so pale?
How chance the rofes there do fade so fast?

Her, Belike for want of rain, which I could well
† Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes.
Lys. Hermia, for ought that ever I could read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run fmooth,
But either it was different in blood

Her. O cross! too high, to be enthrall'd to love.
Lyf. Or else misgraffed, in respect of years
Her. O fpight! too old, to be engag'd to young.
Lys. Or else it stood upon the choice of friends
Her. Ohell! to chuse love by another's eye.
Lys. Or if there were a sympathy in choice,
War, death, or fickness did lay fiege to it;
Making it momentary as a sound,
Swift as a shadow. short as any dream,
Brief as the lightning in the † collied night,
That (in a spleen) unfolds both heav'n and earth;
And ere a man hath power to fay, Behold!

☑ ( The jaws of darkness do devour it up;

So quick bright things come to confufion.
Her. If then true lovers have been ever croft,
It stands as an edict in destiny:
Then let us teach our tryal patience:

Because it is a customary cross,

As due to love, as thoughts and dreams and fighs,
Wishes and tears, poor fancy's followers!

Lyf. A good perfuafion; therefore hear me, Hermia:

I have a widow-aunt, a dowager
Of great revenue, and she hath no child;
From Athens is her house remov'd seven leagues,

And the respects me as her only fon.

There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee,
And to that place the sharp Athenian law

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Can

† Beteem, or pour down upon 'em.. b merit..
† collied or black..

Cannot purfue us. If thou lov'st me, then
Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night;
And in the wood, a league without the town,
Where I did meet thee once with Helena
To do obfervance to the morn of May,
There will I stay for thee.

Her. My good Lysander,
I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the fimplicity of Venus' doves,
By that which knitteth fouls, and profpers loves,
And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage Queen,)
When the false Trojan under fail was seen;
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
In number more than ever women spoke;
In that fame place thou hast appointed me,
To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.

Lys. Keep promise, love. Look here comes Helena.

SCENE III.

Enter Helena.

Her. God speed fair Helena, whither away?
Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unfay,
Demetrius loves you, fair; O happy fair!
Your eyes are load-stars, and your tongue's sweet air
More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear,
When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching: oh were favour so,
Your words I'd catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,
My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The reft I'll give to be to you tranflated.
O teach me how you look, and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart?

Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.
Hel. Oh that your frowns would teach my smiles
fuch skill!

Her. I give him curses, yet he gives me love.
Hel. Oh that my pray'rs could such affection move!
Her. The more I hate, the more he follows me.
Hel. The more I love, the more he hateth me.
Her. His Folly, Helena, is none of mine.

Hel. None but your beauty, would that fault were
mine!

Her. Take comfort; he no more shall see my face,

Lysander and my self will fly this place.
Before the time I did Lysander see,
Seem'd Athens like a Paradife to me.
O then, what graces in my love do dwell,
That he hath turn'd a heaven into hell?

Lyf. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold,
To-morrow night,/ when Phœbe doth behold
Her filver visage in the wat'ry glass,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grafs,
(A time that lovers flights doth still conceal)
Through Athens' gate have we devis'd to steal,

Her. And in the wood, where often you and I

Upon faint primrose beds were wont to lye,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsels swell'd;
There my Lysander and my self shall meet,
And thence from Athens turn away our eyes,
To seek new friends and strange companions,
Farewel sweet play-fellow; pray thou for us,
And good luck grant thee d thy Demetrius!
Keep word Lysander, we must starve our fight:
From lover's food, 'till morrow deep midnight,

[Exit He mia.

Lys. I will, my Hermia, Helena adieu,
As you on him, Demetrius e doat on you! [Exit Lyfand,
Hel. How happy some, o'er othersome can be!

Through Athens I am thought as fair as the.
But what of that; Demetrius thinks not fo :
He will not know, what all but he do know,
And as he errs, doating on Hermia's eyes,

So 1, admiring of his qualities.

Things

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