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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. 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, ftrike her, kill her dead? Although I hate her, I'll not harm her fo.

Her. What, can you do me greater harm than hate? Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love? Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lyfander?

I am as fair now, as I was erewhile.

Since night, you lov'd me; yet fince night you left me: Why then you left me?-O the gods forbid !—

In earneft, fhall I say?

Lyf. Ay, by my life;

And never did defire to see thee more.

Therefore, be out of hope, of question, doubt,

Be certain, nothing truer ; 'tis no jeft,

That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me! you juggler! oh, you canker-bloffom ![9] You thief of love! what, have you come by night, And ftol'n my love's heart from him?

Hel. Fine, i'faith!

Have you no modefty, no maiden fhame,

No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue ?

Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet, you!

Her. Puppet! why fo? Ay, that way goes the game. Now I perceive that the hath made compare

Between our ftatures, she hath urg'd her height;
And with her perfonage, her tall perfonage,

Her height, forfooth, the hath prevail'd with him.-
And are you grown fo high in his esteem,
Because I am so dwarfish, and so low ?

[9] The 'canker-bloffom' is not in this place the bloffom of the Canker or Wild Rofe, which our author alludes to in Much Ado About Nothing, act i. fc. 6. but a worm that preys on the leaves or buds of flowers, always beginning in the middle. So in the famous paffage,

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How low am I, thou painted may-pole? speak;
How low am I! I am not yet fo low,

But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen, Let her not hurt me: I was never curft;

I have no gift at all in fhrewishness ;

I am a right maid for my cowardice;
Let her not strike me : You, perhaps, may think,
Because fhe's fomething lower than myself,
That I can match her.

Her. Lower! hark, again.

Hel. Good Hermia, do not be fo bitter with me.
I evermore did love you, Hermia,

Did ever keep your counfels, never wrong'd you ;
Save that, in love unto Demetrius,

I told him of your stealth unto this wood :
He follow'd you; for love, I follow'd him.
But he hath chid me hence; and threaten'd me
To ftrike me, fpurn me, nay, to kill me too :
And now, fo you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back,
And follow you no further: Let me go :
You fee how fimple and how fond I am.

Her. Why, get you gone: who is't that hinders you?
Hel. A foolih heart, that I leave here behind.
Her. What, with Lysander?

Hel. With Demetrius.

Lyf. Be not afraid; the fhall not harm thee, Helena.
Dem. No, fir; the fhall not, though you take her part.
Hel. O,-when she's angry, fhe is keen and shrewd
She was a vixen, when fhe went to school;

And, though fhe be but little, fhe is fierce.
Her. Little again? nothing but low and little :—
Why will you suffer her to flout me thus ?
Let me come to her.

Lyf. Get you gone, you dwarf,

You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grafs made ;[1]
You bead, you acorn.

Dem. You are too officious,

In her behalf that fcorns your fervices.

Let her alone; fpeak not of Helena ;

[1] Of hind'ring knot-grafs made.] It appears that knot-grafs was an ciently fuppofed to prevent the growth of any animal or child. Dailyroots were fuppofed to have the fame effect, STEEV.

Take not her part: for if thou doft intend
Never fo little fhew of love to her,

Thou fhalt aby it.

Lyf. Now he holds me not;

Now follow, if thou dar'ft; to try whofe right,
Or thine or mine, is moft in Helena.

Dem. Follow ? nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jowl. [Exe. LYSAN. and DEM. Her. You, miftrefs, all this coyl is long of you: Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not truft you, I ;

Nor longer ftay in your curft company.

Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray;
My legs are longer though, to run away.

Her. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.

[Exeunt: HERMIA pursuing HELENA. Ob. This is thy negligence: ftill thou mistak'st, Or elfe commit'ft thy knaveries willingly.

Puck. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me, I fhould know the man
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And fo far blameless proves my enterprize,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes:
And fo far am I glad it did fo fort,
As this their jangling I efteem a sport.

Ob. Thou feeft thefe lovers feek a place to fight:
Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;

The ftarry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fogs, as black as Acheron ;
And lead these testy rivals fo aftray,

As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lyfander fometime frame thy tongue,
Then ftir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And fometime rail thou like Demetrius ;
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep :
Then crufh this herb into Lyfander's eye;
Whofe liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error, with its might,
And make his eye-balls roll with wonted fight.
When they next awake, all this derifion
Shall feem a dream, and fruitless vifion;
And back to Athens fhall the lovers wend,

With league, whose date, till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
I'll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmed eye release
From monfter's view, and all things fhall be peace.
Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with hafte :
For night's fwift dragons cut the cloud's full faft,
And yonder fhines Aurora's harbinger;

At whofe approach, ghofts, wandering here and there,
Troop home to church-yard; damned spirits all,[2]
That in cross-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;

For fear left day fhould look their fhames upon,
They wilfully exile themfelves from light,
And muft for aye confort with black-brow'd night.
Ob. But we are spirits of another fort:

I with the morning's love have oft made sport;
And, like a forefter, the groves may tread,
Even till the eaftern gate, all fiery-red,
Opening on Neptune with fair bleffed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his falt-green ftreams.
But, notwithstanding, hafte : make no delay:
We may effect this business yet ere day.

Puck. Up and down, up and down;
I will lead them up and down:
I am fear'd in field in town;
Goblin, lead them up and down,
Here comes one.

Enter LYSANDER.

[Exit OB.

Lys. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? fpeak thou

now.

Puck. Here, villain: drawn and ready. Where art thou? Lyf. I will be with thee ftraight.

Puck. Follow me then

To plainer ground. [LYs. goes out, as following DEM. Enter DEMETRIUS.

Dem. Lyfander! fpeak again.

Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak in fome bush; where doft thou hide thy head?

[2] i. e. The ghofts of felf-murderers, who are buried in crofs-roads; and of those who being drowned, were condemned (according to the opinion of the ancients) to wander for a hundred years, as the rites of fepulture had never been regularly beftowed on their bodies. STEEV.

Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars, Telling the bushes that thou look'ft for wars,

And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child;
I'll whip thee with a rod: he is defil'd
That draws a fword on thee.

Dem. Yea; art thou there?

Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood here.

Re-enter LYSANDER.

[Exeunt.

Lyf. He goes before me, and ftill dares me on ;
When I come where he calls me, then he's gone.
The villain is much lighter-heel'd than I:
I follow'd faft, but fafter he did fly:
That fallen am I in dark uneven way,

And here will reft me. Come, thou gentle day!

[Lies down. For if but once thou fhew me thy grey light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this fpight.

Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS.

Puck. Ho, ho, ho! coward, why comeft thou not? Dem. Abide me, if thou dar'st: for well I wot, Thou runn'ft before me, fhifting every place; And dar'ft not ftand, nor look me in the face. Where art thou?

Puck. Come hither; I am here.

Dem. Nay, then thou mock'st me; thou shalt buy this dear,

If ever I thy face by day-light fee.

Now, go thy way. Faintnefs constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.-
By day's approach look to be vifited.

Enter HELENA.

[Lies down.

Hel. O weary night, O long and tedious night, Abate thy hours: fhine, comforts, from the east;

That I may back to Athens, by day-light,
From these that my poor company deteft:

And sleep, that fometime shuts up forrow's eye,
Steal me a while from mine own company.

Puck. Yet but three? come one more :
Two of both kinds make up four.

[Sleeps.

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