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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 entreat your grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power 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 fociety of men.

Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion your defires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether if you yield not to your father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun;

For aye to be in fhady cloister mew'd,
To live a barren fifter all your life,

Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.
Thrice bleffed they, that mafter fo their blood,
To undergo fuch maiden pilgrimage:
But earthlier happy is the rofe diftill'd,

Than that, which, withering on the virgin-thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies, in fingle blessedness.

Her. So will I grow, fo live, fo die, my lord,
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up

Unto his lordship, to whofe unwish'd yoke
My foul confents not to give fovereignty.

The. Take time to paufe: and, by the next new (The fealing-day betwixt my love and me,

For everlasting bond of fellowship),

A 3

[moon,

Upon

Upon that day either prepare to die,
For difobedience to your father's will;
Or elfe to wed Demetrius, as he would:
Or on Diana's altar to protest,

For aye, aufterity and fingle life.

Dem. Relent, fweet Hermia ;-And, Lyfander, Thy crazed title to my certain right.

Lyf. You have her father's love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.

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Ege. Scornful Lyfander! true, he hath my love; And what is mine, my love fhall render him; And fhe 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 poffefs'd; my love is more than his;
My fortunes every 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 fhe, fweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,

Upon this fpotted and inconftant man.

The. I must confefs, that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have fpoke thereof; But, being over-full of felf-affairs,

My mind did lofe it. But, Demetrius, come;
And come, Egeus; you fhall go with me,

I have fome private schooling for you both.-
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself
To fit
father's will;
fancies to your
Or elfe the law of Athens yields you up

your

(Which by no means we may extenuate)
To death, or to a vow of fingle life.-
Come, my Hippolita; What cheer, my love?
Demetrius, and Egeus, go along :

I must employ you in fome bufinefs
Against our nuptial; and confer with you
Of fomething nearly that concerns yourselves.
Ege. With duty, and defire, we follow you.

[Exeunt THE. HIP. EGE. DEM. and Train. Lyf. How now, my love? Why is your check fo pale? How chance the rofes there do fade fo faft?

Her. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well Beteem them from the tempeft of mine eyes.

Lyf. Ah me! for aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or hiftory,

The courfe of true love never did run' fmooth:
But, either it was different in blood;

Her. O crofs too high to be enthrall'd to low!
Lyf. Or elfe mifgraffed, in refpect of years;
Her. O fpight! too old to be engag'd to young!
Lyf. Or else it flood upon the choice of friends
Her. O hell! to choofe love by another's eye!
Lyf Or, if there were a fympathy in choice,
War, death, or ficknefs did lay fiege to it;
Making it momentary as a found,

Swift as a fhadow, fhort as any dream;
Bri as the lightning in the colly'd night,
That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth,
And ere a man hath power to fay,-Behold!
The jaws of darknefs to devour it up:
So quick bright things come to confufion.

Her. If then true lovers have been ever crofs'd,
It stands as an edict in destiny:

Then let us teach our trial patience,

Because

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, HerI have a widow aunt, a dowager

Of great revenue, and she hath no child:

[mia.

From Athens is her house remote seven leagues;
And she refpects me as her only fon.

There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
And to that place the fharp Athenian law
Cannot purfue us: If thou lov'ft me then,
Steal forth thy father's houfe to-morrow-night:
And in the wood, a league without the town,
Where I did meet thee once with Helena,
To do obfervance to a morn of May,
There will I stay for thee.

Her. My good Lyfander!

I fwear 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 falfe Trojan under fail was feen;
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
In number more than ever woman spoke ;-
In that fame place thou haft appointed me,
To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.

Lyf. Keep promife, love: Look, here comes Helena.
Enter HELENA.

Her. God fpeed, fair Helena! Whither away?
Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unfay.
Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair!
Your eyes are lode-ftars and your tongue's sweet air

More

More tuneable than lark to fhepherd's ear,
When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching; O, were favour fo!
Your words I'd catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;
My ear fhould catch your voice, my eye your eye,
My tongue fhould catch your tongue's fweet melody..
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest I'll give to be to you tranflated.

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teach me how you look; and with what art You fway the motion of Demetrius' heart.

Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me ftill.
Hel. O that your frowns would teach my fimiles
fuch skill!

Her. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love.
Hel. O, that my prayers could fuch 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 no fault of mine.
Hel. None, but your beauty; 'Would that fault were
mine!

Her. Take comfort; he no more shall fee my face;
Lyfander and myself will fly this place.
Before the time I did Lyfander fee,
Seem'd Athens as a paradife to me:
O then, what graces in my love do dwell,
That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell!
Lyf. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold:
To-morrow night when Phoebe doth behold
Her filver vifage in the wat'ry glafs,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grafs
(A time that lovers' flight doth still conceal),
Through Athens' gates have we devis'd to fteal.
Her. And in the wood, where often you and I
Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie,

Emptying

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