But yet an union in partition;

Two lovely berries molded on one stem,
So with two feeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the firft *, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one creft.
And will you rend our ancient love asunder,
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 feems that you fcorn 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 spurn me with his foot),
To call me goddess, 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 fhould pity, rather than defpife.

Her. I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do, perfever, counterfeit fad looks,
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 intreat, I can compel.

A term ufed in blazoning, when two coats of arms are quarter

ed together, and the fecond is the fame as the first.

Lyf.

Lyf. Thou can't compel no more than fhe intreat: Thy threats have no more ftrength, than her weak prayers.

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

I swear by that which I will lose 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 bur; vile thing, let loofe;

Or I will shake thee from me like a ferpent.

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

[this!

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 trust 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 ere-while.

[me;

Since night, you lov'd me; yet, fince night, you left
Why then you left me-(O the gods forbid it!)
In earnest, fhall I fay ?

Lyf Ay, by my life;

And never did defire to fee thee more.

Therefore be out of hope, of question, doubt;

Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jest,

That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me, you jugler; ob, you canker-bloom,

You

You thief of love; what have you come by night,
And ftol'n my love's heart from him?

Hel. Fine, i' faith!

the

game.

Have you no modesty, 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
Now I perceive that the hath made compare
Between our ftatures; the hath urge'd her height;
And with her perfonage, her tall perfonage,
Her height, forfooth. fhe hath prevail'd with him.
And are you grown fo high in his esteem,
Because I am fo dwarfith and fo low?

How low am I, thou painted maypole ? fpeak,
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 curs'd.

I have no gift at all in fhrewithness;

I am a right maid for my cowardice.

Let her not ftrike me. You, perhaps, may think,
Because she'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 ftealth unto this wood.

He follow'd you, for love I follow'd him;

But he hath chid me hence, and threaten'd me
To frike 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

I am.

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

Hel. With Demetrius.

Ljf. Be not afraid; the fhall not harm thee, Helena.

Dem:

Dem. No, Sir, fhe fhall not, tho' you take her part. Hel. O, when she's angry, she is keen and fhrewd ; She was a vixen, when she went to fchool;

And though fhe be but little, fhe is fierce.

Her. Little, again? nothing but low, and little ? Why will you fuffer her to flout me thus? Let me come to her.

Lyf. Get you gone, you dwarf,

You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made;
You bead, you acorn

Dem. You are too officious,

In her behalf that fcorns your services.

Let her alone, fpeak not of Helena,

Take not her part: for if thou dost intend

Never fo little fhew of love to her,

Thou shalt aby it.

Lyf. Now fhe 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. [Exeunt Lyfander and Demetrius. Her. You, miftrefs, all this coyl is long of you. Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not truft you, I;

Nor longer stay in your curs'd company.

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

[Exeunt Hermia pursuing Helena.

SCENE VIII. Enter Oberon and Puck.
Ob. This is thy negligence; ftill thou mistak'st,
Or else committ'ft thy knaveries willingly.
Puck. Believe me, King of fhadows, 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 enterprise,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes;
And fo far am I glad it did so sort,
As this their jangling I efteem a sport.

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

VOL. I.

The

The ftarry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fogs, as black as Acheron;
And lead thefe tefty 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 fleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep;
Then crush 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 wake, all this derifion
Shall feem a dream, and fruitless vifion;
And back to Athens fhall the lovers wend
With league, whofe 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 monster'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 clouds full fast,
And yonder fhines Aurora's harbinger;

At whofe approach, ghofts wand'ring here and there
Troop home to church-yards; damned fpirits all,
That in crofs-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;

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

I with the morning-light have oft made fport;
And, like a forefter, the groves may tread,
Ev'n till the eastern gate, all fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with far-bleffing beams,
Turns into yellow gold his falt-green streams.
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;

[Exit Ob.