As the Venus of the sky.

When thou wak'st if she be by,

Beg of her for remedy.

Enter Pucke.

Puck. Captaine of our Fairy band,

Helena is heere at hand,

And the youth, mistooke by me,

Pleading for a Lovers fee.

Shall we their fond Pageant see?

Lord, what fooles these mortals be!

Ob. Stand aside: the noyse they make,

Will cause Demetrius to awake.

120

Puck. Then will two at once wooe one,

That must needs be sport alone:

And those things doe best please me,

That befall preposterously.

Enter Lysander and Helena.

Lys. Why should you think that I should wooe in scorn? |

Scorne and derision never comes in teares:
Looke when I vow I weepe; and vowes so borne,
In their nativity all truth appeares.

How can these things in me, seeme scorne to you?
Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true.

130

Hel. You doe advance your cunning more & more, When truth kils truth, O divelish holy fray! These vowes are Hermias. Will you give her ore? Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh. Your vowes to her, and me, (put in two scales) Will even weigh, and both as light as tales.

128. comes: come-Q2.

129. borne: born-3-4F

Lys. I had no judgement, when to her I swore. 139 Hel. Nor none in my minde, now you give her ore. Lys. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you. Awa. Dem. O Helen, goddesse, nimph, perfect, divine, To what my, love, shall I compare thine eyne! Christall is muddy, O how ripe in show,

Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus snow,
Fan'd with the Easterne winde, turnes to a crow,
When thou holdst up thy hand. O let me kisse

This Princesse of pure white, this seale of blisse.

Hell. O spight! O hell! I see you are all bent 150 To set against me, for your merriment:

If you were civill, and knew curtesie,

You would not doe me thus much injury.

Can you not hate me, as I know you doe,

But you must joyne in soules to mocke me to?
If you are men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle Lady so;

To vow,
and sweare, and superpraise my parts,
When I am sure you hate me with your hearts.
You both are Rivals, and love Hermia;

And now both Rivals to mocke Helena.

A trim exploit, a manly enterprize,

To conjure teares up in a poore maids eyes,
With your derision; none of noble sort,
Would so offend a Virgin, and extort
A poore soules patience, all to make you sport.
Lysa. You are unkind Demetrius; be not so,
For you love Hermia; this you know I know;
And here with all good will, with all my heart,
In Hermias love I yeeld you up my part;

160

170

156. are men: were men- -Le.

And yours of Helena, to me bequeath,

Whom I do love, and will do to my death.

Hel. Never did mockers wast more idle breth.

Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia, I will none:
If ere I lov'd her, all that love is gone.

My heart to her, but as guest-wise sojourn'd,
And now to Helen it is home return'd,
There to remaine.

Lys. It is not so.

De. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know, Lest to thy perill thou abide it deare.

Looke where thy Love comes, yonder is thy deare.

Enter Hermia.

181

Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, The eare more quicke of apprehension makes, Wherein it doth impaire the seeing sense, Ir paies the hearing double recompence. Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander found, Mine eare (I thanke it) brought me to that sound. But why unkindly didst thou leave me so?

190

Lysan. Why should hee stay whom Love doth presse to go? |

Her. What love could presse Lysander from my side? Lys. Lysanders love (that would not let him bide) Faire Helena; who more engilds the night,

Then all yon fierie oes, and eies of light.

Why seek'st thou me? Could not this make thee know,

The hate I bare thee, made me leave thee so?

Her. You speake not as you thinke; it cannot be. Hel. Loe, she is one of this

172. to: till-12. 177. it is: is it-12. 181. abide: aby-IQ.

confederacy,

179. It is: Helen, it is-1Q. 187. Ir: It-Q2.2-4F.

Now I perceive they have conjoyn'd all three,
To fashion this false sport in spight of me.
Injurious Hermia, most ungratefull maid,
Have you conspir'd, have you with these contriv'd
To baite me, with this foule derision?

Is all the counsell that we two have shar'd,
The sisters vowes, the houres that we have spent,
When wee have chid the hasty footed time,
For parting us; O, is all forgot?

All schooledaies friendship, child-hood innocence?
We Hermia, like two Artificiall gods,
Have with our needles, created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key;
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and mindes
Had beene incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet a union in partition,

Two lovely berries molded on one stem,
So with two seeming bodies, but one heart,
Two of the first life coats in Heraldry,
Due but to one and crowned with one crest.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To joyne with men in scorning your poore
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly.
Our sexe as well as I, may chide for it,
Though I alone doe feele the injurie.

you

friend?

Her. I am amazed at your passionate words,
I scorne you not; It seemes that you scorne me.
Hel. Have you not set Lysander, as in scorne
To follow me, and praise my eies and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius

208. is: is it-GLOBE.

220. life: like-THEOBALD.

200

210

220

230

217. a union: an union-Q2. 4F.

(Who even but now did spurne me with his foote)
To call me goddesse, nimph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celestiall? Wherefore speakes he this
To her he hates? And wherefore doth Lysander
Denie your love (so rich within his soule)
And tender me (forsooth) affection,
But by your setting on, by your consent?
What though I be not so in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, so fortunate?
(But miserable most, to love unlov'd)
This you should pittie, rather then despise.
Her. I understand not what you meane by this.
Hel. I, doe, persever, counterfeit sad lookes,
Make mouthes upon me when I turne my backe,
Winke each at other, hold the sweete jest up:
This sport well carried, shall be chronicled.

If
you have any pittie, grace, or manners,
You would not make me such an argument:
But fare ye well, 'tis partly mine owne fault,
Which death or absence soone shall remedie.

Lys. Stay gentle Helena, heare my excuse,
My love, my life, my soule, faire Helena.
Hel. O excellent!

Her. Sweete, do not scorne her so.

Dem. If she cannot entreate, I can compell.

240

250

Lys. Thou canst compell, no more then she entreate. Thy threats have no more strength then her weak praise. Helen, I love thee, by my life I doe;

I sweare by that which I will lose for thee,
To prove him false, that saies I love thee not.

Dem. I say, I love thee more then he can do.
Lys. If thou say so, with-draw and prove it too.

250. mine: my-1Q.

260

258. praise: prayers-THEOBALD.