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

The. In himfelf 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 muft 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 modesty

In fuch a prefence here to plead my thoughts:
But I befeech your Grace, that I may know
The worst that may befal me in this cafe,
If I refufe 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, not yielding 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 a earthlier happy is the rofe diftill'd,

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

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

Unto his lordfhip, to whofe unwifh'd yoak

My foul confents not to give Sov'reignty.

The. Take time to paufe, 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 difobedience to your father's will;
Or elfe to wed Demetrius, as he would;

Of

Or on Diana's altar to proteft

For aye, aufterity and fingle life.

Dem. Reient fweet 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 Lyfander! true, he hath my love;
And what is mine, my love fhall render him.
And he 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 boafts 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, doats
Devoutly doats, doats in idolatry,

Upon this fpotted and inconftant man.

The. I must confess that I have heard fo much, And with Demetrius thought t' have spoke 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 fchooling for you both.
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm your
felf
To fit your fancies to your father's will;
Or elfe the law of Athens yields you up
(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
Againft our nuptials, and confer with you.
Of fomething nearly that concerns your felves.
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 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. Hermia, for ought that ever I could read, Could ever hear by tale or hiftory,

The course of true love never did run fmooth,
But either it was different in blood

Her. O crofs! too high, to be enthrall'd to love.
Lyf. Or elfe mifgraffed, in refpect of years --
Her. O fpight! too old, to be engag'd to young,
Lyf. Or elfe it ftood upon the choice of b friends-
Her. O hell! to chufe 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,
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 lay, Behold!
The jaws of darknefs 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 the hath no child;

From Athens is her houfe remov'd feven leagues,
And fhe refpects me as her only son.

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'ft 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 ftay for thee.

Her. My good Lyfander,

I fwear to thee by Cupid's ftrongest bow,
By his beft 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 women spoke;
In that fame place thou haft appointed me,
To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.

Lyf. Keep promise, love. Look here comes Helena,
SCENE III.

Enter Helena.

Her. God fpeed fair Helena, whither away?
Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unfay,
Demetrius loves you, fair; O happy fair!
Your eyes are load-ftars, and your tongue's fweet air
More tuneable than lark to fhepherd's ear,
When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching: oh were favour fo,

Your words I'd catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,
My tongue fhould catch your tongue's fweet 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 fway the motion of Demetrius' heart?
Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me ftill.
Hel. Oh that your frowns would teach my fmiles
fuch skill!

e for a

Her.

Her. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love.
Hel. Oh that my pray'rs 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 none of mine.

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

Her. Take comfort; he no more fhall fee my face,
Lyfander and my felf will fly this place.
Before the time I did Lyfander fee,

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 Phabe doth behold
Her filver vifage in the wat'ry glafs,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grafs,
(A time that lovers flights doth ftill 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 bofoms of their counfels fwell'd;
There my Lyfander and my self shall meet,
And thence from Athens turn away our eyes,
To feek new friends and ftrange companions,
Farewel fweet play-fellow; pray thou for us,
And good luck grant thee d thy Demetrius!
Keep word Lyfander, we muft ftarve our fight;
From lover's food, 'till morrow deep midnight,
[Exit He mia.
Lyf. I will, my Hermia, Helena adieu,
As you on him, Demetrius e doat on you! [Exit Lyfand
Hel. How happy fome, o'er otherfome can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as fhe.
But what of that; Demetrius thinks not so :
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,

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