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1 Fair. Hail Mortal, Hail.

2 Fair. Hail.

3 Fair. Hail.

Bot. I cry your Worship's Mercy heartily, I beseech your Worship's Name.

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Cob. Cobweb.

Bot. I fhall defire of you more Acquaintance, good Mafter Cobweb; if I cut my Finger, I fhall make bold with you. Your Name, honeft Gentleman?

Peaf. Peafebloffom.

Bot. I pray you commend me to Miftrefs Squash your Mother, and to Mafter Peafecod your Father. Good Master Peafebloffom, I fhall defire of you more Acquaintance too. Your Name, I beseech you, Sir?

Muf. Mustardfeed.

Bot. Good Mafter Mustardfeed, I know your Patience well: That fame cowardly Giant-like Ox-beef hath devour'd many a Gentleman of your Houfe. I promise you, your Kindred hath made my Eyes water e'er now. I defire more of your Acquaintance, good Mafter Mustardfeed.

Queen. Come wait upon him, lead him to my Bower.
The Moon, methinks, looks with a watry Eye,
And when the weeps, weep every little Flower,
Lamenting fome enforced Chastity.

Tye up my Lover's Tongue, bring him filently. [Exeunt,
Enter King of Fairies folus.

Ob. I wonder if Titania be awak'd:

Then what it was that next came in her Eye,
Which she must dote on in Extremity.

Enter Puck.

Here comes my Meffenger: How now mad Spirit,
What Night-rule now about this haunted Grove?
Puck. My Miftrefs with a Monster is in love.

Near to her close and confecrated Bower,
While fhe was in her dull and fleeping Hour,
A crew of Patches, rude Mechanicals,
That work for Bread upon Athenian Stalls,
Were met together to Rehearse a Play,
Intended for great Thefeus Nuptial Day.
The fhalloweft thick Skin of that barren fort,
Who Pyramus prefented, in their Sport

Forfook

Forfook his Scene, and entred in a Brake,
When I did him at this Advantage take,
An Afs's Nole I fixed on his Head;
Anon his Thisby must be anfwered,

And forth my Mimick comes; When they him spy,
As wild Geefe, that the creeping Fowler eye,
Or ruffet-pated Choughs, many in fort,
Rifing and Kawing at the Gun's report,
Sever themselves, and madly fweep the Sky;
So at his fight, away his Fellows fly,

And at our stamp here o'er and o'er one falls;
He Murder cries, and help from Athens calls.
Their Senfe thus weak, loft with their Fears thus ftrong,
Made fenfeless things begin to do them wrong.
For Briars and Thorns at their Apparel fnatch,
Some Sleeves, fome Hats, from Yielders all things catch.
I led them on in this distracted fear,

And left fweet Pyramus translated there :
When in that moment (fo it came to pass)
Titania wak'd, and ftraightway lov'd an Afs.

Ob. This falls out better than I could devife.
But haft thou yet latch'd the Athenian Eyes
With the Love Juice, as I did bid thee do?

Puck. I took him fleeping; that is finish'd too;
And the Athenian Woman by his fide,
That when he wak'd, of force she must be ey❜d.
Enter Demetrius and Hermia.

Ob. Stand clofe, this is the fame Athenian.
Puck. This is the Woman, but not this the Man.
Dem. O why rebuke you him that loves you fo?
Lay Breath fo bitter on your bitter Foe.

Her. Now I but chide, but I fhould use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, haft given me cause to Curse,

If thou haft flain Lyfander in his fleep.

Being o'er Shoes in Blood, plunge in the deep, and kill me too. The Sun was not fo true unto the Day

As he to me. Would he have stollen away

From fleeping Hermia? I'll believe as foon

This whole Earth may be bor'd, and that the Moon
May through the Center creep, and fo displease
Her Brother's Noon-tide, with th' Antipodes.

It

Lys. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

Dem. [Awaking.] O Helen, Goddess, Nymph, perfe&, divine,

To what, my Love, fhall I compare thine Eyne?
Crystal is muddy; O how ripe in show,

Thy Lips, thofe kiffing Cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus Snow,
Fann'd with the Eastern Wind, turns to a Crow,
When thou hold'st up thy hand. O let me kiss
This Princess of pure white, this feal of Bliss.
Hel. O Spight, O Hell, I fee you are all bent
To fet against me, for your Merriment:
If you were civil, and knew Courtefie,
You would not do me thus much Injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join in Souls to mock me too?
If you are Men, as Men you are in show,
You would not ufe a gentle Lady fo:

To vow, and fwear, and fuperpraise my Parts,
When I am fure you hate me with your Hearts.
You both are Rivals, and love Hermia,
And now both Rivals to mock Helena,
A trim Exploit, a manly Enterprize,
To conjure Tears up in a poor Maid's Eyes,
With your Derifion: None of Nobler fort
Would fo offend a Virgin, and extort
A poor Soul's Patience, all to make you sport.
Lyf. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not fo,
For you love Hermia; this you know I know.
And here with all good will, with all my heart,
In Hermia's Love I yield you up my part;
And your's of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love, and will do to my Death.

Hel. Never did Mockers wafte more idle Breath.
Dem. Lyfander, keep thy Hermia, I will none;
If e'er I lov'd her, all that Love is gone.
My Heart to her, but as Gueft-wife fojourn'd,
And now to Helen it is home return'd,

There to remain.

Lyf. It is not fo.

Dem. Difparage not the Faith thou dost not know,

Left

Left to thy peril thou abide it dear.

Look where thy Love comes, yonder is thy Dear.
Enter Hermia.

Her. Dark Night, that from the Eye his Function takes, The Ear more quick of Apprehenfion makes. Wherein it doth impair the feeing Senfe, It pays the Hearing double recompence. Thou art not by mine Eye, Lyfander, found, Mine Ear, I thank it, brought me to that Sound. But why unkindly didft thou leave me fo?

Lyf. Why fhould he ftay, whom Love doth prefs to go?
Her. What Love could prefs Lyfander from my fide?
Lyf. Lyfander's Love, that would not let him bide;
Fair Helena, who more engilds the Night,
Than all yon fiery O's and Eyes of Light.

Why feek'st thou me? Could not this make thee know
The Hate I bear thee, made me leave thee fo?
Her. You fpeak not as you think: It cannot be.
Hel. Lo, fhe is one of this Confederacy;
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd all three,
To fashion this falfe Sport in fpight of me.
Injurious Hermia, moft ungrateful Maid,
Have you confpir'd, have you with these contriv'd
To bait me, with this foul Derifion?

Is all the Counsel that we two have shar'd,
The Sifters Vows, the Hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hafty footed Time,
For parting us: O! and is all forgot?

All School-days Friendship, Childhoods Innocence?
We, Hermia, like two Artificial gods,

Have with our Needles, created both one Flower,
Both on one Sampler, fitting on one Cushion;
Both warbling of one Song, both in one Key;
As ifour Hands, our Sides, Voices, and Minds
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double Cherry, feeming parted,
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 Life, Coats of Heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one Creft.
VOL. II.

D

And

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 Sex 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 scorn you not; it feems that you scorn 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 fpurn me with his Foot,
To call me Goddess, Nymph, Divine, and Rare,
Precious, Celestial? Wherefore fpeaks he this
To her he hates? And wherefore doth Lyfander
Deny your Love, fo rich within his Soul,
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 should pity rather than despise.
Her. I underftand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do, perfevere, 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 Soul, fair Helena.

Hel. O Excellent!

Her. Sweet, do not fcorn her fo.

Dem. If the cannot entreat, I can compel.

Lyf. Thou canft compel no more than the entreat.
Thy Threats have no more ftrength than her weak Praise.
Helen, I love thee, by my Life I do;

I swear by that which I will lofe for thee,
To prove him false that says I love thee not.
Dem. I fay, I love thee more than he can do.

Lyf

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