you

But must join in souls to mock me too?
If you were men, as men you are in show,

You would not use a gentle lady so;

To vow, and swear, 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 mock Helena:
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
With your
derision none of noble sort
Would so offend a virgin, and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

:

Lys. 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 Hermia's love I yield you up my part; And yours of Helena to me bequeath Whom I do love, and will do till my death.

Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath.

Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will

none:

If e'er I loved her, all that love is

gone.

My heart to her but as guest-wise sojourned,
And now to Helen is it home returned,

There to remain.

Lys.

Helen, it is not so.

Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,

Lest to thy peril thou aby it dear.—

Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.

Re-enter HERMIA

Her Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,

The ear more quick of apprehension makes ;
Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense,

It the hearing double recompense.-
pays

Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound.
But why unkindly didst thou leave me so?
Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press
to go?

Her. What love could press Lysander from my side?

Lys. Lysander'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 seek'st thou me could not this make thee

know,

The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?

Her. You speak not as you think it cannot be.

:

Hel. Lo, she is one of this confederacy! Now I perceive they have conjoined all three, To fashion this false sport in spite of me. Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid!

Have you conspired, have you with these contrived
To bait me with this foul derision?

Is all the counsel that we two have shared,
The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us,-O, and is all forgot?

All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence ?
We, Hermia, like two artificial 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 minds,
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition;

Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crownéd with one crest.
And will you rend our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly 't is not maidenly:

Our sex, as well as I, chide may

for 't, you

Though I alone do feel the injury.

Her. I am amazed at your passionate words.
I scorn you not it seems that you scorn me.
Hel. Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
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, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander
Deny your love, so rich within his soul,
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 unloved?
This you should pity rather than despise.

Her. I understand not what you mean by
this.

Hel. Ay, do, perséver, counterfeit sad looks,
Make mouths upon me when I turn my back;
Wink at each other; hold the sweet jest up
This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.
If
you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me such an argument.

But, fare ye well: 't is partly mine own fault,
Which death or absence soon shall remedy.

Lys. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse: My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena !

Hel. O excellent!

Her.

Sweet, do not scorn her so.

Dem. If she cannot entreat, I can compel.

Lys. Thou canst compel no more than she entreat:

Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.

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

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

To

Lys. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it

too.

Dem. Quick, come,

Her. Lysander, whereto tends all this?

Lys. Away you Ethiop!

Dem. No, no; he will

Seem to break loose, take on, as you would follow,

But yet come not.—You are a tame man, go!

Lys. Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! vile thing,

let loose,

Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.