Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou drivest me past the bounds Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him, then? O, once tell true, tell true, even for my sake! And hast thou killed him sleeping? O brave touch! An adder did it; for with doubler tongue Dem. You spend your passion on a misprised mood: I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell. Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. And from thy hated presence part I so: See me no more, whether he be dead or no. 70 80 [Exit. Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vein : So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow If for his tender here I make some stay. [Lies down and sleeps. Obe. What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight: Of thy misprision must perforce ensue 90 Some true love turn'd and not a false turn'd true. A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Puck. Then fate o'er-rules, that, one man holding troth, Obe. About the wood go swifter than the wind, And Helena of Athens look thou find: All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer, With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear: By some illusion see thou bring her here: I'll charm his eyes against she do appear. Puck. I go, I go; look how I go, Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. Obe. Puck. Obe. Puck. Flower of this purple dye, As the Venus of the sky. When thou wakest, if she be by, Re-enter PUCK. Captain of our fairy band, And the youth, mistook by me, Shall we their fond pageant see? Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. 100 [Exit. ΙΙΟ I 20 Lys. Why should you think that I should woo in scorn? Scorn and derision never come in tears: Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born, In their nativity all truth appears. How can these things in me seem scorn to you, Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh: Your vows to her and me, put in two scales, D 139 Lys. I had no judgement when to her I swore. Hel. Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er. Lys. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you. Dem. [Awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? Hel. O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent If you were civil and knew courtesy, 140 But you must join in souls to mock me too? 150 To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, And now both rivals, to mock Helena: A trim exploit, a manly enterprise, To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so; Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. 160 Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none: 170 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 pays the hearing double recompense. Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found; 180 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 oes and eyes of light. Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know, Her. You speak not as you think: it cannot be. Now I perceive they have conjoin'd all three Have you conspired, have you with these contrived Is all the counsel that we two have shared, The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent, For parting us,-O, is all forgot? All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence? 190 200 We, Hermia, like two artificial gods, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem; Her. I am amazed at your passionate words. Her. I understand not what you mean by this. 210 220 230 |