To whom you are but as a form in wax,
By him imprinted, and within his power
To leave the figure, or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
HER. So is Lyfander.
THE. In himself 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 must with his judgement look,
HER. I do entreat your grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold;
Nor how it may concern my modefty,
In fuch a prefence here, to plead my thoughts:
But I beseech your grace, that I may know
The worst that may befal me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.
THE. Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the fociety of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your defires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, if you yield not 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 blessed they, that master so their blood,
To undergo fuch maiden pilgrimage:
But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd,
Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies, in fingle bleffedness.
HER, So will I grow, fo live, fo die, my lord,
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his lordship, whofe unwished yoke
My foul confents not to give fovereignty.
THE. Take time to paufe: and, by the next new moor, (The fealing-day betwixt my love and me,
For everlasting bond of fellowship,)
Upon that day either prepare to die,
For disobedience to your father's will;
Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would:
Or on Diana's altar to proteft,
For aye, aufterity and fingle life.
DEM. Relent, sweet Hermia ;-And, Lyfander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right.
Lrs. 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 she is mine; and all my right of her
I do eftate unto Demetrius.
Lrs. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he,
As well poffefs'd; my love is more than his;
My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd,
If not with vantage, as Demetrius';
And, which is more than all these boasts can be,
I am belov'd of beauteous Hermia :
Why should not I then prosecute my right?
Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
And won her foul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.
THE. I must confess, that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of self-affairs,
My mind did lofe it. But, Demetrius, come;
And come, Egeus; you fhall go with me,
I have some private schooling for you both.-
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself
To fit your fancies to your father's will;
Or else 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 Hippolyta; What cheer, my love?-
Demetrius, and Egeus, go along:
I must employ you in fome business
Against our nuptial; and confer with you
Of fomething nearly that concerns yourselves.
EGE. With duty, and defire, we follow you.
[Exeunt THES. HIP. EGE. DEM. and train. Lrs. How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there do fade so fast?
HER. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes.
Lrs. Ah me! for aught that ever I could read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth:
But, either it was different in blood ;-
HER. O cross! too high to be enthrall'd to low!
Lrs. Or elfe mifgraffed, in refpect of years ;-
HER. O fpite! too old to be engag'd to young!
Lrs. Or else it stood upon the choice of friends :-
HER. O hell! to choose love by another's eye!
Lrs. Or, if there were a fympathy in choice,
War, death, or fickness 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 heaven and earth,
And ere a man hath power to fay,—Behold!
The jaws of darkness do devour it up:
So quick bright things come to confufion.
HER. If then true lovers have been ever crofs'd, It stands as an edíct in deftiny:
Then let us teach our trial patience,
Because it is a customary cross;
As due to love, as thoughts, and dreams, and fighs,
Wishes, and tears, poor fancy's followers.
Lrs, A good perfuafion; therefore, hear me,
I have a widow aunt, a dowager
great revenue, and fhe hath no child:
From Athens is her house remote feven leagues;
And the respects me as her only fon.
There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
And to that place the sharp Athenian law
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 a morn of May,
There will I stay for thee.
HER. My good Lyfander!
I fwear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow;
By his best 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 seen;
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
In number more than ever women fpoke;-
In that fame place thou haft appointed me,
To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.
Lrs. Keep promife, love: Look, here comes Helena. Enter HELENA.
HER. God fpeed, fair Helena! Whither away? HEL. Call you me fair? that fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair!
Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's fweet air
More tunable than lark to fhepherd's ear,
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching; O, were favour fo!
Your's would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,
My tongue should 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. [skill!
HEL. O, that your frowns would teach my fmiles fuch
HER. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love.
HEL. O, that my prayers 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 no fault of mine.
HEL. None, but your beauty; Would that fault were
HER. Take comfort; he no more fhall fee my face;
Lyfander and myself will fly this place.—
Before the time I did Lyfander see,
Seem'd Athens as a paradife to me:
O then, what graces in my love do dwell,
That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell!
Lrs. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold:
To-morrow night when Phoebe doth behold
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