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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.

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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 modesty,

In fuch a presence 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 cloifter 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 earthlier happy is the rose distill'd,

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

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

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Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke

My foul consents not to give fovereignty.

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

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Or elfe to wed Demetrius, as he would:
Or on Diana's altar to proteft,

For aye, austerity and single life.

Dem. Relent, fweet Hermia ;-And, Lyfander, 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 shall render him;
And she 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 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 thefe 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 the, fweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,

Upon this fpotted and inconftant man.

The. I must confefs, that I have heard fo much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of felf-affairs,

My mind did lose it.-But, Demetrius, come;

And

And come, Egeus; you fhall go with me,

I have fome private schooling for you both.→→
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself
To fit your fences 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 something nearly that concerns yourselves.
Ege. With duty, and defire, we follow you.

[Exeunt THES. HIP. EGE. DEM. and train.

Lys. How now, my love? Why is your cheek fo pale? How chance the roses there do fade fo faft?

Her. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes.

Lyf. Ah me! for aught that ever I could read,

Could ever hear by tale or history,

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

Her. O cross! too high to be enthrall'd to low!
Lyf. Or elfe mifgraffed, in respect of years;
Her. O fpite! too old to be engag'd to young!
Lyf. Or else it ftood upon the choice of friends:
Her. O hell! to choose love by another's eye!
Lyf. Or, if there were a sympathy in choice,
War, death, or fickness did lay fiege to it;
Making it momentany 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 say,—Behold!

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The jaws of darkness do devour it up :

So quick bright things come to confusion.

Her. If then true lovers have been ever crofs'd, It stands as an edíct in destiny:

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.

Lyf. A good perfuafion; therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager

Of great revenue, and she 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 pursue us: If thou lov'st 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 ftrongest bow;

By his best arrow with the golden head;

By the fimplicity of Venus' doves;

By that which knitteth souls, 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.

Enter

Enter HELENA.

Her. God speed, fair Helena! Whither away?
Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unfay.
Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair!

Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's sweet air
More tuneable 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 go;
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,
My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The reft I'll give to be to you translated.
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 still.

Hel. O, that your frowns would teach my smiles fuch skill!

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

mine!

Her. Take comfort; he no more shall see my face;
Lyfander and myself will fly this place.-
Before the time I did Lyfander fee,
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!
Lyf. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold;
To-morrow night when Phoebe doth behold

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