Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

As the Venus of the sky.

When thou wak'ft, if fhe be by,

Beg of her for remedy.

Enter Puck.

Puck. Captain of our fairy band,
Helena is here at hand,

And the youth, miftook by me,
Pleading for a lover's fee.

Shall we their fond pageant fee?

Lord, what fools thefe mortals be!

Ob. Stand afide: the noise they make

Will caufe Demetrius to awake.

Puck. Then will two, at once, woo one; That must needs be sport alone.

And those things do best please me,

That befal prepoft'rously.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Lyfander and Helena.

Lyf. Why fhould you think that I fhould woo in fcorn?
Scorn and derifion 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,
Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?

Hel. You do advance your cunning more and more,
When truth kills truth, o devilish holy fray!
These vows are Hermia's: will you give her o'er?
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh;
Your vows to her and me, put in two fcales,
Will even weigh, and both as light as tales.

Lyf. I had no judgment when to her I fwore.
Hel. Nor none in my mind now you give her o'er.
Lyf. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

Dem.

Dem. [awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine,
To what, my love, fhall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy; o how ripe in fhow

Thy lips, those kiffing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus fnow,
Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow,
When thou hold'ft up thy hand. O let me kiss
This pureness of pure white, this feal of blifs.
Hel. O fpite, o hell! I fee you all are bent
To fet against me for your merriment :
If you were civil, and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join in flouts to mock me too?
If you were men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle lady fo:

To vow, and swear, and fuper-praise 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 noble fort
Would fo offend a virgin, and extort

A poor foul'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 yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love, and will do to my death.

Hel. Never did mockers waste 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 guest-wife fojourn'd;
And now to Helen it is home return'd,

There ever to remain.

}

}

Lyf.

Lys. It is not fo.

Dem. Difparage not the faith thou doft not know, Left to thy peril thou abide it dear.

Look, where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.

SCENE VIII.

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 sense,
It pays the hearing double recompence.
Thou art not by mine eye, Lyfander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy found.
But why unkindly didft thou leave me fo?

Lys. Why fhould he stay, 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 seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know,
The hate I bear thee made me leave thee fo?

Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be.
Hel. Lo, fhe is one of this confed'racy;

Now, I perceive, they have conjoin'd all three,
To fashion this falfe fport in spite of me.
Injurious Hermia, most 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 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,

Created

Created with our needles both one flower,
Both on one fampler, fitting on one cushion;
Both warbling of one fong, both in one key;
As if our hands, our fides, voices, and minds,
Had been incorp'rate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, feeming parted,
But yet an union in partition,

Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
Or with two seeming bodies, but one heart,
Two of the firft, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.
And will you rend our ancient love afunder,
To join with men in fcorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly;

Our fex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
Though I alone do feel the injury.

Her. Helen, I am amazed at your words:
I fcorn you not; it seems, that you fcorn 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 spurn me with his foot)
To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celeftial? wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lyfander
Deny your love, fo rich within his foul,
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 understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do, perfever, counterfeit fad looks,

A term used in blazoning, when two coats of arms are quarter'd together, and the second is the fame

as the first.

VOL. I.

[blocks in formation]

Make mouths upon me when I turn my back,
Wink each at other, hold the sweet 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 life, my foul, fair Helena.
Hel. O excellent!

Her. Sweet, do not fcorn her fo.

Dem. If the cannot entreat, I can compel.

Lys. Thou canst compel no more than fhe entreat; Thy threats have no more strength than her weak pray'rs. Helen, I love thee; by my life I do;

I swear by that which I will lose for thee,

To prove

him false that says I love thee not.

Dem. I fay, I love thee more than he can do.
Lyf. If thou fay fo, withdraw, and prove it too.
Dem. Quick, come.

Her. Lyfander, whereto tends all this?

Lyf. Away, you Ethiope!

Dem. No, no, he'll seem

To break away; take on as he would follow,

But yet, come not; you are a tame man, go.

Lyf. Hang off, thou cat, thou bur; vile thing, let loose, Or I will shake thee from me like a ferpent.

Her. Why are you grown fo rude? what change is this? Sweet love!

Lyf. Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out;

Out, loathed medicine; hated poison, hence!
Her. Do you not jest?

Hel. Yes, footh, and fo do you.

Lyf. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.
Dem. I would, I had your bond; for, I perceive,

A weak bond holds you; I'll not trust your word.

Lyf.

« AnteriorContinuar »