Dem. I would, I had your bond; for, I perceive, A weak bond holds you; I'll not truft your word. Lyf. What, fhould I hurt her, ftrike her, kill her dead?

Although I hate her, I'll not harm her fo.

Her. What, can you do me greater harm, than hate? Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love? Am not I Hermia? are not you Lyfander ?

I am as fair now, as I was ere-while.

[me;

Since night, you lov'd me; yet, fince night, you left

Why then you left me

In earneft, fhall I fay?

Lyf. Ay, by my life;

(O the gods forbid it!)

And never did defire to fee thee more.

Therefore be out of hope, of question, doubt;
Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jest;

That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me, you jugler; oh, you canker-bloffom, You thief of love; what, have you come by night, And ftoll'n my love's heart from him?

Hel. Fine, i'faith!

Have you no modefty, no maiden fhame,
No touch of bashfulness? what, will you tear
Impatient anfwers from my gentle tongue?
Fie, fie, you counterfeit; you puppet, you.

Her. Puppet! why, fo: ay, that way goes the game.
Now, I perceive, that he hath made compare
Between our ftatures; fhe hath urg'd her height;
And with her perfonage, her tall perfonage,
Her height, forfooth, the hath prevail'd with him.
And are you grown fo high in his esteem,
Because I am fe dwarfish and fo low?
How low am I, thou painted maypole? fpeak,
How low am I? I am not yet so low,

But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen, Let her not hurt me: I was never curst;

I have no gift at all in fhrewishness;

I am a right maid, for my cowardice:

Let her not strike me. You, perhaps, may think,
Because she's something lower than myself,
That I can match her.

Her. Lower! hark, again.

Hel. Good Hermia, do not be fo bitter with me; I evermore did love you, Hermia,

Did ever keep your counfels, never wrong'd you;
Save that, in love unto Demetrius,

I told him of your ftealth unto this wood:
He follow'd you, for love I follow'd him,
But he hath chid me hence, and threaten'd me
To ftrike me, fpurn me, nay, to kill me too;
And now, fo you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back,
And follow you no further. Let me go.
You fee, how fimple and how fond I am.

Her. Why, get you gone: who is't that hinders
you?

Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.
Her. What, with Lyfander?

Hel. With Demetrius.

Lyf. Be not afraid, fhe fhall not harm thee, Helena. Dem. No, Sir, fhe fhall not, though you take her part. Hel. O, when she's angry, fhe is keen and fhrewd; She was a vixen, when she went to school; And though fhe be but little, fhe is fierce.

Her. Little, again? nothing but low, and little? Why will you fuffer her to flout me thus;

Let me come to her.

Lyf. Get you gone, you dwarf,

You Minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made;
You bead, you acorn.

Dem. You are too officious,

In her behalf that fcorns your fervices.

Let her alone, speak not of Helena,

Take

Take not her part: for if thou doft intend
Never fo little fhew of love to her,
Thou fhalt aby it.

Lyf. Now the holds me not;

Now follow, if thou dar'ft; to try whofe right,
Or thine, or mine, is moft in Helena.

Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee cheek by jowl. [Exeunt Lyfander and Demetrius. Her. You, mistress, all this coyl is long of you: Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not truft you, I;

Nor longer stay in your curft company.

Your hands, than mine, are quicker for a fray;

My legs are longer, though, to run away.

[Exeunt: Hermia pursuing Helena.

Enter Oberon and Puck.

Ob. This is thy negligence: ftill thou mistak'ft, Or elfe committ'it thy knaveries willingly.

Puck. Believe me, King of fhadows, I mistook. Did not you tell me, I fhould know the man By the Athenian garments he had on? And fo far blameless proves my enterprize, That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes; And fo far am I glad it did fo fort,

As this their jangling I efteem a sport.

Ob. Thou feeft, these lovers feek a place to fight;

Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;

The starry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fogs, as black as Acheron;
And lead thefe tefly rivals fo aftray,
As one come not within another's way.
Like to Lyfander, fometime, frame thy tongue,
Then ftir Demetrius up with bitter wrong;
And fometime rail thou, like Demetrius;

And

And from each other, look, thou lead them thus;
'Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting fleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep;
Then crush this herb into Lyfander's eye,
Whofe liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error with its might;
And make his eye-balls roll with wonted fight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall feem a dream, and fruitless vifion;
And back to Athens fhall the lovers wend
With league, whose date 'till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,

I'll to my Queen, and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmed eye release

From monster's view, and all things fhall be peace.
Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with hafte,
For night's fwift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And yonder fhines Aurora's harbinger;

At whofe approach, ghofts wandring here and there
Troop home to church-yards; damned fpirits all,
That in crofs-ways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;
For fear left day should look their shames upon,
They wilfully exile themfelves from light;
And must for aye confort with black-brow'd night.
Ob. But we are spirits of another fort;

I with the morning-light have oft made fport;
And, like a forefter, the groves may tread,
Ev'n 'till the eastern gate, all fiery-red,
Opening on Neptune with far-blefling beams,
Turns into yellow gold his falt-green streams.

Ev'n till the eastern gate, all fiery red,

But,

Opening on Neptune with FAIR BLESSED beams, Turns into yellow gold his falt-green fireams.] The Epithets fair bleffed are an infipid unmeaning expletive. Shakespear, without doubt, wrote,

F_A'R-E1L E1S 9 1 No beams;

Eut, notwithstanding, hafte; make no delay;
We may effect this bufinefs yet ere day::: [Exit Ob.
Puck. Up and down, up and down,

I will lead them up and down:

I am fear'd in field and town..

Goblin, lead them up and down.
Here comes one.

ני

Enter Lyfander.

Lyf. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou

now.

Puck. Here, villain, drawn and ready. Where art thou?

Lyf. I will be with thee ftraight..

Puck. Follow me then.

To plainer ground. [Lyf. goes out, as following Dem. Enter Demetrius.

Dem. Lyfander, speak again;

Thou run-away, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak in fome bush: where doft thou hide thy head?
Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
Telling the bushes that thou look'ft for wars,

And wilt not come? come, recreant; come, thou child,
I'll whip thee with a rod; he is defil'd,

That draws a fword on thee.

Dem. Yea, art thou there?

Puck. Follow my voice, we'll try no manhood here.

Lyfander comes back.

[Exeunt.

Lyf. He goes before me, and ftill dares me on;

1

i. e. whofe genial rays have the most extenfive influence. A corruption of the fame kind we meet with in Timon,

Thou BLESSED-BREEDING fun.

which fhould be read,

Thou BLESSING-BREEDING fun,

i. e. who giveth bleflings wherever it shines.

2

When