*To 'leve 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 muft with his judgment look.
Her. I do intreat your Grace to pardon me:
+ I know not, by what pow'r 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

befal may

me

If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

in this cafe,

The. Either to die the death, or to abjure For ever the fociety of men.

Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion 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, fruitlefs, moon?
Thrice bleffed they, that mafter so their blood,
To undergo fuch maiden pilgrimage!
But earthlier happy is the rofe diftill'd,

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

Her. So will I grow, fo live, fo die, my lord,

*To 'leve the figure,&c.] i. e. releve, to heighten or add to the Beauty of the Figure, which is faid to be imprinted by him. 'Tis from the French, relever.

+ I know not, by what power I am made bold;] It was the Opinion of the Ancients, that when a Person did or faid any Thing that exceeded his common Faculties of Performance, that he did it by the Affiftance of fome God. So here fhe infinuates, that it was Love that enabled her to plead his Cause.

Ere I will yield my virgin patent up

Unto his lordship, to whose unwish'd yoak
My foul confents not to give Sov'reignty.

The. Take time to pause; 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;
Or elfe to wed Demetrius, as he would;
Or on Diana's altar to protest,
For aye, aufterity 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 fhall 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 poffeft: my love is more than his:
My fortune's every way as fairly rank`d,
If not with vantage, as Demetrius:

And, which is more than all thefe boasts 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 fhe, fweet lady, doats,
Devoutly doats, doats in Idolatry,

Upon this spotted and inconftant man.

The. I muft confefs, that I have heard fo much, And with Demetrius thought t'have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of felf-affairs,

My mind did lofe it. But, Demetrius, come;
And come, Egeus; you fhall go with me;
I have fome private schooling for you both.
For you, fair Hermia, look, you arm yourself

Το

To fit your fancies to your father's will;
Or elfe 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 Hippolita ; what cheer, my love?
Demetrius, and Egeus, go along;

I must employ you in fome business
Againft our nuptials, and confer with you
Of fomething nearly that concerns yourselves.
Ege. With duty and defire we follow you.

SCENE

II.

Manent Lyfander and Hermia.

[Exeunt.

Lyf. HOW now, my love? why is your cheek fo pale? How chance, the rofes there do fade fo faft?

Her. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well +Beteem them from the tempeft of mine eyes. Lyf. Hermia, for aught that ever I could read, Could ever hear by tale or hiftory,

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

Her. O cross!

low!

too high, to be enthrall'd to

Lyf. Or elfe mifgraffed, in respect of years. Her. O fpight! too old, to be engag'd to young! Lys. Or else it stood upon the choice of friendsHer. O hell! to choose love by another's eye! Lyf. Or if there were a fympathy in choice, War, death, or fickness did lay fiege to it;

Come, my Hippolita; what cheer, my love?] Hippolita had not said. one Angle Word all this while. Had a modern Poet had the teaching of her, we should have found her the busiest amongst them; and, without Doubt, the Lovers might have expected a more equitable Decifion. But Shakespear knew better what he was about; and obferved Decorum.

+ Beteem, or pour down upon them.

Mr. Pope.

E 6

Making

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 heav'n and earth; "And ere a man hath power to say, Behold! "The jaws of darkness do devour it up;

So quick bright things come to confufion.

Her. If then true lovers have been ever croft, It stands as an edict in destiny:

Then, let us teach our tryal patience:

Because it is a cuftomary cross,

As due to love, as thoughts and dreams, and fighs, Wishes and tears, poor fancy's followers!

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

Of great revenue, and fhe hath no child;

From Athens is her house remov'd feven leagues,
And fhe refpects 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 houfe to morrow night;
And in the wood, a league without the town,
Where I did meet thee once with Helena
To do observance to the morn of May,

There will I ftay for thee.

Her. My good Lyfander,

Brief as the light'ning in the collied Night,

That, in a Spleen, unfolds both Heaven and Earth.] Tho' the Word Spleen be here employed odly enough, yet I believe it right. ShakeSpear always hurried on by the Grandeur and Multitude of his Ideas affumes, every now and then, an uncommon Licence in the Use of his Words. Particularly in complex moral Modes it is ufual with him to employ one, only to exprefs a very few Ideas of that Number of which it is compofed. Thus wanting here to Exprefs the Ideas ---of a fudden, or in a trice, he ufes the Word Spleen; which, partially considered, fignifying a hafty sudden Fit is enough for him, and he never troubles himself about the further or fuller Signification of the Word.

+ Collied or black.

Lyf.

Lyf. I fwear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the Simplicity 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 feen;
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
In number more than ever woman spoke;

Her. In that fame place thou haft appointed me, To morrow truly will I meet with thee.

Lyf. Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.

Her. OD fpeed, fair Helena! whither away?
Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unsay;

Demetrius loves you, fair; O happy fair!

Your eyes are load-ftars, and your tongue's fweet air
More tuneable than lark to fhepherd's car,
When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching: oh, 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 fhould catch your tongue's fweet 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 ftill.
Hel. Oh, that your frowns would teach my

fmiles

fuch fkill! Her. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love. Hel. Oh, that my pray'rs could such 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