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; Ly. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, And, which is more than all thefe boasts can be, Why should I not then profecute my right? Upon this spotted and inconftant man. The. I must confess, that I have heard fo much, My mind did lofe it. But, Demetrius, come; Come, my Hippolita; what cheer, my love? I must employ you in fome business Ege. With duty and defire we follow you. [Exeunt. Manent Manent Lyfander and Hermia. Ly. How now, my love? why is your cheek fo pale? How chance, the roses there to fade fo faft? Her. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well 4 Beteem them from the tempeft of mine eyes. Lyf. Ah me, for aught that ever I could read, The course of true love never did run fmooth; Her. O cross-too high to be enthrall'd to low!Lyf. Or elfe mifgraffed, in refpect of yearsHer. O fpight! too old, to be engag'd to young Lyf. Or elfe it flood upon the choice of friends— Her. O hell! to chufe love by another's eye! Lyf. Or if there were a fympathy in choice, War, death, or ficknefs 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, " Her. If then true lovers have been ever croft, Then, let us try our tryal patience : Because it is a customary cross, As due to love, as thoughts and dreams and fighs, Lyf. A good perfuafion-therefore hear me, Hermia. I have a widow-aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and fhe hath no child; 6 Brief as the lightning in the Heaven and Earth, Behold! The jaws of darknefs do devour it up] 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 ufe 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 sudden, or- -in a trice, he uses the word Spleen; which, partially confidered, fig-ifying a hafty fudden fit, is enough for him, and And to that place the fharp Athenian law Her. My good Lyfander, I fwear to thee by Cupid's ftrongest bow, By that, which knitteth fouls, and profpers loves then 8 Lyf. if thou lov'ft me, -if thou lov'ft me, Steal forth thy father's houfe, &c. Her. My good Lysander, I fwear to thee by Cupid's Strongest bow, By, &c. &c. In that fame place thou hast appointed me To morrow truly will I meet with thee.] Lyfander does but juft propofe her running away from her Father at midnight, and straight fhe is at her oaths that fhe will meet him at the place of Rendezvous. Not one doubt or hefitation, not one condition of affurance for Lyfander's constancy. Either fhe was naufeously comming; or fhe had before jilted him; and he could not believe her without a thoufand Oaths. But Shakespear obferved nature at another rate. The fpeeches are divided wrong, and must be thus rectified; when Lysander had propofed her running away with him, the replies, Her. Ny good Lyfander and is going on, to ask fecurity And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage Queen, Lyf. Keep promife, love. Look, here comes Helena. Her. God fpeed, fair Helena! whether away ? Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unsay; Demetrius loves you, fair; O happy fair! * Your eyes are lode ftars, and your tongue's fweet air O teach me, how you look; and with what art Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me still. |