The fifter's vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hafty-footed time
For parting us; O! and is all forgot?

All fchool-days friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial Gods,
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 molded on one ftem,
So with two feeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the firft, like coats in heraldry, (19).
Due but to one, and crowned with one crefst,
And will you rend our ancient love asunder,
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. I am amazed at your paffionate words:
I fcorn you not; it feems, that you fcorn me.
Hel. Have you not fet Lysander, as in scorn,
To follow me, and praise my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius,

(Who, even but now, did fpurn me with his foot)
To call me goddefs, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celeftial? wherefore fpeaks he this,
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander
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;

(19) Two of the first life, coats in heraldry,

Due but to one, and crowned with one creft.] The true correc tion of this paffage I owe to the friendship and communication of the ingenious Martin Folks, Efq; Two of the first, second, &c. are terms peculiar in beraldry to diftinguish the different quarterings of

coats

But

But miferable moft, to love unlov'd?
This you fhould pity, rather than defpife.

Her. I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do, perfevere, counterfeit fad looks,
-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 intreat, I can compel.

Lyf. Thou canft compel, no more than fhe intreat: Thy threats have no more ftrength, than her weak prayers. (20)

Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do:

I fwear, by that which I will lofe for thee,
Το prove him falfe, that fays, 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. Lyjander, where to 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 burr; vile thing, let loofe; Or I will shake thee from me, like a serpent.

(20) Thy threats have no more ftrength than her weak praife.] This line is certainly but an enlargement upon, or rather a variation in terms of the fenfe of the preceding line. But, in that, there is a defign'd Antithefis betwixt compel and intreat: this contract of terms is wanting, in threats and praife: wherefore we need make no difficulty of fubftituting prayers. Indeed, my fufpicion is, the Poet might have coin'd a fubftantive plural, (from the verb, to pray) prays; i. e. prayings, entreaties, befeechings, and the identity of found might give birth to the corruption of it into praife. But I have chofen the known and familiar word.

Her,

Her. Why are you grown fo rude? what change s this? fweet love?

Lyf. Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out; Out, loathed medicine: hated poison, hence. Her. Do you not jeft?

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. Lys. 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 Lysander?

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

Since night, you lov'd me; yet, fince night, you left me;
Why then you left me-(O the Gods forbid !)
In earnest, fhall I fay?

L. Ay, by my life;

And never did defire to fee thee more.
Therefore be out of hope, of queftion, doubt;
Be certain, nothing truer ; 'tis no jeft;
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 answers from my gentle tongue ?
Fy, fy, 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; the hath urg'd her height;
And with her perfonage, her tall perfonage,
Her height, forfooth, fhe hath prevail'd with him.
And are you grown fo high in his esteem,
Because I am fo dwarfish and fo low?

How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak,
How low am I? I am not yet fo low,

But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

Hel

Hel. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen, Let her not hurt me: I was never curft; have no gift at all in fhrewishness;

am a right maid, for my cowardice:

Let her not ftrike me.

You, perhaps, may think,

Becaufe fhe's fomething 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 ento Demetrius,

I told him of your stealth 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 Lysander?

Hel. With Demetrius.

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

And though the be but little, the 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-grafs made, (21)
You bead, you acorn.

--

Dem.

(21) You Minimus, -] This is no term of art, that I can find; and I can fearce be willing to think, that Shakespeare would use the mafculine of an adjective to a woman. He was not fo deficient in grammar. I have not ventur'd to disturb the text; but the Author, perhaps, might have wrote;

You, Minim, you,'

Dem. You are too officious, In her behalf that fcorns your

fervices. Let her alone, fpeak not of Helena,

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

Lyf. Now he holds me not;

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

Dem. Follow? nay, I'll go with thee cheek by jowl.

[Exeunt Lyfander and Demetrias. Her. You, mistress, all this coyl is long of you: Nay, go not back.

Hel. I will not trust 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 purfuing Helena.

Enter Oberon and Puck.

Ob. This is thy negligence: ftill thou mistak'ft, Or elfe committ'ft thy knaveries willingly. Puck. Believe me, King of fhadows, I miftook. Did not you tell me, I fhould know the man By the Athenian garments he had on? And fo far blamelefs proves my enterprize, That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes And fo far am I glad it did so sort, As this their jangling I efteem a fport.

Ob. Thou feeft, thefe lovers feek a place to fight Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;

The ftarry welkin cover thou anon
With drooping fog, as black as Acheron;
And lead thefe tefty rivals fo aftray,
As one come not within another's way.

i. e. You diminutive of the creation, you reptile.

In this fenfe, to use a more recent authority, Milton uses the word in the 7th book of Paradife Loft.

These as a line their long dimenfion drew,
Streaking the ground with finuous trace; not all

Minims of nature

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