To leave the figure, or disfigure it. The. In himself he is. But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice, Her. I would my father looked but with my eyes. I know not by what power I am made bold, In such a presence here, to plead my thoughts; know The worst that may befall me in this case, The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, 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 shady cloister mewed, Chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless moon. Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn, Her. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, Ere I will yield my virgin patent up Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke My soul consents not to give sovereignty. The. Take time to pause; and, by the next new moon, (The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, Or on Diana's altar to protest, For aye, austerity and single life. Dem. Relent, sweet Hermia;-and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right. Lys. You have her father's love, Demetrius ; Ege. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love, Lys. I am, my lord, as well derived as he, And, which is more than all these boasts can be, Why should not I then prosecute my right? Upon this spotted and inconstant man. The. I must confess, that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of self-affairs, My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come, I must employ you in some business 1 As spotless is innocent, so spotted is wicked. Ege. With duty and desire we follow you. [Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, DEMETRIUS, and Train. Lys. How now, my love! Why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there do fade so fast? Her. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well Beteem1 them from the tempest of mine eyes. Lys. Ah me! For aught that ever I could read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth!) Her. O cross! too high to be enthralled to low! The jaws of darkness do devour it up. So quick bright things come to confusion. Her. If then true lovers have been ever crossed, It stands as an edíct in destiny. Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross; As due to love, as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs, Lys. A good persuasion; therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revénue, and she hath no child. From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; 1 Bestow, or, according to Steevens, pour out. 2 Momentary. 3 Blackened, as with smut, coal. VOL. II. 2 And she respects me as her only son. Her. My good Lysander! I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow; By that which knitteth souls, and prospers loves; Lys. Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena. Enter HELENA. Her. God speed fair Helena! Whither away? Hel. Call you me fair? Demetrius loves your fair. 3 That fair again unsay. Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's sweet air More tunable than lark to shepherd's ear, When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. Sickness is catching; O, were favor so, 4 Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye, 1 Shakspeare forgot that Theseus performed his exploits before the Trojan war, and, consequently, long before the death of Dido. 2 Fair for fairness, beauty-very common in writers of Shakspeare's age. 3 The lode-star is the leading or guiding star, that is, the polar-star. The magnet is, for the same reason, called the lode-stone. 4 Countenance, feature. Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me still. Her. I give him curses, yet he gives me love,- Her. Take comfort; he no more shall see my face; Lysander and myself will fly this place.— Before the time I did Lysander see, Seemed Athens like a paradise to me. O, then, what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turned a heaven unto hell! Lys. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold. [Exit HERMIA. Lys. I will, my Hermia.-Helena, adieu. As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! 1 i. c. changed, transformed. [Exit LYSANDer. |