your fancies to your Fathers will; Or else the Law of Athens yeelds you vp (Which by no meanes we may extenuate) To death, or to a vow of single life.Come my Hippolita, what cheare my loue? Demetrius and Egeus go along:
I must imploy you in some businesse
Against our nuptiall, and conferre with you
Of something, neerely that concernes your selues
Ege. With dutie and desire we follow you. Exeunt.
Manet Lysander and Hermia.
Lys. How now my loue? Why is your cheek so pale? How chance the Roses there do fade so fast?
Her. Belike for want of raine, which I could well
Beteeme them, from the tempest of mine eyes
Lys. For ought that euer I could reade, Could euer heare by tale or historie,
The course of true loue neuer did run smooth, But either it was different in blood
Her. O crosse! too high to be enthral'd to loue Lys. Or else misgraffed, in respect of yeares Her. O spight! too old to be ingag'd to yong Lys. Or else it stood vpon the choise of merit
Her. O hell! to choose loue by anothers eie
Lys. Or if there were a simpathie in choise, Warre, death, or sicknesse, did lay siege to it; Making it momentarie, as a sound:
Swift as a shadow, short as any dreame, Briefe as the lightning in the collied night,
That (in a spleene) vnfolds both heauen and earth;
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And ere a man hath power to say, behold, The iawes of darkness do deuoure it vp:
So quicke bright things come to confusion
Her. If then true Louers haue beene euer crost, It stands as an edict in destinie:
Then let vs teach our triall patience, Because it is a customarie crosse,
As due to loue, as thoughts, and dreames, and sighes, Wishes and teares; poore Fancies followers
Lys. A good perswasion; therefore heare me Hermia, I haue a Widdow Aunt, a dowager,
Of great reuennew, and she hath no childe,
From Athens is her house remou'd seuen leagues, And she respects me, as her onely sonne:
There gentle Hermia, may I marrie thee, And to that place, the sharpe Athenian Law Cannot pursue vs. If thou lou'st me, then
Steale forth thy Fathers house to morrow night: And in the wood, a league without the towne, (Where I did meete thee once with Helena.
To do obseruance for a morne of May) There will I stay for thee
Her. My good Lysander,
I sweare to thee, by Cupids strongest bow, By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicitie of Venus Doues,
By that which knitteth soules, and prospers loue, And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage Queene, When the false Troyan vnder saile was seene,
By all the vowes that euer men haue broke, (In number more then euer women spoke) In that same place thou hast appointed me, To morrow truly will I meete with thee
Lys. Keepe promise loue: looke here comes Helena. Enter Helena.
Her. God speede faire Helena, whither away? Hel. Cal you me faire? that faire againe vnsay, Demetrius loues you faire: O happie faire!
Your eyes are loadstarres, and your tongues sweete ayre
More tuneable then Larke to shepheards eare,
When wheate is greene, when hauthorne buds appeare, Sicknesse is catching: O were fauor so,
Your words I catch, faire Hermia ere I go,
My eare should catch your voice, my eye, your eye,
My tongue should catch your tongues sweete melodie, Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest Ile giue to be to you translated.
O teach me how you looke, and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius hart
Her. I frowne vpon him, yet he loues me still
Hel. O that your frownes would teach my smiles such skil
Her. I giue him curses, yet he giues me loue
Hel. O that my prayers could such affection mooue
Her. The more I hate, the more he followes me
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Hel. The more I loue, the more he hateth me
Her. His folly Helena is none of mine
Hel. None but your beauty, wold that fault wer mine Her. Take comfort: he no more shall see my face, Lysander and my selfe will flie this place.
Before the time I did Lysander see, Seem'd Athens like a Paradise to mee.
O then, what graces in my Loue do dwell, That he hath turn'd a heauen into hell
Lys. Helen, to you our mindes we will vnfold, To morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold Her siluer visage, in the watry glasse,
Decking with liquid pearle, the bladed grasse (A time that Louers flights doth still conceale) Through Athens gates, haue we deuis'd to steale
Her. And in the wood, where often you and I, Vpon faint Primrose beds, were wont to lye, Emptying our bosomes, of their counsell sweld: There my Lysander, and my selfe shall meete, And thence from Athens turne away our eyes
To seeke new friends and strange companions, Farwell sweet play-fellow, pray thou for vs,
And good lucke grant thee thy Demetrius. Keepe word Lysander we must starue our sight, From louers foode, till morrow deepe midnight. Exit Hermia.
Lys. I will my Hermia. Helena adieu,
As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you. Exit Lysander.
Hele. How happy some, ore othersome can be? Through Athens I am thought as faire as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinkes not so: He will not know, what all, but he doth know, And as hee erres, doting on Hermias eyes;
So I, admiring of his qualities:
Things base and vilde, holding no quantity, Loue can transpose to forme and dignity,
Loue lookes not with the eyes, but with the minde, And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blinde.
Nor hath loues minde of any iudgement taste:
Wings and no eyes, figure, vnheedy haste. And therefore is Loue said to be a childe, Because in choise
