dead or no.
Exit.
Dem.
There is no following her in this fierce vein.
Here therefore for a while I will remain.
So sorrow’s heaviness doth heavier grow
For debt that bankrout [sleep] doth sorrow owe;
Which now in some slight measure it will pay,
If for his tender here I make some stay.
Lie down [and sleep].
Obe.
What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite,
And laid the love-juice on some true-love’s sight.
Of thy misprision must perforce ensue
Some true love turn’d, and not a false turn’d true.
Puck.
Then fate o’errules, that one man holding troth,
A million fail, confounding oath on oath.
Obe.
About the wood go swifter than the wind,
And Helena of Athens look thou find.
All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer
With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear.
By some illusion see thou bring her here.
I’ll charm his eyes against she do appear.
Puck.
I go, I go, look how I go,
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar’s bow.
[Exit.]
Obe.
Flower of this purple dye,
Hit with Cupid’s archery,
Sink in apple of his eye.
When his love he doth espy,
Let her shine as gloriously
As the Venus of the sky.
When thou wak’st, if she be by,
Beg of her for remedy.
Enter Puck.
Puck.
Captain of our fairy band,
Helena is here at hand,
And the youth, mistook by me,
Pleading for a lover’s fee.
Shall we their fond pageant see?
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
Obe.
Stand aside. The noise they make
Will cause Demetrius to awake.
Puck.
Then will two at once woo one;
That must needs be sport alone.
And those things do best please me
That befall prepost’rously.
Enter Lysander and Helena.
Lys.
Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
Scorn and derision never come in tears.
Look when I vow, I weep; and vows so born,
In their nativity all truth appears.
How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?
Hel.
You do advance your cunning more and more;
When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!
These vows are Hermia’s. Will you give her o’er?
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh.
Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,
Will even weigh; and both as light as tales.
Lys.
I had no judgment when to her I swore.
Hel.
Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o’er.
Lys.
Demetrius loves her; and he loves not you.
Dem. [Awaking.]
O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus’ snow,
Fann’d with the eastern wind, turns to a crow
When thou hold’st up thy hand. O, let me kiss
This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!
Hel.
O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
To set against me for your merriment.
If you were civil and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join in souls to mock
