O! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake. An adder did it; for with doubler tongue Dem. You spend your passion on a misprised 2 mood. I am not guilty of Lysander's blood; Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell. Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. get therefore? [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 bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe; [Lies down. Obe. What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite, And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight. Some true-love turned, and not a false turned 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 3 With sighs of love, that cost the fresh blood dear.1 I'll charm his eyes, against she doth appear. Puck. I go, I go; look, go; look, how I go; Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. 1 A touch anciently signified a trick. 2 "On a misprised mood," i. e. in a mistaken manner. 3 Cheer here signifies countenance, from cera (Ital.). [Exit. 4 Alluding to the ancient supposition, that every sigh was indulged at the expense of a drop of blood. Obe. Flower of this purple dye, Re-enter PUCK. Puck. Captain of our fairy band, And the youth mistook by me, 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 preposterously. 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 How can these things in me seem scorn to you, more. When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray! These vows are Hermia's. Will you give her o'er? Your vows, to her and me, put in two scales, Lys. I had no judgment when to her I swore. To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport. Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so; Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none: If e'er I loved her, all that love is gone. 1 i. e. join heartily, unite in the same mind. My heart with her but as guest-wise sojourned; There to remain. Lys. Helen, it is not so. Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not know, Lest, to thy peril, thou abide it dear.1 Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear. Enter HERMIA. Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, The ear more quick of apprehension makes; Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense, It pays the hearing double recompense.Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found; Mine ear-I thank it-brought me to thy sound. But why unkindly didst thou leave me so? Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go? Her. What love could press Lysander from my side? Lys. Lysander's love, that would not let him bideFair Helena, who more engilds the night Than all yon fiery oes2 and eyes of light. Why seek'st thou me? Could not this make thee know, The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so? Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be. Now I perceive they have conjoined, all three, Is all the counsel that we two have shared, All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence? 1 Pay dearly for it, rue it. VOL. II. 3 2 i. e. circles. 3 i. e. ingenious, artful-artificiose (Lat.). 6 Have with our neelds1 created both one flower, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem; Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it; Her. I am amazed at your passionate words. Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,) Her. I understand not what you mean by this. 1 i. e. needles. 2 Mr. Douce thus explains this passage::-Helen says, "We had two seeming bodies, but only one heart." She then exemplifies he position by a simile "we had two of the first, i. e. bodies, like the do ble coats in heraldry that belong to man and wife as one person, but w. ich, like our single heart, have but one crest." Malone explains the he! differently, but not so clearly nor satisfactorily. .dic allusion |