Enter EGEUS, Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius. Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke!1 Ege. Full of vexation come I, with complaint With cunning hast thou filched my daughter's heart; I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, Το The. What say you, Hermia? Be advised, fair maid. you your father should be as a god; One that composed your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax, By him imprinted, and within his power 1 Duke, in our old language, was used for a leader or chief, as the Latin dux. 2 The old copies read, "This man hath bewitched." 3 Baubles, toys, trifles. 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; If I refuse to wed Demetrius. The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, 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, I do estate unto Demetrius. 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 spotted1 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 Against our nuptial; and confer with you Of something nearly that concerns yourselves. 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 Beteem 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! That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, 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, Her mia. 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. 11. 2 And she respects me as her only son. Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night; To do observance to a morn of May, There will I stay for thee. Her. My good Lysander! I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow; By his best arrow, with the golden head; By the simplicity of Venus' doves; 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? That fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair! Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's sweet air When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. 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. |