Her. O crofs! too high to be enthrall'd" to low! Swift as a fhadow, fhort as any dream; That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, So quick bright things come to confufion. Her. If then true lovers have been ever crofs'd, It stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our tryal patience, Because it is a customary cross; As due to love, as thoughts, and dreams, and fighs, Ly. A good perfuafion; therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and fhe hath no child, And the refpects me as her only fon: From Athens is her house remote feven leagues, To do obfervance to a morn of May, Her. My good Lyfander! I fwear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow; By that which knitteth fouls, and profpers loves; Lys. Keep promife, love: Look, here comes Helena. Enter Helena. Her. God fpeed, fair Helena! Whither away ? Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your' fair: O happy fair! Your eyes are lode-ftars; and your tongue's sweet air When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear. U 'fair:]-fairness, is enamoured of your charms. lode-ftars ;]-leading, pole-ftars. favour]-refemblance in features, air, look, fpeech, gefture. bated,]-excepted. W tranflated.]-transformed. Hel. Hel. Oh, that your frowns would teach my fmiles fuch fkill! Her. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love. Hel. Oh, that my prayers could fuch affection move! X Her. His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. Hel. None.-But your beauty;-'Would that fault were mine! Her. Take comfort; he no more shall fee my face Lyfander and myself will fly this place. Lys. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold: Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grafs, Her. And in the wood, where often you and I Lys. I will, my Hermia.-Helena, adieu: [Exit Herm. As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! [Exit Lyf. Hel. How happy fome, o'er other fome, can be! a Things base and vile, holding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind As waggish boys themselves in game forfwear, To have his fight thither, and back again. quality. [Exit. b this bail-this man of hail-like oaths. SCENE Enter Quince the carpenter, Snug the joiner, Bottom the weaver, Flute the bellows-mender, Snowt the tinker, and Starveling the taylor. Quin. Is all our company here? Bot. You were beft to call them generally, man by man, according to the fcrip. d Quin. Here is the fcrowl of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the duke and dutchefs, on his wedding-day at night. e Bot. First, good Peter Quince, fay what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and fo grow on to a point. Quin. Marry our play is-The moft lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby. Bot. A very good piece of work, I affure you, and a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scrowl: Mafters, fpread yourselves. Quin. Anfwer, as I call you.-Nick Bottom the weaver. Bot. Ready: Name what part I am for, and proceed. Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are fet down for Pyramus. Bot. What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant? Quin. A lover, that kills himself most gallantly for love. Bot. That will ask fome tears in the true performing of it: If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move ftorms, I will condole in fome measure. To the reft: -Yet my chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split. d fcrip.]-lift, grow on to appoint-proceed to fix the part each actor is to perform. "The |