If you were men, as men you are, in show,
You would not ufe a gentle lady fo;
To vow and fwear, and fuper-praise my parts;
When, I am fure, you hate me with your hearts.
You both are rivals, and love Hermia,
And now both rivals to mock Helena.
A trim exploit, a manly enterprize,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes,
With your derifion! none of nobler fort,
Would fo offend a virgin; and extort9
A poor foul's patience, all to make you sport.
Lyf. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not fo,
For you love Hermia; this, you know, I know;
And here, with all good will, with all my heart,
In Hermia's love I yield you up my part;
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,

Whom I do love, and will do to my death,

Hel. Never did mockers wafte more idle breath. Dem. Lyfander, keep thy Hermia; I will none: If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone.

My heart with her but, as gueft-wife, fojourn'd;
And now to Helen it is home return'd,
There to remain.

Lyf. Helen, it is not fo.

}

Dem. Difparage not the faith, thou doft not know, Left, to thy peril, thou aby it dear

Look, where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.

But you must join, ILL fouls, to mock me 100 ?

Ill is often used for bad, wicked.

Obfervations and Conjectures, &c. printed at Oxford, 1766. This is a very reafonable conjecture, though I think it is hardly right. JOHNSON.

I

Extort a poor foul's patience.] Harrafs, torment. JOHNSON.
My heart to her.] We should read,

So Prior,

My heart with her but as gueft-wife fojourn'd.

No matter what beauties I faw in my away,
They were but my vifits, but then not my

bome.

JOHNSON.
Enter

Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function
takes,

The ear more quick of apprehenfion makes:
Wherein it doth impair the feeing sense,
It pays the hearing double recompence.-
Thou art not by mine eye, Lyfander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy found.
But why unkindly did'st thou leave me fo?

Lyf. Why should he stay, whom love doth press
to go?

Her. What love could prefs Lyfander from my fide? Lyf. Lyfander's love, that would not let him 'bide, Fair Helena; who more engilds the night,

Then all yon fiery O's and eyes of light.

Why feek'st thouù me? could not this make thee know,
The hate, I bear thee, made me leave thee fo?

Her. You fpeak not, as you think it cannot be.
Hel. Lo, fhe is one of this confederacy!
Now, I perceive, they have conjoin'd, all three,
To fashion this falfe fport in fpight to me.'-
Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid!
Have you confpir'd, have you with these contriv'd
To bait me with this foul derifion?

Is all the counsel that we two have fhar'd,
The fifters vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hafty-footed time
For parting us, O, and is all forgot?

All fchool-days friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,

2- all yon fiery O's.] I would willingly believe that the poetwrote fiery orbs. JOHNSON.

Shakespeare ufes O for a circle. So in the prologue to Hen. V.

." can we crowd

"Within this little O, the very cafques
"That did affright the air at Agincourt?"

STEEVENS.

3 -in spite of me.]` I read, in spite to me. JOHNSON.

8

Have with our needles created both one flower;
Both on one fampler, fitting on one cushion;
Both warbling of one fong, both in one key;
As if our hands, our fides, voices, and minds
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, feeming parted;
But yet an union in partition,

Two lovely berries molded on one ftem:
So, with two feeming bodies, but one heart;
9 Two of the firft, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one creft.
And will you rend our ancient love afunder,
To join with men in fcorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly :

Our fex, as well as I, may chide you for it;
Though I alone do feel the injury.

Her. I am amazed at your paffionate words:
I fcorn you not; it feems that you scorn me.
Hel. Have you not fet Lyfander, as in fcorn,
To follow me, and praife my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius,

(Who even but now did fpurn me at his foot)
To call me Goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celeftial? Wherefore fpeaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lyfander
Deny your love fo rich within his foul,
And tender me, forfooth, affection;
But by your setting on, by your confent?

Have with our needles, &c.] It was probably written by Shakespeare neelds (a common contraction in the inland counties at this day) otherwife the verfe will be inharmonious, See Gammer Gurton's Needle. STEEVENS.

9 Two of the first life, coats in heraldry,

Due but to one, and crowned with one creft:]

The true correction of this paffage I owe to the friendship and communication of the ingenious Martin Folkes, efq.Two of the firft, fecond, &c. are terms peculiar in Heraldry, to distinguish the different quarterings of coats. THEOBALD.

VOL. III.

F

What

What though I be not fo in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, fo fortunate;
But miferable moft, to love unlov'd?
This you should pity rather than despise.
Her. I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do, perfever', counterfeit fad looks,
Make mouths upon me, when I turn my back;
Wink at each other, hold the fweet jeft up:
This fport, well carried, fhall be chronicled.
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,

You would not make me fuch an argument:
But, fare ye well: 'tis partly mine own fault,
Which death, or abfence, foon fhall remedy.
Lyf. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excufe;
My love, my life, my foul, fair Helena !
Hel. O excellent!

Her. Sweet, do not fcorn her fo.

Dem. If fhe cannot entreat, I can compel.

Lyf. Thou canst compel no more than fhe entreat: Thy threats have no more ftrength, than her weak prayers. 3

Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do;

I fwear, by that which I will lofe for thee,
To prove him falfe, that fays I love thee not.
Dem. I fay, I love thee more than he can do.
Lyf. If thou fay 'fo, withdraw and prove it too.

Ay, do, perfever-] Perfever is the reading of all the old copies. The word was formerly fo pronounced. Thus our author in 'All's Well that ends Well, act iv. fc. 2.

STEEVENS.

—-fuch an argument.† Sucli-a subject of light merriment.

JOHNSON.

So Ifabella, fpeaking to Lucio in Measure for Meafure, "Make me not, fir, your fiory." STEEVENS.

3

-than her weak prayers.] The old copies read,

-than her weak praife. STEEVENS.

Dem.

Dem. Quick, come-

Her. Lylander, whereto tends all this?

Lyf. Away, you Ethiop!

Dem. No, no; he'll

Seem to break loofe, take on, as you would follow,
But yet come not: you are a tame man, go.
Lyf. Hang off thou cat, thou burr: vile thing,
let loose;

Or I will fhake thee from me, like a ferpent.
Her. Why are you grown fo rude? what change
Sweet love!

[is this?
Lyf. Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out!
Out, loathed medicine! hated poifon, hence!
Her. Do you not jest?

Hel. Yes, footh; and fo do you.

Lys. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee. Dem. I would, I had your bond: for, I perceive, A weak bond holds you; I'll not truft your word. Lyf. What, fhould I hurt her, ftrike her, kill her dead?

Although I hate her, I'll not harm her fo.

Her. What, can you do me greater harm than hate? Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love? Am not I Hermia? are not you Lyfander?

I am as fair now, as I was ere- while.

Since night, you lov'd me; yet, fince night you left me:
Why then you left me ?- the gods forbid !-
In earnest, fhall I fay?

Lyf. Ay, by my life;

And never did defire to see thee more.

Therefore be out of hope, of question, doubt;
Be certain, nothing truer; 'tis no jeft,
That I do hate thee, and love Helena.

Her. O me! you jugler! oh, you canker-bloffom !4

You

-you canker-bloom!] The canker-blaffem is not in this place the bloffom of the canker or wild rofe, which our author alludes to in Much Ado About Nothing, acti. fc. 6.

"I had