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Whom I do love and will do till my death.

       HELENA

       Never did mockers waste more idle breath.

       DEMETRIUS

       Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none:

       If e’er I lov’d her, all that love is gone.

       My heart to her but as guest-wise sojourn’d;

       And now to Helen is it home return’d,

       There to remain.

       LYSANDER

       Helen, it is not so.

       DEMETRIUS

       Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,

       Lest, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.—

       Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.

       [Enter HERMIA.]

       HERMIA

       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?

       LYSANDER

       Why should he stay whom love doth press to go?

       HERMIA

       What love could press Lysander from my side?

       LYSANDER

       Lysander’s love, that would not let him bide,—

       Fair Helena,—who more engilds the night

       Than all yon fiery oes and eyes of light.

       Why seek’st thou me? could not this make thee know

       The hate I bare thee made me leave thee so?

       HERMIA

       You speak not as you think; it cannot be.

       HELENA

       Lo, she is one of this confederacy!

       Now I perceive they have conjoin’d all three

       To fashion this false sport in spite of me.

       Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid!

       Have you conspir’d, have you with these contriv’d,

       To bait me with this foul derision?

       Is all the counsel that we two have shar’d,

       The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent,

       When we have chid the hasty-footed time

       For parting us,—O, is all forgot?

       All schooldays’ friendship, childhood innocence?

       We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,

       Have with our needles created both one flower,

       Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,

       Both warbling of one song, both in one key;

       As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,

       Had been incorporate. So we grew together,

       Like to a double cherry, seeming parted;

       But yet a union in partition,

       Two lovely berries moulded on one stem:

       So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;

       Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,

       Due but to one, and crownèd with one crest.

       And will you rent our ancient love asunder,

       To join with men in scorning your poor friend?

       It is not friendly, ‘tis not maidenly:

       Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,

       Though I alone do feel the injury.

       HERMIA

       I am amazèd at your passionate words:

       I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me.

       HELENA

       Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,

       To follow me, and praise my eyes and face?

       And made your other love, Demetrius,—

       Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,—

       To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,

       Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this

       To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander

       Deny your love, so rich within his soul,

       And tender me, forsooth, affection,

       But by your setting on, by your consent?

       What though I be not so in grace as you,

       So hung upon with love, so fortunate;

       But miserable most, to love unlov’d?

       This you should pity rather than despise.

       HERMIA

       I understand not what you mean by this.

       HELENA

       Ay, do persever, counterfeit sad looks,

       Make mows upon me when I turn my back;

       Wink each at other; hold the sweet jest up:

       This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.

       If you have any pity, grace, or manners,

       You would not make me such an argument.

       But fare ye well: ‘tis partly my own fault;

       Which death, or absence, soon shall remedy.

       LYSANDER

       Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse;

       My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!

       HELENA

       O excellent!

       HERMIA

       Sweet, do not scorn her so.

       DEMETRIUS

       If she cannot entreat, I can compel.

       LYSANDER

       Thou canst compel no more than she entreat;

       Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.—

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

       I swear by that which I will lose for thee

       To prove him false that says I love thee not.

       DEMETRIUS

       I say I love thee more than he can do.

       LYSANDER

       If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.

       DEMETRIUS

       Quick, come,—

       HERMIA

       Lysander, whereto tends all this?

       LYSANDER

       Away, you Ethiope!

       DEMETRIUS

       No, no, sir:—he will

       Seem to break loose; take on as you would follow:

       But yet come not. You are a tame man; go!

       LYSANDER

       Hang off, thou cat, thou burr: vile thing, let loose,

       Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.

      

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