LYSANDER

You have her father's love, Demetrius : Let me have Hermia's : do you marry him. Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death or sickness, did lay siege to it; Making it momentany, as a found; Swift, as a shadow; short, as any dream; Brief, as the lightning in the collied night, That (in a spleen) unfolds both heaven and earth; And, ere a man hath power to say, behold, The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion. A good persuasion: therefore hear me, Hermia : I have a widow aunt, a dowager, Of great revenue, and she hath no child From Athens is her house remote, seven leagues And she respects me, as her only son: There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee: And to that place, the sharp Athenian law Can not pursue us. If thou love me, then Steal forth thy father's house, tomorrow night: And in the wood, a league without the town (Where I did meet thee once with Helena To do observance to a morn of May) There will I stay for thee. Keep promise love: look, here comes Helena. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold: To morrow night, when Phoebe does behold Her silver visage, in the watery glass, Decking, with liquid pearl, the bladed grass (A time, that lovers flights does still conceal) Through Athens gates, have we devised to steal I will my Hermia. Helena adieu: As you on him, Demetrius dote on you. Exit Lysander. Fair love, you faint, with wandering in the wood: And to speak troth I have forgotten our way. Weel rest us Hermia, if you think it good, And tatty for the Comfort of the day. One turf shall serve, as pillow, for us both, One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. Oh take the sense, sweet, of my innocence. Love takes the meaning, in loves conference I mean that my heart unto yours it knit; So that but one heart we can make of it: Two bosoms interchained with and oath: So then two bosoms, and a single troth. Then, by your side, no bedroom me deny: For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I, And then end life, when I end loyalty. Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest. And run through fire, I will for thy sweet sake. Transparent Helena, nature shows art, That through thy bosom, makes me see thy heart. Where is Demetrius? O how fit a word Is that vile name, to perish on my sword! Content with Hermia? No: I do repent The tedious minutes, I with her have spent. Not Hermia, but Helena I love. Who will not change a Raven for a dove? The will of man is by his reason swayed: And reason says you are the worthier maid. Things growing are not ripe, until their season: So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason. And touching now, the point of humane skill, Reason becomes the Marshal to my will, And leads me to your eyes; where I orelooke Loves stories, written in loves richest book. She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there, And never mayest thou come Lysander near. For, as a surfeit of the sweetest things The deepest loathing, to the stomach brings: Or, as the heresies, that men do leave, Are hated most of those they did deceive: So thou, my surfeit, and my heresy, Of all be hated; but the most, of me: And all my powers address your love and might, To honour Helen, and to be her knight. Exit. 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, In their nativity all truth appears How can these things, in me, seem scorn to you? Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true I had no judgement, when to her I swore. Demetrius loves her: and he loves not you. Helen, it is not so. Why should he stay, whom love does press to go? Lysander's love (that would not let him bide) Fair Helena : who more engilds the night Then all yond fiery oes, and eyes of light. Why seekest thou me? Could not this make thee know, The hate I bore thee, made me leave thee so? Stay, gentle Helena : hear my excuse, My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena. Thou canst compel no more, then she entreat. Thy threats have no more strength then her weak praise. 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. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it to. Away, you Ethiop. Hang of thou cat, thou burr: vile thing let lose; Or I will shake thee from me, Like a serpent. Thy love? Out tawny Tartar, out: Out loathed medicine: o hated potion hence. Demetrius, I will keep my word, with thee. What? should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead? Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so. I, by my life: And never did desire to see thee more. Therefore be out of hope, of question, of doubt: Be certain: nothing truer: 'tis no jest, That I do hate thee, and love Helena. Be not afraid: she shall not harm thee Helena Get you gone, you dwarf; You minimus, of hindering knot grass, made; You bead, you acorn. Now she holds me not: Now follow, if thou date, to try whose right, Of thine or mine, is most in Helena. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now. I will be with thee straight. He goes before me, and still dares me on: When I come where he calls, then he is gone. The villain is much lighter heeled then I; I followed fast: but faster he did fly; That fallen am I in dark uneven way, And here will rest me. Come thou gentle day. For if but once, thou show me thy grey light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite. Pardon, my Lord. My Lord, I shall reply amazedly, Half sleep, half waking, But, as yet, I swear, I cannot truly say how I came here. But as I think (for truly would I speak) And now I do bethink me, so it is; I came with Hermia, hither. Our intent Was to be gone from Athens : where we might Without the peril of the Athenian law, And he did bid us follow to the Temple. More then to us, wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed. He hath rid his Prologue, Like a rough Colt: he knows not the stop. A good moral my Lord. It is not enough to speak; but to speak true. This Lion is a very fox, for his valour. And so the Lion vanished. Less then and ace, man. For he is dead, he is nothing. She hath spied him already, with those sweet eyes. I am my lord, as well derived as he, As well possessed: my love is more than his: My Fortune's every way as fairly ranked (If not with vantage) as Demetrius : And (which is more then all these boasts can be) I am beloved of beauteous Hermia. Why should not I then procecute my right? Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head, Made love to Nedars daughter, Helena, And wone her soul: and she (sweet Lady) dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in Idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant man. How now my love? Why is your cheek so pale How chance the roses there do fade so fast? Eigh me: for aught that I could ever read, Could ever here by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth: But either it was different in blood; Or else misgraffed, in respect of years; Or else, it stood upon the choice of friends; You are unkind, Demetrius: : be not so. For you love Hermia : this you know I know. And hear, with all good will, with all my heart, In Hermia's love I yield you up my partly: And yours of Helena, to me bequeathe: Whom I do love, and will do till my death. Proceed, Moon.