Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA
OBERON. Stand close； this is the same Athenian. PUCK. This is the woman， but not this the man. DEMETRIUS. O， why rebuke you him that loves you so？ Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe. HERMIA. Now I but chide， but I should use thee worse， For thou， I fear， hast given me cause to curse. If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep， Being o'er shoes in blood， plunge in the deep， And kill me too. The sun was not so true unto the day As he to me. Would he have stolen away From sleeping Hermia？ I'll believe as soon This whole earth may be bor'd， and that the moon May through the centre creep and so displease Her brother's noontide with th' Antipodes. It cannot be but thou hast murd'red him； So should a murderer look- so dead， so grim. DEMETRIUS. So should the murdered look； and so should I， Pierc'd through the heart with your stern cruelty； Yet you， the murderer， look as bright， as clear， As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere. HERMIA. What's this to my Lysander？ Where is he？ Ah， good Demetrius， wilt thou give him me？ DEMETRIUS. I had rather give his carcass to my hounds. HERMIA. Out， dog！ out， cur！ Thou driv"st me past the bounds Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him， then？ Henceforth be never numb'red among men！ O， once tell true； tell true， even for my sake！ Durst thou have look'd upon him being awake， And hast thou kill"d him sleeping？ O brave touch！ Could not a worm， an adder， do so much？ An adder did it； for with doubler tongue Than thine， thou serpent， never adder stung. DEMETRIUS. You spend your passion on a mispris'd mood： I am not guilty of Lysander's blood； Nor is he dead， for aught that I can tell. HERMIA. I pray thee， tell me then that he is well. DEMETRIUS. An if I could， what should I get therefore？ HERMIA. A privilege never to see me more. And from thy hated presence part I so； See me no more whether he be dead or no. Exit DEMETRIUS. There is no following her in this fierce vein； Here， therefore， for a while I will remain. So sorrow's heaviness doth heavier grow For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe； Which now in some slight measure it will pay， If for his tender here I make some stay.[Lies down] OBERON. What hast thou done？ Thou hast mistaken quite， And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight. Of thy misprision must perforce ensue Some true love turn'd， and not a false turn'd true. PUCK. Then fate o'er-rules， that， one man holding troth， A million fail， confounding oath on oath. OBERON. About the wood go swifter than the wind， And Helena of Athens look thou find； All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer， With sighs of love that costs the fresh blood dear. By some illusion see thou bring her here； I'll charm his eyes against she do appear. PUCK. I go， I go； look how I go， Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. Exit OBERON. Flower of this purple dye， Hit with Cupid's archery， Sink in apple of his eye. When his love he doth espy， Let her shine as gloriously As the Venus of the sky. When thou wak'st， if she be by， Beg of her for remedy.
Re-enter PUCK PUCK. Captain of our fairy band， Helena is here at hand， And the youth mistook by me Pleading for a lover's fee； Shall we their fond pageant see？ Lord， what fools these mortals be！ OBERON. Stand aside. The noise they make Will cause Demetrius to awake. PUCK. Then will two at once woo one. That must needs be sport alone； And those things do best please me That befall prepostrously.
Enter LYSANDER and HELENA
LYSANDER. 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？ HELENA. You do advance your cunning more and more. When truth kills truth， O devilish-holy fray！ These vows are Hermia's. Will you give her o'er？ Weigh oath with oath， and you will nothing weigh： Your vows to her and me， put in two scales， Will even weigh； and both as light as tales. LYSANDER. I hod no judgment when to her I swore. HELENA. Nor none， in my mind， now you give her o'er. LYSANDER. Demetrius loves her， and he loves not you. DEMETRIUS. [Awaking] O Helen， goddess， nymph， perfect， divine！ To what， my love， shall I compare thine eyne？ Crystal is muddy. O， how ripe in show Thy lips， those kissing cherries， tempting grow！ That pure congealed white， high Taurus' snow， Fann'd with the eastern wind， turns to a crow When thou hold'st up thy hand. O， let me kiss This princess of pure white， this seal of bliss！ HELENA. O spite！ O hell！ I see you all are bent To set against me for your merriment. If you were civil and knew courtesy， You would not do me thus much injury. Can you not hate me， as I know you do， But you must join in souls to mock me too？ If you were men， as men you are in show， You would not use a gentle lady so： To vow， and swear， and superpraise my parts， When I am sure 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 enterprise， To conjure tears up in a poor maid"s eyes With your derision！ None of noble sort Would so offend a virgin， and extort A poor soul's patience， all to make you sport. LYSANDER. You are unkind， Demetrius； be not so； 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 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.
