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It pays the hearing double recompense.

Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense,

Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found;

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Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound.

But why unkindly didst thou leave me so?

Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go?
HER. What love could press Lysander from my side?

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Lys. 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 bear thee made me leave thee so?

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HER. You speak not as you think: it cannot be.
HEL. 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!

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Have you conspired, have you with these contrived
To bait me with this foul derision?

Is all the counsel that we two have shared,

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

When we have chid the hasty-footed time

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For parting us,--O, is all forgot?

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

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Due but to one and crowned with one crest.
And will you rend 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.

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HER, I am amazed at your passionate words. I scorn you not: it seems that you scorn me.

HEL. Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,

To follow me and praise my eyes and face?

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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 unloved?
This you should pity rather than despise.

HER. I understand not what you mean by this.
HEL. Ay, do, persever, counterfeit sad looks,
Make mouths 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.
Lys. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse:
My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!
HEL. O excellent!

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Lys. Thou canst compel no more than she entreat:

Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.

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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.

DEM. I say

I love thee more than he can do.

Lys. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.
DEM. Quick, come!

HER.

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Lysander, whereto tends all this?

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

But yet come not: you are a tame man, go!
Lys. Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! vile thing, let loose,
Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent!
HER. Why are you grown so rude? what change is this?
Sweet love,-

Lys.

Thy love! out, tawny Tartar, out! Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence!

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HER. Do you not jest?

HEL.

Yes, sooth; and so 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 trust your word.

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Lys. What, should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead? Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so.

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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 Lysander?

I am as fair now as I was erewhile.

Since night you loved me; yet since night you left me:
Why, then you left me-O, the gods forbid!-

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Ay, by my life;

In earnest, shall I say?

Lys.

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.

HER. O me! you juggler! you canker-blossom!
You thief of love; what, have you come by night
And stolen my love's heart from him?

HEL.

Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,

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Fine, i' faith!

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No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear

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HER. Puppet? why so? ay, that way goes the game.

Now I perceive that she hath made compare

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Between our statures; she hath urged her height;

And with her personage, her tall personage,

Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with him.

And are you grown so high in his esteem,
Because I am so dwarfish and so low?

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How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak;

How low am I? I am not yet so low

But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

HEL. I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen,

Let her not hurt me: I was never curst;

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I have no gift at all in shrewishness;

I am a right maid for my cowardice:

Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think,
Because she is something lower than myself,
That I can match her.

HER.

Lower! hark, again.

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HEL. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.

I evermore did love you, Hermia,

Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you ;
Save that, in love unto Demetrius,

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HER. Why, get you gone: who is't that hinders you?
HEL. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.
HER. What, with Lysander?

HEL.

With Demetrius.

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Lys. Be not afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena.
DEM. No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part.
HEL. O, when she's angry, she is keen and shrewd!

She was a vixen when she went to school;

And though she be but little, she is fierce.

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HER. "Little" again! nothing but "low" and "little"! Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?

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Now follow, if thou darest, to try whose right,
Of thine or mine, is most in Helena.

DEM. Follow! nay, I'll go with thee, cheek by jole.

[Exeunt LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS.

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HER. You, mistress, all this coil is 'long of you:

I will not trust you, I,

Nay, go not back.
HEL.
Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray,
My legs are longer though, to run away.

HER. I am amazed, and know not what to say.

[Exit.

[Exit.

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OBE. This is thy negligence: still thou mistakest,

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Or else committ'st thy knaveries wilfully.

PUCK. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me I should know the man
By the Athenian garment he had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprise,
That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes;
And so far am I glad it so did sort,

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As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

OBE. Thou see'st these lovers seek a place to fight:

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And from each other look thou lead them thus,
Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep:
Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye;
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error with his might,

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And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight.
When they next wake, all this derision

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Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision,

And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,

With league whose date till death shall never end.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,

I'll to my queen and beg her Indian boy;

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And then I will her charmed eye release

From monster's view, and all things shall be peace.

PUCK. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste,

For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger;

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At whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there,

Troop home to churchyards: damnéd spirits all,

That in crossways and floods have burial,
Already to their wormy beds are gone;

For fear lest day should look their shames upon,
They wilfully themselves exile from light

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And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night.
OBE. But we are spirits of another sort:

I with the morning's love have oft made sport,

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