Lyf. Hermia, for ought that ever I could read, The courfe of true love never did run smooth; Her, O crofs!-too high, to be enthrall'd to low!— (1) Swift as a fhadow, short as any dream, (1) Too high, to be enthrall'd to love.] This reading poffeffes all the editions, but carries no juft meaning in it. Nor was Hermia difpleas'd at being in love; but regrets the inconveniences, that generally attend the paffion: Either, the parties are difproportion'd, in degree of blood and quality; or unequal, in refpect of years; or brought together by the appointment of friends, and not by their own choice. Thefe are the complaints reprefented by Lyfander; and Hermia, to anfwer to the firft, as she has done to the other two, must neceffarily fay; O cross! too high, to be enthrall'd to low ! So the antithefis is kept up in the terms; and fo fhe is made to con dole the difproportion of blood and quality in lovers. And this is one of the curfes, that l'enus, on feeing Adonis dead, prophefies fhall always attend love, in our Author's poem, call'd, VENUS and ADONIS. Stanz. 190. Since thou art dead, lo! here I prophesy, Sorrow on love hereafter shall attend; That all love's pleafures fhall not match his wre. You are married? Leon. It stands as an edict in deftiny: Then, let us teach our trial patience : As due to love, as thoughts and dreams, and fighs, Lyf. A good perfuafion; therefore hear me, Hermia. I have a widow-aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and the hath no child; There, gentle-Hermia, may I marry thee; If thou lov'ft me then, Her. My good Lysander, I fwear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow, By that, which knitteth fouls, and profpers loves; away Her. God fpeed, fair Helena! whither ? Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again unfay; Demetrius loves you, fair; O happy fair! Your eyes are load-ftars, and your tongue's sweet air More tuneable than lark to fhepherd's ear, When wheat is green, when haw-thorn buds appear. Sickness is catching: oh, were favour fo! Your words I'd catch, fair Hermia, ere I go; My My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye; O teach me, how you look; and with what art Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me ftill. Her. I give him curfes, yet he gives me love. Hel. Oh, that my pray'rs could fuch affection move! Her. The more I hate, the more he follows me. Hel. The more I love, the more he hateth me. Her. His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. Hel.None, but your beauty; would that fault were miner Her. Take comfort; he no more fhall fee my face Lyfander and myfelf will fly this place. Before the time I did Lyfander fee, Seem'd Athens like a paradife to me. (2) Emptying our befoms of their counfels fwell'd; And This whole fcene is strictly in rhyme; and that it deviates in these two couplets, I am perfuaded, is owing to the ignorance of the firft, and the inaccuracy of the later, Editors: I have therefore ventur'd to reftore the rhymes, as I make no doubt but the Poet first gave them. Sweet was eafily corrupted into fwell'd, becaufe that made an antithe fis to emptying; and frange companions our Editors thought was plain English And thence from Athens turn away our eyes, Things bafe and vile, holding no quantity, Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; Nor hath love's mind of any judgment tafte; English; but franger companies, a little quaint and unintelligible. It may be neceffary, in proof of my emendation, to fhew, that our Author elfewhere ufes the fubftantive stranger adjectively; and companies, to fignify companions. King John. Act 5. Wherein we ftep after a firanger march Rich. II. A&r. But tread the franger paths of banishment. Beaumont and Fletcher have ufed it in the like manner; Spanish Curate, Act 3. To bring into my family, to fucceed me, The ftranger iffue of another's bed, 2 Henry V. A&i. Since his addiction was to courses vain, And so, in a parallel word, Merry Wives of Windsor, A&F 3. As As waggith boys themselves in game forfwear, SCENE changes to a Cottage. [Exit. Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snowt, and Starveling. Quin. IS all our company here to call them generally Bot. You were beft to man by man, according to the fcrip. Quin. Here is the fcrowl of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and Dutchefs, on his weddingday at night. Bot. First, good Peter Quince, fay what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and fo grow on to a point. Quin. Marry, our play is the moft lamentable comedy, and moft cruel death of Pyramus and Thify. Bot. A very good piece of work, I affure you, and a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the fcrowl. Mafters, fpread yourfelves. Quin. Anfwer, as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver, Bot. Ready: name what part I am for, and proceed. Quin. You, Nick Bottom, are fet down for Pyramus. Bot. What is Pyramus, a lover, or a tyrant? Quin. A lover, that kills himself moft gallantly for love. Bot. That will ask fome tears in the true performing of it; if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; |