A trim exploit, a manly enterprize,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes,
With your derifion! none, of nobler fort?
Would fo offend a virgin; and extort":
A poor foul's patience, all to make you sport.
Lyf. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not fo;
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 to my death.

Hel. Never did mockers wafte more idle breath.
Dem. Lyfander, keep thy Hermia; I will none :
If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone.

9 My heart with her but, as gueft-wise, fojourn'd;
And now to Helen it is home return'd,
There to remain.

Lyf. Helen, it is not fo.

Dem. Difparage not the faith thou doft not know,
Left, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.————
Look, where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.

A trim exploit, a manly enterprize, &c.] This is written much in the manner and spirit of Juno's reproach to Venus in the 4th book of the Aucid:

7

"Egregiam vero laudem et fpolia ampla refertis, "Tuque puerque tuus; magnum et memorabile nomen, "Una dolo divûm fi fœmina victa duorum eft."

STEEVENS.

-none, of nobler fort,] The folio reads, nobie fort. Sort is here ufed for degree or quality. See vol. ii. p. 261. MALONE. 3 Extort a poor foul's patience,] Harrafs, torment. JOHNSON. 9 My heart to her.] We fhould read :

So, Prior:

My heart with her but as gueft-wife fojourn'd.

"No matter what beauties I faw in my way,

"They were but my vifits, but thou art my home." JOHNSON.

So, in our author's 109th Sonnet :

玄

"This is my home of love; if I have rang'd,

"Like him that travels, I return again." MALONE.

Left to thy peril, thou aby it dear.] The folio has abide.

2.

MALONE.

Enter

Enter Hermia.

Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,

The ear more quick of apprehenfion makes;
Wherein it doth impair the feeing sense,
It pays the hearing double recompence:-
Thou art not by mine eye, Lyfander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy found.
But why unkindly did'ft thou leave me fo?

Lyf. Why should he stay, whom love doth prefs to go?

Her. What love could prefs Lyfander from my fide? Lyf. Lyfander's love, that would not let him bide, Fair Helena; who more engilds the night

Than all yon fiery o's' and eyes of light.
Why feek'ft thoume? could not this make thee know,
The hate I bare thee made me leave thee fo?

Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be.
Hel. Lo, fhe is one of this confederacy!
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd, all three,
To fafhion this falfe fport in fpight of me 4.
Injurious Hermia! moft ungrateful maid!
Have you confpir'd, have you with these contriv'd
To bait me with this foul derifion?

Is all the counsel that we two have fhar'd,

2 thy found.] Fo.-that found. MALONE.

3

- all yon fiery O's] Shakspeare ufes O for a circle. So, in the prologue to Henry V.

66

can we crowd

"Within this little O, the very cafques

"That did affright the air at Agincourt ?"

Again, in the Partheneia Sacra, 1633:

"the purple canopy of the earth, powder'd over and befet with filver o'es, or rather an azure vault, &c."

STEEVENS.

D'Ewes's Journal of Queen Elizabeth's Parliaments, p. 650, mentions a patent to make fpangles and ces of gold; and I think haberdashers call fmall curtain rings, O's, as being circular.

TOLLET.

+ -in spite of me.] I read, in fpite to me. JOHNSON.

The fifters' vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hafty-footed-time
For parting us,-O, and is all forgot?

All fchool-day friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods',
Have with our needles created both one flower,
Both on one fampler, fitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one fong, both in one key;
As if our hands, our fides, voices, and minds,
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, feeming parted;
But yet a union in partition,

Two lovely berries molded on one stem:
So, with two feeming bodies, but one heart;
'Two of the firft, like coats in heraldry,

5-artificial gods,] Artificial is ingenious, artful. STEEVENS. 6 Have with our needles, c.] It was probably written by Shakspeare ncelds, (a common contraction in the inland counties at this day) otherwise the verse will be inharmonious. See Gammer Gurton's Needle.

Again, in fir Arthur Gorges' tranflation of Lucan, 1614: "Thus Cato fpake, whofe feeling words

"Like pricking neelds, or points of fwords, &c."

Again, in Pericles Prince of Tyre, 1609:

"Deep clerks the dumbs, and with her neele compofes "Nature's own shape."

Again, in Stanyhurst's Virgil, 1582:

"-on neeld-wrought carpets."

The fame ideas occur in Pericles Prince of Tyre, 1609:

"Would ever with Marina be:

"Be't when they weav'd the fleded filk,

"With fingers long, fmall, white as milk,

"Or when the would with fharp neeld wound
"The cambrick, &c."

In the age of Shakspeare many contractions were used. Ben Jonfon has wher for whether in the prologue to his Sad Shepherd; and in the earl of Sterline's Darius is fport for fupport, and twards

for towards. STEEVENS.

7 Two of the firft life, coats in heraldry,

Due but to one, and crowned with one creft:]

The true correction of this paffage 1 owe to the friendship and communication of the ingenious Martin Folkes, efq.-Two of the firft, fecond, &c. are terms peculiar in heraldry, to distinguish the different quarterings of coats. THEOBALD.

Due

Due but to one, and crowned with one creft.
And will you rent our ancient love afunder,
To join with men in fcorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:

Our fex, as well as I, may chide you for it;
Though I alone do feel the injury.

Her. I am amazed at your paffionate words
I fcorn you not; it feems that you fcorn me.
Hel. Have you not fet Lyfander, as in fcorn,
To follow me, and praise my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius,

(Who even but now did fpurn me with his foot)
To call me goddefs, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celestial? Wherefore fpeaks he this
To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lyfander
Deny your love, fo rich within his foul,
And tender me, forfooth, affection;
But by your fetting on, by your confent?
What though I be not fo in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, fo fortunate;
But miferable moft, to love unlov'd?
This you fhould pity, rather than defpife.

Her. I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel. Ay, do, perfever, counterfeit fad looks,
Make mouths upon me when I turn my back;
Wink at each other; hold the fweet jeft up:
This fport, well carry'd, fhall be chronicled.
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me fuch an argument".

But,

Ay, do perfever,-] Perfever is the reading of all the old copies. The word was formerly fo pronounced. Thus our author in All's Well that End's Well, act iv. sc. 2:

44

fay thou art mine, and ever
"My love, as it begins, fo fhall perfever."

So, in Glapthorne's Argalus and Parthenia, 1639:

"May they in love and union ftill perfever." STEEVENS.
fuch an argument.] Such a fubject of light merriment.

G3

JOHNSON.

But, fare ye well: 'tis partly mine own fault;
Which death, or abfence, foon fhall remedy.
Lyf. Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excufe;
My love, my life, my foul, fair Helena!
Hel. O excellent!

Her. Sweet, do not.fcorn her fo.

De. If the cannot entreat, I can compel.

Lyf. Thou canst compel no more than fhe entreat;, Thy. threats have no more ftrength, than her weak prayers'.

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

I fwear by that which I will lofe for thee,
To prove him falfe, that fays I love thee not.
Dem. I fay, I love thee more than he can do,
Lyf. If thou fay fo, withdraw, and prove it too,
Dem. Quick, come,-

Her. Lyfander, whereto tends all this?
Lyf. Away, you Ethiop!

Dem. No, no, fir, he'll

Seem to break loofe; take on, as you would follow;
But yet come not; You are a tame man, go!
Lyf. Hang off, thou cat, thou burr: vile thing,
let loose:

Or I will shake thee from me, like a ferpent.
Her. Why are you grown so rude? what change
is this,

Sweet love?

Lyf. Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out; Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence! Her. Do you not jeft?

So, in the first part of King Henry IV. act ii. fc. 2.

"it would be argument for a week, &c. STEEVENS, -than her weak prayers.] The old copies read:

than her weak praife. STEEVENS."

A modern editor very plaufibly reads-than her weak prays. The ufing the verb as a fubftantive is much in our author's manner; and the tranfcriber's ear might have deceived him here as in many other places. MALONE.

Hel.