Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! Hel. O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent' To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so, Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. 6 This PRINCESS of pure white, this seal of bliss!] "Princess" is found in all the old copies; but it may be doubted from the context whether impress were not Shakespeare's word. Sir T. Hanmer, and Warburton after him, changed "princess" to pureness, making it "pureness of pure white," which must be admitted to be not a very happy emendation. 7 I see you ALL ARE bent] In the folio, 1623, the words "all are" are transposed. 8 If you WERE men,] The folio, 1623, reads, "If you are men." My heart to her' but as guest-wise sojourn'd, There to remain. Lys. Helen, it is not so1. Dem. 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. Enter HERMIA. Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, The ear more quick of apprehension makes; Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go? Her. What love could press Lysander from my side? 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, Her. You speak not as you think it cannot be. My heart To her -] The quartos and folios all read, "My heart to her." Malone reads "with her." HELEN, it is not so.] The 4to. printed by Roberts, and the folio, omit "Helen," which is necessary to the line. 2 Lest to thy peril thou ABY it dear.] So Fisher's 4to, rightly. In Roberts's 4to, and the folio, "aby " is altered to abide; and yet, subsequently in this scene, Roberts prints "aby," while the folio has abide. To aby appears to be a form of abide, (though some have derived it from buy,) and means, not merely to stay, but to stay to answer, or suffer for anything. We have it in “Ferrex and Porrex," A. iv. sc. 2, "Thou, Porrex, thou shalt dearly 'by the same." It would be easy to multiply instances of its use in this sense. When it means to stay, it is usually printed "bide" or "abide;" as, a few lines lower, and near the end of this Act, where Demetrius says to Lysander, "Abide me, if thou dar'st.” Now I perceive they have conjoin'd, all three, Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd, All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence? Have with our needles' created both one flower, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem, Due but to one, and crowned with one crest3. Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it, 3 O! is all forgot?] So the two quarto editions, and the first folio. The second folio inserts and after the interjection, apparently to make up the ten syllables of the line; the editor not perceiving that the addition materially lessens the emphasis, by which Shakespeare perhaps meant to complete the measure. All the modern editors adopt "and," excepting Malone, who substitutes now. 4 Have with our NEEDLES] So every old copy, and not neelds, as the word has been usually printed. The fact is, that "needle" was pronounced in the time of one syllable: so in "Lucrece," “And griping it, the needle his finger pricks.” 5 Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.] The commentators say that the meaning is, that Hermia and Helena were as two shields, both of the first house, placed side by side, and crowned with a common crest. "Two of the first" may however refer merely to "bodies." All the copies have life for “like.” F f VOL. II. Her. I am amazed at your passionate words. This you should pity, rather than despise. Lys. Stay, gentle Helena! hear my excuse: Hel. O excellent! Her. Sweet, do not scorn her so. Dem. If she cannot entreat, I can compel. Lys. Thou canst compel no more than she entreat: Thy threats have no more strength, than her weak prayers.— • I am amazed at your PASSIONATE words.] "Passionate" is first found in the folio of 1623 the two quartos give the line without it. 7 Make мOUTHS upon me-] This is the word in all the old copies, but the modern editors read mous. 8 than her weak PRAYERS.] In all the original editions it stands "thy weak praise:" prayers, as Steevens suggested, is most likely the right word. 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. Her. Lysander, whereto tends all this? Lys. Away, you Ethiop! Dem. No, no, he'll-9 Seem to break loose; take on, as you would follow; 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! O hated potion, hence1! Hel. Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so. No, no, he'll Seem to break loose; take on, as you would follow ;] There is some slight difference of the text here, but the sense is quite obvious. Fisher's 4to. has it,— "No, no, he'll Seem to break loose; take on, as you would follow." In Roberts's 4to. the words are the same, the regulation of the lines only being different. The first folio (which the second folio exactly copies) gives the passage thus :: 66 No, no, Sir, seem to break loose; Take on, as you would follow." Fisher's text seems preferable. 1 O hated POTION, hence !] This is the reading of Fisher's 4to: Roberts's 4to. and the folio have it poison instead of "potion." |