Page:Midsummer Night's Dream (1918) Yale.djvu/59

Night's Dream, III. ii  Between our statures: she hath urg'd 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? 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; 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.

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, I told him of your stealth unto this wood. He follow'd you; for love I follow'd him; But he hath chid me hence, and threaten'd me To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too: And now, so you will let me quiet go, To Athens will I bear my folly back, And follow you no further: let me go: You see how simple and how fond I am.

Her. Why, get you gone. Who is 't that hinders you?

Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind.

Her. What! with Lysander?  292 personage: figure 300 curst: savage 302 right: real 304 something: somewhat 