THESEUS, Duke of Athens. EGEUS, Father to HERMIA. LYSANDER, in love with HERMIA. DEMETRIUS, in love with HERMIA. PHILOSTRATE, Mafter of the Sports to THESEUS. QUINCE, the Carpenter. SNUG, the Joiner. BOTTOM, the Weaver. FLUTE, the Bellows-mender. SNOWT, the Tinker. STARVELING, the Taylor. HIPPOLITA, Queen of the AMAZONS, betrothed to THESEUS. HERMIA, Daughter to EGEUS, in love with LYSANDER. HELENA, in love with DEMETRIUS. Attendants. OBERON, King of the Fairies. TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies. PUCK, or ROBIN-GOODFELLOW, a Fairy. PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MUSTARD-SEED, Fairies. MOTH, Other Fairies attending their King and Queen: Attendants on THESEUS and HIPPOLITA. SCENE-Athens, and a Wood not far from it. *. THIS PLAY, denominated probably from the season of its firft representation, is fuppofed to have been written about the year 1595 ; the first hint of it is faid to have been taken from Chaucer's Knight's Tale, and the character of Oberon from an old romance called "Sir Hugh of Bourdeaux." MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DRE A M. ACT I. SCENE I. The Palace of Thefeus in Athens. Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with attendants. The. Now, fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how flow This old moon wanes! fhe lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager, a Longwithering out a young man's revenue. Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in nights; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a filver bow New bent in heaven, shall behold the night Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals, That pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit Phil. Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my fword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling. Enter Egeus, Hermia, Lyfander, and Demetrius. Stand forth, Lyfander;-and, my gracious duke, d Thou, thou, Lyfander, thou haft given her rhimes, With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens; & bewitch'd. • The. Which fhall be either to this gentleman, The. What fay you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid: To you your father fhould be as a god; One that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax, The. In himself he is: But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice, Her. I would, my father look'd but with my eyes. In fuch a prefence here, to plead my thoughts: The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion your defires, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Know of]-confider, fcrutinize, bring it to the test. |