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MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S

DRE A M.

VOL. II.

B

PERSONS

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,

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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,

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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

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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.
Ege. Happy be Thefeus, our renowned duke!
The. Thanks, good Egeus: What's the news with thee?
Ege. Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.-
Stand forth, Demetrius ;-My noble lord,
This man hath my confent to marry her :-

Stand forth, Lyfander;-and, my gracious duke,
This man hath witch'd the bofom of my child:

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Thou, thou, Lyfander, thou haft given her rhimes,
And interchang'd love-tokens with my child:
Thou haft by moon-light at her window fung,
With feigning voice, verses of feigning love;
And ftol'n the impreffion of her fantafy

With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nofegays, fweet-meats; meffengers
Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth:
With cunning haft thou filch'd my daughter's heart;
Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,
To stubborn harfhnefs:-And, my gracious duke,
Be it fo fhe will not here before your grace
Confent to marry with Demetrius,

I beg the ancient privilege of Athens;
As fhe is mine, I may dispose of her:

& bewitch'd.

• The.
the impreffion of ber fantafy]-inclinations, affection.

Which fhall be either to this gentleman,
Or to her death; according to our law,
Immediately provided in that cafe.

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,
By him imprinted, and within his power
To leave the figure, or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
Her. So is Lyfander.

The. In himself he is:

But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other must be held the worthier.

Her. I would, my father look'd but with my eyes.
The. Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.
Her. I do intreat your grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold;
Nor how it may concern my modefty,

In fuch a prefence here, to plead my thoughts:
But I beseech your grace, that I may know
The worst that may befal me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

The. Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the fociety of men.

Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion your defires,
'Know of your youth, examine well your blood
Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun;
For aye to be in fhady cloister mew'd,
To live a barren fifter all your life,

Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.

Know of]-confider, fcrutinize, bring it to the test.
For aye]-For ever.

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