Dramatis Perfonæ.

THESEUS, Duke of Athens.
Egeus, an Athenian Lord.
Lyfander, in love with Hermia.

Demetrius, in love with Hermia.

Philoftrate, Master of the Sports to the Duke.

Quince, the Carpenter.

Snug, the Joiner.

Bottom, the Weaver.

Flute, the Bellows-mender.
Snowt, the Tinker.

Starveling, the Taylor.

Hippolita, Princess of the Amazons, betroth'd to Thefeus. › Hermia, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lyfander. Helena, in love with Demetrius.

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Attendants.

Oberon, King of the Fairies.

Titania, Queen of the Fairies.

Puck, or Robin-goodfellow, a Fairy.

Peasebloffom,

Cobweb,

Fairies.

Moth,

Muftard-feed,

Pyramus,

Thisbe,

Wall,

Characters in the Interlude performed by the Clowns.

Moonshine,

Lion,

Other Fairies attending on the King and Queen.

SCENE, Athens; and a Wood not far from it.

A

Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with Attendants.

THESEUS.

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 defires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,

Long wintering on a young man's revenue.

Hip. Four days will quickly fteep themselves in night;

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
Of our folemnities.

The. Go, Philoftrate,

Stir up th' Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;

Turn melancholy forth to funerals,

The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit. Phi.
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 Fgeus; 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:
Thou, thou, Lyfander, thou haft giv'n her rhimes,
And interchang'd love-tokens with my child:
Thou haft by moon-light at her window fung,
With feigning voice, verfes of feigning love;
And * ftoll'n th' impreffion of her fantasy,
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nofegays, fweet-meats; (meffengers
Of ftrong 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 ftubborn harfhnefs: And, my gracious Duke,
Be't 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:
Which shall 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 should 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

* foll'n th' impreffion of her fantasy,] The expreffion is elegant and pretty. It alludes to the taking the Impreffion of a Key in Wax, in order to have another made to unlock a Cabinet.

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