EPILOGUE.

Να

OW my charms are all o'er-thrown,
And what ftrength I have's mine own;
Which is moft faint: and now, 'tis true,
I must be here confin'd by you,
Or fent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my Dukedom got,
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare ifland by your spell:
But release me from my bands,
With the help of your good hands.
Gentle breath of
yours my fails

Muft fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to pleafe. For now I want
Spirits t'enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair, (35)
Unless I be reliev'd by prayer;
Which pierces fo, that it affaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.

As you from crimes would pardon'd be
Let your indulgence fet me free.

(35) And my ending is Defpair,] The allufion is very well kept up in this Epilogue. And the actor here is not only applying to the audience for favour, in behalf of the Author; but Profpero fpeaks in the character of a Magician; and fo (as Mr. Warburton hinted to me) alludes to the old ftories told of the Necromancers' defpair in their daft moments, and the prayers of their friends for them.

A

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT's

DRE A M.

E 3

Dramatis Perfonæ.

THESEUS, Duke of Athens.
Egeus, an Athenian Lord.

Lyfander, in love with Hermia,

Demetrius, in love with Hermia.

Philoftrate, Mafter 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, Princefs of the Amazons, betroth'd to Thefeus. Hermia, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lylander. Helena, in love with Demetrius.

Attendants.

Oberon, King of the Fairies.

Titania, Queen of the Fairies.

Puck, or Robin-goodfellow, a Fairy.

Peafebloffom,

Cobweb,

Fairies.

Characters in the Interlude perform'd by the Clowns.

Other Fairies attending on the King and Queen.

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

Α

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S

DRE

A M.

based en A, C T I.

SCENE, the Duke's Palace in Athens.

Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with Attendants.

N

THESE US.

OW, 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 withering out a young man's revenue.

Hip.Four days will quickly fteep them felves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time:

And then the moon, like to a filver bow

New bent in heaven, fhall behold the night
Of our folemnities.

The Go, Philofirate,

Stir up th' Athenian youth to merriments,
Awake the pert and nimble fpirit of mirth:
Turn melancholy forth to funerals,

The pale companion is not for our pomp.

E 4

[Exit Phi.

Hippolita,