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 Lyfander. Helena, in love with Demetrius.
Oberon, King of the Fairies.
Titania, Queen of the Fairies.
Puck, or Robin-goodfellow, a Fairy.
Other Fairies attending on the King and Queen.
SCENE, Athens; and a Wood not far from it.
SCENE, the Duke's Palace in Athens. Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate,with Attendants.
TOW, 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 ftep-dame, or a dowager,
Long withering out 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, fhall behold the night
Of our folemnities.
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.
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
Againft 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 ftol'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 stubborn 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 he is mine, I may difpofe of her :
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 advised, 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.
But in this kind, wanting your father's voice;
The other muft be held the worthier.
Her. I would, my father look'd but with my eyes.
The. Rather your eyes muft with his judgment look..
Her. I do intreat your Grace to pardon me :
I know not, by what pow'r 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.?
Thrice bleffed they, that mafter fo their blood,
To undergo fuch maiden pilgrimage!
But earthlier happy is the rofe diftill'd,
Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn,.
Grows, lives, and dies, in fingle bleffedness.
Her. So will I grow, fo live, fo die, my Lord,,
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his Lordship, to whofe unwifh'd yoak
My foul confents not to give fov'reignty.
The. Take time to paufe; and by the next new moon,
(The fealing day betwixt my love and me,.
Foreverlafting bond of fellowship)
Upon that day either prepare to die,
For difobedience to your father's will;
Or elfe to wed Demetrius, as he would ;;
Or on Diana's altar to protest,
For aye, aufterity and fingle life..
Dem. Relent, fweet Hermia; and, Lyfander, yield:
Thy crazed title to my certain right..
Lyf. You have her father's love, Demetrius;
Let me have Hermia's; do you marry him.
Ege. Scornful Lyjander! true, he hath my love;
And what is mine, my love fhall render him.
And the is mine, and all my right of her
I do eftate unto Demetrius.
Ly. I am, my Lord, as well deriv'd as he,
As well poffeft: my love is more than his :
My fortune's ev'ry way as fairly rank'd,
If not with vantage, as Demetrius :
And, which is more than all these boasts can be,
I am belov'd of beauteous Hermia.
Why should not I then profecute my right?
Demetrius (I'll avouch it to his head)
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena;
And won her foul; and fhe, fweet Lady, doats,
Devoutly doats, doats in idolatry,
Upon this fpotted and inconftant man.
The. I must confefs, that I have heard fo much,
And with Demetrius thought t'have fpoke thereof;
But, being over-full of felf-affairs,
My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come;
And come, Egeus; you fhall go with me;
I have fome private schooling for you both
For you, fair Hermia, look, you arm yourself
To fit your fancies to your father's will;
Or elfe the law of Athens yields you up
(Which by no means we may extenuate).
To death, or to a vow of fingle life.
Come, my Hippolita; what cheer, my love?
Demetrius, and Egeus, go along;
I muft employ you in fome bufinefs
Againft our nuptials, and confer with you
Of fomething nearly that concerns yourselves.
Ege. With duty and defire we follow you.
Manent Lyfander and Hermia.
Lyf. How now, my love? why is your cheek fo pale? How chance, the roses there do fade so fast!
Her. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well Beteem them from the tempeft of mine eyes..
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