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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 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.

Peasebloffom,

Cobweb,

Moth,

Mustard-feed,

Pyramus,

Thisbe,

Wall,

Moonshine,

Lion,

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Other Fairies attending on the King and Queen.

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

A *

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S

DREAM.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The Duke's Palace in Athens.

Enter Theseus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with Attendants.

N

THESEUS.

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! she lingers my defires,
Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,

Long wintering on a young man's revenue.
Hip. Four days will quickly steep 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, Philostrate,

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.

E 4.

Enter

Enter Egeus, Hermia, Lyfander, and Demetrius.
Ege. Happy be Theseus, 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 consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lyfander. And, my gracious Duke, This man hath witch'd the bosom of my child: Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast giv'n her rhimes, And interchang'd love-tokens with my child: • Thou hast by moon-light at her window sung, With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; And * stoll'n th' impression of her fantasy, With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweet-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 ftubborn harshness: And, my gracious Duke, Be't so, she will not here before your Grace Consent to marry with Demetrius; I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, As she 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 say 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

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

To

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