Dramatis Perfonæ. THESEUS, Duke of Athens. Egeus, an Athenian Lord. Lyfander, in love with Hermia. Philoftrate, Master of the Sports to the Duke. Quince, the Carpenter. Snug, the Joiner. Bottom, the Weaver. 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, 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 Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how flow Long wintering on a young man's revenue. night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time: New bent in heaven, shall behold the night The. Go, Philostrate, Stir up th' Athenian youth to merriments; The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit. Phi. Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my fword; : With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling. E 4. Enter Enter Egeus, Hermia, Lyfander, and Demetrius. 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 |