MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.

ACT 1. SCENE 1.

The Palace of Theseus in Athens.

Enter THÈSEUS, HIPPOLITA, PHILOSTRATE, with Attendants.

Theseus.

Now, fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon : but, oh, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes ! she lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,
Long withering out a young man's revenue.
Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in

nights;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.

B

The.

The. Go, Philostrate, Stir

up the 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 PHIL. Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my sword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triuinph, and with revelling.

20

Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and Deme

TRIUS.

Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke !
Tie. Thanks, good Egeus: 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 consent to marry her:
Stand forth, Lysander ;-and, my gracious duke,
This man hath witch'd the bosom of my child :
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhimes,
And interchang'd love-tokens with iny

child :

30 Thou hast by moon-light at her window sung, With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; And stol’n the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweet-meats ; messengers Of strong prevailment in unharden’d youth: With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart;

Turn'd

Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,
To stubborn harshness :--And, my gracious duke,
Be it so she will not here before your grace

40
Consent to marry with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens;
As she is mine, I inay dispose of her:
Which shall be either to this gentleman,
Or to her death ; according to our law,
Immediately provided in that case.

The. What say you, Herinia? be advis’d, fair

maid :

50

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
To leave the figure, or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman!

Her. So is Lysander.

The. In himself he is :
But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other must be held the worthjer.

Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes.
The. Rather your eyes must with his judgment

look. Her. I do entreat yonr grace to pardon me.

60 I know not by what power I am made bold; Nor how it may concern my modesty, In such a presence here, to plead my thoughts : But I beseech your grace, that I may know

Bij

The

The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

The. Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the society of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your

desires, Know of your youth, examine well your blood

70
Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun;
For

aye to be in shady cloister mew'd,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.
Thriće blessed they, that master so their blood,
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage ;
But earthlier happy is the rose distillid,
Than that, which, withering on the virgin-thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessedness.

80
Her. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his lordship, to whose unwish'd yoke.
My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

The. Take time to pause: and, by the next new

moon

(The sealing-day betwixt my

love and me,
For everlasting bond of fellowship)
Upon that day either prepare to die, :
For disobedience to your father's will ;
Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would ;
Or on Diana's altar to protest,
For aye, austerity and single life,

go

Dem.

100

Dem. Relent, sweet Hermia ;And, Lysander,

yield Thy crazed title to my certain right.

Lys. You have her father's love, Demetrius ; Let me have Hermia's : do you marry him.

Ege. Scornful Lysander ! true, he hath my love; And what is mine, my love shall render himn : And she is mine; and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius.

Lys. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, As well possess'd; my love is more than his ; My fortunes every 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 Herinia : Why should not I then prosecute my right? Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head, Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena, And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes, 110 Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant mán.

The. I must confess, that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of self-affairs, My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, comé; And come, Egeus; you shall go with me, I have some private schooling for you both. For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself To fit your fancies to your father's will; 120 Or else the law of Athens yields you up

Biij

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