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MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S

DREAM.

MEN.

THESEUS, Duke of Athens.

EGEUS, Father to Hermia.

LYSANDER, in love with Hermia.

DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia.
PHILOSTRATE, Mafter of the Sports to Thefeus.

QUINCE, the Carpenter.

SNUG, the Joiner...

BOTTOM, the Weaver.

FLUTE, the Bellows-mender.

SNOUT, the Tinker.

STARVELING, the Tailor.

WOMEN.

HIPPOLITA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to The

feus.

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 GOOFELLOW, a Fairy.

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Other Fairies attending their King and Queen : Atten

dants on Thefeus and Hippolita.

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

ACT I.

SCENE I. The Palace of THESEUS in Athens.

Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLITA, PHILOSTRATE, with

N

Attendants.

Thefeus.

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 themselves in nights;
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, Philoftrate,

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 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, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS.

Ege. Happy be Thefeus, our renowned duke!

A 2

The.

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 hath bewitch'd the bofom of my child:
Thou, thou, Lyfander, thou haft given her rhimes,
And interchang'd love tokens with
my child:
Thou haft by moon-light at her window fung,
With feigning voice verses of feigning love,
And ftol'n the impreffion of her fantasy

With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nofegays, fweet-meats; messengers
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 harfhnefs:And, my gracious duke,
Be it 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 advis'd, 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
To leave the figure, or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

power

Her

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