A

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S

DREAM.

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 Tailor.

Hippolita, Princess of the Amazons, betroth'd to Thefeus.

Hermia, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lyfander. Helena, in love with Demetrius.

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

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S

DREA M.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

The Duke's Palace in Athens.

Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with Attendants.

THESE U S.

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 wintering on 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,

1 Long WITHERING OUT a young Man's revenue ] Long withering out is, certainly, not good English. I rather think Shakespear wrote, Long WINTERING

revenus.

ON a young man's

New

New bent in heaven, fhall behold the night
Of our folemnities.

The. Go, Philoftrate,

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. 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 ftoll'n th' impreffion of her fantafie,

2

With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nofegays, fweet-meats; (meffengers
Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth)
With cunning hast 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

2- foll'n th' impreffion of her fantafie,] The expreffion is elegant and pretty. It alludes to the taking the impreffion of a Key in Wax, in order to have another made to unlock a Cabinet.

Confent