THESEUS, Duke of Athens. Lyfander, in love with Hermia. Demetrius, in love with Hermia. Philoftrate, Mafter of the Sports to the Duke. Snug, the Joiner. Bottom, the Weaver. Flute, the Bellows-mender. Starvelling, the Tailor. Hippolita, Princess of the Amazons, betrotb'd to Thefeus, Hermia, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lyfander. Helena, in love with Demetrius. Attendants. Cberon, King of the Fairies. Titania, Queen of the Fairies. Puck, or Robin-goodfellow, a Fairy. Peasebloffom, Cobweb, Moth, Fairies. Other Fairies attending on the King and Queen. SCENE, Athens; and a Wood not far from it. The various Readings of this Play. I. A Quarto printed for James Roberts, 1600. II. The Folio of 1623. III. The Folio of 1632. IV. The Folio of 1664. DREA M. ACT I. SCENE I. The Duke's Palace in Athens. Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with attendants. N THESE US. OW, fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour Draws on apace; four happy days bring in This old moon wanes: the lingers my defires, Long withering out a young man's revenue. ' Hip. Four days will quickly fteep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time : 1 Long WITHERING OUT a young Man's revenue.] Long withering out is, certainly not good English. I rather think Shakespear Wote, Long WINTERING ON a young man's revenue. WARBURT. That the common reading is not good English, I cannot perceive, and therefore find in myfelf no temptation to change it. Of Of our folemnities. The. Go, Philoftrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments: The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit Phi. With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling. Enter Egeus, Hermio, Lyfander, and Demetrius. Ege. Happy be Thefeus, our renowned Duke: thee? Ege. Full of vexation, come I with complaint Stand forth, Lyfander.-And, my gracious Duke. I beg the antient privilege of Athens, * I. I'. III. bewitch'd. Which shall be either to this gentleman, 2 The. What fay you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid. To you your father should be as a God, 3 One, that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one, The. In himself he is; But in this kind, wanting your father's voice, Her. I would, my father look'd but with my eyes. look. is faid to be imprinted by him. 'Tis from the French relever. Thus they fay, Tapifleries relevees d'or. In the fame fenfe they use enlever, which Maundeville makes English of in this Manner- And alle the walles withinne ben covered with gola and fylver, in fyn Plates: and in the Plates ben Stories and Batayles of Knightes ENLEVED. p. 228. Rablais, with a flrain of buffoon humour, that equals the fober elegance of this paffage in our Poet, calls the small gentry of France, Gentilhommes de bas relief. WARBURTON. I know not why so harsh a word fhould be admitted with fo little need, a word that, fpoken could not be understood, and of which no example can be shown. The fenfe is plain, you owe to your father a being which he may at pleasure continue or deftroy. Her. Her. I do intreat your Grace to pardon me: The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion your defires : For aye to be in fhady cloifter mew'd, Chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless, moon? Her. So will I grow, fo live, fo die, my lord, Unto his lordship, to whofe unwifh'd yoak The. Take time to paufe: and by the next new moon, The fealing day betwixt my love and me, For everlasting bond of fellowship, 3 Thus all the copies, yet earthlier is fo harsh a word, and earthlier happy for happier earthly I. II. Lordship, a mode of fpeech fo unufual, that I wonder none of the Editors have propofed earlier happy. whofe unwifhed yoke. Dem. |