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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

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АСТ І.

SCENE. THE Palace of THESEUS, AT ATHENS. At the rise of the curtain, to melodious strains, certain nobles are discovered in various groups about the scene. PHILOSTRATE, with some ladics of the Amazon Court, are at the R. They all bow profoundly as THESEUS and HIPPOLITA enter, conversing, from L., and come forward, C.

The. 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

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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.

Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my sword,
And won thy love, doing thee injuries;

[Exit PHILOSTrate.

But I will wed thee in another key,

With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.

[He leads her to a lounge at R., where the women of her court surround her. He reclincs beside her. Music, which is interrupted by entrance of EGEUS and HERMIA from L. LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS follow.

Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke!

[He kneels. The others also kneel, but rise immediately.
The. 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. [He rises.] My noble lord,
This man hath my consent to marry her.-
Stand forth, Lysander :-and, my gracious duke,
This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child :

[He crosses to LYSANDER.

Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,
And interchang'd love-tokens with my child:
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung,

With feigning voice, verses of feigning love;

With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart;

Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,

To stubborn harshness. [Returning to THESEUS.] And, my gracious duke,

Be it 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 cither to this gentleman,
Or to her death; according to our law,
Immediately provided in that.case.

The. What say you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid:
To you your father should be as a god;

Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

Her. So is Lysander.

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But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice,

The other must be held the worthier.

Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes!
The. Rather, your eyes must with his judgment look.
Her. I do entreat your grace to pardon me.
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

The worst that may befal me in this case,

If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

[Kneeling.

The. [Rising.] Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the society of men. [Advancing to her, as she rises.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,

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.
Thrice blessed they that master so their blood,
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage:

But earthly happier is the rose distill'd,

Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.

Her. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,
Ere I will yield my maiden heart and vow
Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke
My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

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

[Returning to HIPPOLITA.

(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.

[Sits and converses with HIPPOLITA.

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 him;
And she is mine; and all my right of her

I do estate unto Demetrius.

[LYSANDER passes EGEUS and addresses THESEUS. 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,

And, which is more than all these boasts can be,

I am belov'd of beauteous Hermia:

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,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,

Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

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.

[Rises and comes forward.

But, Demetrius, come;

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;
Or else the law of Athens yields you up
To death, or to a vow of single life.
Come, my Hippolita ;

Demetrius, and Egeus, go along :

I must employ you in some business

Against our nuptial; and confer with you

Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.

Ege. With duty and desire, we follow you.

[Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLITA, EGEUS, DEMETRIUS,

and Court, R.

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