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OBSERVATIONS.

THIS play was entered at Stationers' Hall, Oct. 8, 1600, by Thomas Fither. It is probable that the hint for it was received from Chaucer's Knight's Tale.

There is an old black letter pamphlet by W. Bettie, called Titana and Thefeus, entered at Stationers' Hall, in 1608; but Shakspeare has taken no hints from it. Titania is also the name of the Queen of the Fairies in Decker's Whore of Babylon, 1607.

STEEVENS.

The Midfummer-Night's Dream I fuppofe to have been written in

1592.

MALONE.

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HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Thefeus.

HERMIA, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lyfander.
HELENA, in love with Demetrius.

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Other Fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on

Thefeus and Hippolyta.

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

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Athens. A Room in the Palace of Thefeus.

Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants.

Thefeus.

W, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour

Now,

Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how flow This old moon wanes! the lingers my desires, 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, fhall behold the night
Of our folemnities.

The.

Stir

Go, Philoftrate,

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 PHILOSTRATE.

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

But

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!

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 ;-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, verfes of feigning love;
And stol'n the impreffion 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 haft thou filch'd my daughter's heart;
Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,

To stubborn harshness :-And, my gracious duke,
Be it fo fhe will not here before your grace
Consent to marry with Demetrius,

I beg the ancient privilege of Athens ;
As fhe is mine, I may difpofe of her :
Which shall 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 should be as a god;

One that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one

Та

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