A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT's DREAM.

VOL. II. P

OBSERVATIONS.

IT

T is probable that the hint for this play was received from Chaucer's Knight's Tale: thence it is, that our author fpeaks of Thefeus as duke of Athens. STEEVENS.

Wild and fantastical as this play is, all the parts in their various modes are well written, and give the kind of pleasure which the author defigned. Fairies in his time were much in fafhion; common tradition had made them familiar, and Spenfer's poem had made them great. JOHNSON.

1

THESEUS, Duke of Athens.

EGEUS, an Athenian Lord.

LYSANDER, in love with Hermia.
DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia.

PHILOSTRATE, Mafter of the Sports to the Duke.
QUINCE, the Carpenter.

SNUG, the Joiner.
BOTTOM, the Weaver.
FLUTE, the Bellows-Mender.
SNOUT, the Tinker.

STARVELING, the Tailor.

HIPPOLITA, Princess of the Amazons, betrothed to Thefeus.

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

Attendants.

OBERON, King of the Fairies.

TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies.

PUCK, or ROBIN-GOOD-FELLOW, a Fairy.

PEASE BLOSSOM,

COBWEB,

MUSTARD-SEED,

Fairies.

MOTH,

Other Fairies, attending on the King and Queen.

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

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The Duke's Palace in Athens. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLITA, PHILOSTRATE, with Attendants.

Thefeus.

OW, fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour

NOW

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 ftep-dame, or a dowager,

Long withering out a young man's revenue.

Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in night ; 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. 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. [Ex. 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!
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 given her rhimes,
And interchang'd love-tokens with my child :.