A Midsummer Night's Dream (Quarto 1, 1600)
Not Peer Reviewed
A Midsommer nightes dreame.
¶Against my childe, my daughter Hermia.
30
Stand forth Demetrius.
¶My noble Lord,
¶This man hath my consent to marry her.
¶
Stand forth Lisander.
¶And my gratious Duke,
35This man hath bewitcht the bosome of my childe.
¶And interchang'd loue tokens with my childe:
¶With faining voice, verses of faining loue,
¶With bracelets of thy haire, rings, gawdes, conceites,
¶Of strong preuailement in vnhardened youth)
¶With cunning hast thou filcht my daughters heart,
45Turnd her obedience (which is due to mee)
¶Consent to marry with Demetrius,
¶I beg the auncient priuiledge of Athens:
¶Which shall be, either to this gentleman,
¶Or to her death; according to our lawe,
¶Immediatly prouided, in that case.
55To you, your father should be as a God:
¶One that compos'd your beauties: yea and one,
¶To whome you are but as a forme in wax,
¶By him imprinted, and within his power,
¶To leaue the figure, or disfigure it:
60Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
¶But in this kinde, wanting your fathers voice,
¶The other must be held the worthier.
Her.
