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- Edition: A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folio 1, 1623)
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145
A
MIDSOMMER
Nights Dreame.
1Actus primus.
2Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others.
3Theseus.
4NOw faire Hippolita, our nuptiall houre
5Drawes on apace: foure happy daies bring in
6Another Moon: but oh, me thinkes, how slow
7This old Moon wanes; She lingers my desires
8Like to a Step-dame, or a Dowager,
9Long withering out a yong mans reuennew.
11Foure nights wil quickly dreame away the time:
12And then the Moone, like to a siluer bow,
13Now bent in heauen, shal behold the night
14Of our solemnities.
16Stirre vp the Athenian youth to merriments,
17Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth,
18Turne melancholy forth to Funerals:
19The pale companion is not for our pompe,
20Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my sword,
21And wonne thy loue, doing thee iniuries:
22But I will wed thee in another key,
23With pompe, with triumph, and with reuelling.
24Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
25and Demetrius.
27The. Thanks good Egeus: what's the news with thee?
28Ege. Full of vexation, come I, with complaint
29Against my childe, my daughter Hermia.
30Stand forth Demetrius.
31My Noble Lord,
32This man hath my consent to marrie her.
33Stand forth Lysander.
34And my gracious Duke,
35This man hath bewitch'd the bosome of my childe:
37And interchang'd loue-tokens with my childe:
39With faining voice, verses of faining loue,
41With bracelets of thy haire, rings, gawdes, conceits,
43Of strong preuailment in vnhardned youth)
45Turn'd her obedience (which is due to me)
48Consent to marrie with Demetrius,
49I beg the ancient priuiledge of Athens;
51Which shall be either to this Gentleman,
52Or to her death, according to our Law,
53Immediately prouided in that case.
55To you your Father should be as a God;
56One that compos'd your beauties; yea and one
57To whom you are but as a forme in waxe
58By him imprinted: and within his power,
60Demetrius is a worthy Gentleman.
63But in this kinde, wanting your fathers voyce.
64The other must be held the worthier.
65Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes.
67Her. I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.
68I know not by what power I am made bold,
69Nor how it may concerne my modestie
71But I beseech your Grace, that I may know
73If I refuse to wed Demetrius.
74The. Either to dye the death, or to abiure
75For euer the society of men.
77Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
78Whether (if you yeeld not to your fathers choice)
79You can endure the liuerie of a Nunne,
82Chanting faint hymnes to the cold fruitlesse Moone,
84To vndergo such maiden pilgrimage,
86Then that which withering on the virgin thorne,
Her.
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