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  • Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Quarto 1, 1600)
  • Editor: Suzanne Westfall
  • ISBN: 978-1-55058-465-3

    Copyright Suzanne Westfall. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Suzanne Westfall
    Not Peer Reviewed

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (Quarto 1, 1600)

    MIDSOMMER NIGHTS
    DREAME
    Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others.
    Theseus.
    NOw faire Hippolita, our nuptiall hower
    5Draws on apase: fower happy daies bring in
    An other Moone: but oh, me thinks, how slow
    This old Moone waues! She lingers my desires,
    Like to a Stepdame, or a dowager,
    Long withering out a yong mans reuenewe.
    10Hip. Fower daies will quickly steepe themselues in night:
    Fower nights will quickly dreame away the time:
    And then the Moone, like to a siluer bowe,
    Now bent in heauen, shall beholde the night
    Of our solemnities.
    15The. Goe Philostrate,
    Stirre vp the Athenian youth to merriments,
    Awake the peart and nimble spirit of mirth,
    Turne melancholy foorth to funerals:
    The pale companion is not for our pomp.
    20Hyppolita, I woo'd thee with my sword,
    And wonne thy loue, doing thee iniuries:
    But I will wed thee in another key,
    With pompe, with triumph, and with reueling.
    Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, and Lysander
    25 and Helena, and Demetrius.
    Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke.
    The. Thankes good Egeus. Whats the newes with thee?
    Ege. Full of vexation, come I, with complaint
    A-