Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Suzanne Westfall
Not Peer Reviewed

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

A Midsommer nightes dreame.
Tita. How came these things to passe?
1595O, how mine eyes doe loath his visage now!
Ob. Silence a while. Robin, take off this head:
Titania, musicke call, and strike more dead
Then common sleepe: of all these, fine the sense.
Ti. Musick, howe musick: such as charmeth sleepe.
Rob. Now, when thou wak'st, with thine own fools eyes (peepe.
Ob. Sound Musick: come, my queen, take hands with me,
And rocke the ground whereon these sleepers be.
1605Now, thou and I are new in amitie,
And will to morrow midnight, solemnely
Daunce, in Duke Theseus house triumphantly,
And blesse it to all faire prosperitie.
There shall the paires of faithfull louers be
1610Wedded, with Theseus, all in iollitie.
Rob. Fairy King, attend, and marke:
I do heare the morning Larke.
Ob. Then my Queene, in silence sad,
Trippe we after nights shade:
1615We, the Globe, can compasse soone,
Swifter then the wandring Moone.
Tita. Come my Lord, and in our flight,
Tell me how it came this night,
That I sleeping here was found,
With these mortals on the ground. Exeunt. VVinde horne.
Enter Theseus and all his traine.
The. Goe one of you, finde out the forrester:
1625For now our obseruation is performde.
And since we haue the vaward of the day,
My loue shall heare the musicke of my hounds.
Vncouple, in the westerne vallie, let them goe:
Dispatch I say, and finde the forrester.
1630Wee will, faire Queene, vp to the mountaines toppe,
And marke the musicall confusion
Of hounds and Echo in coniunction.
Hippol.