1.1.24Now fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour

1.1.35Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in

1.1.46Another moon; but oh, me thinks, how slow

1.1.57This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,

1.1.68Like to a stepdame, or a dowager

1.1.79Long withering out a young man's revenue.

Four days will quickly steep themselves in nights,

1.1.911Four nights will quickly dream away the time,

1.1.1012And then the moon, like to a silver bow,

1.1.1113Now bent in heaven, shall behold the night

1.1.1214Of our solemnities.

Go Philostrate,

1.1.1416Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments,

1.1.1517Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth,

1.1.1618Turn melancholy forth to funerals;

1.1.1719The pale companion is not for our pomp.

1.1.1820Hippolita, I wooed thee with my sword

1.1.1921And won thy love doing thee injuries.

1.1.2022But I will wed thee in another key,

1.1.2123With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.

Happy be Theseus, our renownèd Duke.

Thanks, good Egeus. What's the news with thee?

Full of vexation come I, with complaint

1.1.2629Against my child, my daughter Hermia.

1.1.2731My noble lord,

1.1.2832This man hath my consent to marry her.

1.1.3034And, my gracious duke,

1.1.3135This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child.

1.1.3236Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,

1.1.3337And interchanged love tokens with my child;

1.1.3438Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung,

1.1.3539With feigning voice verses of feigning love,

1.1.3640And stolen the impression of her fantasy

1.1.3741With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits,

1.1.3842Knackes, trifles, nose-gays, sweetmeats (messengers

1.1.3943Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth).

1.1.4044With cunning hast thou filched my daughter's heart,

1.1.4145Turned her obedience, which is due to me,

1.1.4246To stubborn harshness. And, my gracious duke,

1.1.4347Be it so she will not here, before your grace,

1.1.4448Consent to marry with Demetrius,

1.1.4549I beg the ancient privilege of Athens:

1.1.4650As she is mine, I may dispose of her,

1.1.4751Which shall be either to this gentleman

1.1.4852Or to her death, according to our law

1.1.4953Immediately provided in that case.

What say you Hermia? Be advised fair maid.

1.1.5155To you your father should be as a god,

1.1.5256One that composed your beauties, yea, and one

1.1.5357To whom you are but as a form in wax

1.1.5458By him imprinted and within his power,

1.1.5559To leave the figure or disfigure it.

1.1.5660Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

So is Lysander.

In himself he is.

1.1.5963But in this kind, wanting your father's voice.

1.1.6064The other must be held the worthier.

I would my father looked but with my eyes.

Rather, your eyes must with his judgment look.

I do entreat your grace to pardon me.

1.1.6468I know not by what power I am made bold,

1.1.6569Nor how it may concern my modesty

1.1.6670In such a presence here to plead my thoughts,

1.1.6771But I beseech your grace that I may know

1.1.6872The worst that may befall me in this case,

1.1.6973If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

Either to die the death, or to abjure

1.1.7175Forever the society of men.

1.1.7276Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,

1.1.7377Know of your youth, examine well your blood,

1.1.7478Whether (if you yield not to your father's choice)

1.1.7579You can endure the livery of a nun,

1.1.7680For aye to be in shady cloister mewed,

1.1.7781To live a barren sister all your life,

1.1.7882Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.

1.1.7983Thrice blessèd they that master so their blood

1.1.8084To undergo such maiden pilgrimage;

1.1.8185But earthlier happy is the rose distilled,

1.1.8286Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn,

1.1.8387Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.

So will I grow, so live, so die my lord,

1.1.8589Ere I will yield my virgin patent up

1.1.8690Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke

1.1.8791My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

Take time to pause, and by the next new moon --

1.1.8993The sealing day betwixt my love and me

1.1.9094For everlasting bond of fellowship --

1.1.9195Upon that day either prepare to die

1.1.9296For disobedience to your father's will,

1.1.9397Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would,

1.1.9498Or on Diana's altar to protest

1.1.9599For aye austerity and single life.

Relent, sweet Hermia, and Lysander yield

1.1.97101Thy crazèd title to my certain right.

You have her father's love, Demetrius.

1.1.99103Let me have Hermia's. Do you marry him.

Scornful Lysander! True, he hath my love,

1.1.101105And what is mine my love shall render him.

1.1.102106And she is mine, and all my right of her

1.1.103107I do estate unto Demetrius.

I am, my lord, as well derived as he,

1.1.105109As well possessed. My love is more than his,

1.1.106110My fortune's every way as fairly ranked

1.1.107111(If not with vantage) as Demetrius';

1.1.108112And (which is more then all these boasts can be),

1.1.109113I am beloved of beauteous Hermia.

1.1.110114Why should not I, then, prosecute my right?

1.1.111115Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,

1.1.112116Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,

1.1.113117And won her soul, and she (sweet lady) dotes,

1.1.114118Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,

1.1.115119Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

I must confess that I have heard so much,

1.1.117121And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof;

1.1.118122But, being overfull of self-affairs,

1.1.119123My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius come.

1.1.120124And come, Egeus. You shall go with me.

1.1.121125I have some private schooling for you both.

1.1.122126For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself

1.1.123127To fit your fancies to your father's will,

1.1.124128Or else the law of Athens yields you up

1.1.125129(Which by no means we may extenuate),

1.1.126130To death, or to a vow of single life.

1.1.127131Come my Hippolita. What cheer, my love?

1.1.128132Demetrius and Egeus go along:

1.1.129133I must employ you in some business

1.1.130134Against our nuptial, and confer with you

1.1.131135Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.

With duty and desire we follow you.

How now my love? Why is your cheek so pale?

1.1.135139How chance the roses there do fade so fast?

Belike for want of rain, which I could well

1.1.137141Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes.

For ought that ever I could read,

1.1.139143Could ever hear by tale or history,

1.1.140144The course of true love never did run smooth.

1.1.141145But either it was different in blood --

O cross! Too high to be enthralled to love.

Or else misgraffèd, in respect of years --

O spite! Too old to be engaged to young.

Or else it stood upon the choice of merit --

O hell! To choose love by another's eye.

Or if there were a sympathy in choice,

1.1.148152War, death, or sickness, did lay siege to it,

1.1.149153Making it momentary as a sound,

1.1.150154Swift as a shadow, short as any dream,

1.1.151155Brief as the lightning in the collied night,

1.1.152156That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth,

1.1.153157And ere a man hath power to say "Behold!"

1.1.154158The jaws of darkness do devour it up.

1.1.155159So quick bright things come to confusion.

If, then, true lovers have been ever crossed,

1.1.157161It stands as an edict in destiny.

1.1.158162Then let us teach our trial patience,

1.1.159163Because it is a customary cross,

1.1.160164As due to love as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs,

1.1.161165Wishes, and tears, poor fancy's followers.

A good persuasion. Therefore, hear me Hermia.

1.1.163167I have a widow aunt, a dowager

1.1.164168Of great revenue, and she hath no child.

1.1.165169From Athens is her house removèd seven leagues,

1.1.166170And she respects me as her only son.

1.1.167171There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee,

1.1.168172And to that place, the sharp Athenian law

1.1.169173Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then

1.1.170174Steal forth thy father's house tomorrow night,

1.1.171175And in the wood, a league without the town

1.1.172176(Where I did meet thee once with Helena,

1.1.173177To do observance for a morn of May),

1.1.174178There will I stay for thee.

My good Lysander,

1.1.176180I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow,

1.1.177181By his best arrow with the golden head,

1.1.178182By the simplicity of Venus' doves,

1.1.179183By that which knitteth souls and prospers love,

1.1.180184And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen

1.1.181185When the false Trojan under sail was seen,

1.1.182186By all the vows that ever men have broke

1.1.183187(In number more then ever women spoke),

1.1.184188In that same place thou hast appointed me

1.1.185189Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

Keep promise love. Look, here comes Helena.

God speed fair Helena! Whither away?

Call you me fair? That fair again unsay.

1.1.190194Demetrius loves you fair. O happy fair!

1.1.191195Your eyes are loadstars, and your tongue's sweet air

1.1.192196More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear

1.1.193197When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.

1.1.194198Sickness is catching. O, were favor so,

1.1.195199Your words I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go.

1.1.196200My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,

1.1.197201My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.

1.1.198202Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,

1.1.199203The rest I'll give to be to you translated.

1.1.200204O, teach me how you look, and with what art

1.1.201205you sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.

I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.

O, that your frowns would teach my smiles 208such skill.

I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

O, that my prayers could such affection move.

The more I hate, the more he follows me.

The more I love, the more he hateth me.

His folly, Helena, is none of mine.

None but your beauty. Would that fault were mine!

Take comfort. He no more shall see my face;

1.1.212216Lysander and my self will fly this place.

1.1.213217Before the time I did Lysander see,

1.1.214218Seemed Athens like a paradise to me.

1.1.215219O then, what graces in my love do dwell,

1.1.216220That he hath turned a heaven into hell.

Helen, to you our minds we will unfold.

1.1.218222Tomorrow night, when Phoebe doth behold

1.1.219223Her silver visage in the watery glass,

1.1.220224Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass

1.1.221225(A time that lovers flights doth still conceal),

1.1.222226Through Athens' gates, have we devised to steal --

And in the wood, where often you and I

1.1.224228Upon faint primrose beds were wont to lye,

1.1.225229Emptying our bosoms of their counsel swelled,

1.1.226230There my Lysander and myself shall meet,

1.1.227231And thence from Athens turn away our eyes

1.1.228232To seek new friends and strange companions.

1.1.229233Farewell sweet playfellow. Pray thou for us,

1.1.230234And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius.

1.1.231235Keep word, Lysander. We must starve our sight

1.1.232236From lovers' food, till morrow deep midnight.

I will, my Hermia. Helena, adieu.

1.1.234239As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you.

How happy some o're other some can be!

1.1.236241Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.

1.1.237242But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so;

1.1.238243He will not know what all but he doth know;

1.1.239244And, as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,

1.1.240245So I, admiring of his qualities.

1.1.241246Things base and vile, holding no quantity,

1.1.242247Love can transpose to form and dignity.

1.1.243248Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,

1.1.244249And therefore is wingèd Cupid painted blind.

1.1.245250Nor hath love's mind of any judgment taste:

1.1.246251Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.

1.1.247252And, therefore, is Love said to be a child,

1.1.248253Because in choice he is often beguiled.

1.1.249254As waggish boys in game themselves forswear,

1.1.250255So the boy Love is perjured everywhere.

1.1.251256For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia's eyne,

1.1.252257He hailed down oaths that he was only mine.

1.1.253258And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,

1.1.254259So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.

1.1.255260I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight!

1.1.256261Then, to the wood will he tomorrow night

1.1.257262Pursue her; and for his intelligence

1.1.258263If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.

1.1.259264But herein mean I to enrich my pain,

1.1.260265To have his sight thither and back again.