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Turn melancholy forth to funerals,
The pale companion is not for our pomp.
[Exit PHILOSTRATE.
Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword,
And won thy love, doing thee injuries;
But I will wed thee in another key,
With pomp, with triumph,
ling.

and with revel

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Ege. Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.-
Stand forth, Demetrius ;-My noble lord,
This man bath my consent to marry her :-
Staud forth, Lysander;-and, my gracious
duke,

This hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child:
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her
rhymes,

And interchang'd love-tokens with my child :
Thou hast by moon-light at her window sung,
With feigning voice, verses of feigning love:
And stol'n the impression of her fantasy
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, con-

ceits,

Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats; messen

gers

Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth:
With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's
heart;

Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,
To stubborn harshness :-And, my gracious

duke,

Be it so she will not here before your grace
Consent to marry with Demetrius,

I beg the ancient privilege of Athens;
As she is mine, I may dispose of her:
Which shall be either to this gentleman,
Or to her death; according to our law,
Immediately provided in that case.

The. What say you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair
maid :

To you your father should be as a god;
One that compos'd your beauties; yea,

one

To whom you are but as a form in wax,
By him imprinted, and within his power
To leave the figure, or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
Her. So is Lysander.

The. In himself he is:

But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd,
Than that, which, withering on the virgin
thorn,

Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessed.

ness.

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

Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke
My soul consents not to give sovereignty.
The. Take time to pause: and by the next
new moon,

(The sealing-day betwixt my love and me,
For everlasting bond of fellowship,)
Upon that day either prepare to die,
For disobedience to your father's will;
Or else, to wed Demetrius, as he would:
Or on Diana's altar to protest,
For aye, austerity and single life.
Dem. Releut, sweet Hermia ;-And, Lysan.
der, yield

Thy crazed title to my certain right.

Lys. You have her father's love, Deme-
trius;

Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.
Ege. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my

love;

And she is mine; and all my right of her
And what is mine my love shall render him;
I do estate unto Demetrius.

Lys. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he,
As well possess'd; my love is more than his;
My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd,
If not with vantage, as Demetrius';
And, which is more than all these boasts can
be,

I am belov'd of beauteous Hermia:
Why should not I then prosecute my right?
Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,

And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,

Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

The. I must confess, that I have heard so much,

And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof;

and But, being over-full of self-affairs,

But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other must be held the worthier.

Her. I would, my father look'd but with my

eyes.

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Her. I do entreat your grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold;
Nor how it may concern my modesty,

In such a presence here, to plead my thoughts:
But I beseech your grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

The. Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the society of men.

Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, if you yield not to your father's

choice,

You can endure the livery of a nun;
For ayet to be in shady cloister mew'd,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chaunting faint hymns to the cold fruitless

moon.

Thrice blessed they, that master so their blood,

To undergo such maiden pilgrimage:

My mind did lose it.-But, Demetrius, come;
And come, Egeus; you shall go with ine,

I have some private schooling for you both.-
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself
To fit your fancies to your father's will;
Or else the law of Athens yield you up
(Which by no means we may extenuate,)
To death, or to a vow of single life.-
Come, my Hippolyta ; What cheer, my love ?-
Demetrius, and Egeus, go along:

I must employ you in some business
Against our nuptial; and confer with you
Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.
Ege. With duty and desire we follow you.

[Exeunt THES. HIP. EGE. DEM. and
train.
Lys. How now, my love? Why is your cheek
so pale ?

How chance the roses there do fade so fast? Her. Belike for want of rain; which I could well

Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes.
Lys. Ah! me, for aught that ever I could
read,

Could ever hear by tale or bistory,
The course of true love never did run smooth:
But, either it was different in blood;

Her. O cross! too high to be enthrall'd to

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Wishes, and tears, poor fancy's + followers.
Lys. A good persuasion: therefore, hear me,
Hermia.

I have a widow aunt, a dowager

Of great revenue, and she hath no child :' From Athens is her house remote leagues;

seven

And she respects me as her only son.
There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
Aud to that place the sharp Athenian law
Cannot pursue us: If thou lov'st me then,
Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night;
And in the wood, a league without the town,
Where I did meet thee once with Helena,
To do observance to a morn of May,
There will I stay for thee.

Her. My good Lysander!

I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow;
By his best arrow with the golden head;
By the simplicity of Venus' doves;
By

that which knitteth souls, and prospers
loves;

And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage
queen,

When the false Trojan under sail was seen;
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
In number more than ever woman spoke ;-
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.
Lys. Keep promise, love: Look, here comes
Helena.

Enter HELENA.

Her. God speed fair Helena ! Whither away?

Her. His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. Hel. None, but your beauty; Would that fault were mine!

Her. Take comfort; be no more shall see my
face;

Lysander and myself will fly this place.—
Before the time I did Lysander see,
Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me:
O then, what graces in my love do dwell,
That he hath turn'd a heaven into hell!

Lys. Helen, to you our minds we will un-
fold:

To-morrow night when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the wat❜ry glass,

Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass,
(A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal,)
Through Athens' gates have we devis'd to steal.
Her. And in the wood, where often you

and I

Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet:
There my Lysander and myself shall meet :
And thence, from Athens turn away our eyes,
To seek new friends and stranger companies.
Farewell, sweet playfellow; pray thou for us,
And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius !
Keep word, Lysander: we must starve our
sight

From lovers' food, till morrow deep midnight.
[Erit HERMIA.
Lys. I will, my Hermia-Helena, adieu :
As you on him, Demetrius dote on you!

[Exit LYSANDER. Hel. How happy some, o'er other some can

be!

Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so;
He will not know what all but he do know.
And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.

Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the
mind;

And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind:
Nor hath love's mind of any judgment taste;
Wings, and no eyes, figure unbeedy baste:
And therefore is love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so oft beguil'd.
As waggish boys in game themselves for-
swear,

So the boy love is perjur'd every where:

Hel. Call you me fair? that fair again un- For ere Demetrius look'd on Hermia's eyne, +

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My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet
melody.

Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest I'll give to be to you translated.
O teach me how you look; and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.
Her. I frown upon him, yet he loves me
still.

Hel. Oh! that your frowns would teach my
smiles such skill!

Her. I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

Hel. Oh! that my prayers could such affection

move !

Her. The more I hate, the more he follows

me.

He hail'd down oaths, that he was only mine;
And when this hail some heat from Hermia

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SCENE 11.-The same.-A Room in a
Cottage.

Enter SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, QUINCE,
and STARVELING.

Quin. Is all our company here? Bot. You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip.

Quin. Here is the scroll of every man's name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the duke and duchess, on his wedding-day at night.

Bot. First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the ac

Hel. The more I love, the more he hateth me.tors; and so grow to a point.

Quin. Marry, our play is-The most lament

• Black.

Pole stars.

+ Loves. Countenance.

• Sport.

+ Fyes.

able comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.

Bot. A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a merry.-Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll: Masters, spread yourselves.

Quin. Auswer as I call you.-Nick Bottom, the weaver.

Bot. Ready : Name what part I am for, and proceed.

Quin. You, Nick Bottom are set down for Pyramus.

Bot. What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant? Quin. A lover, that kills himself most gallantly for love.

Bot. That will ask some tears in the true performing of it : If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes: I will move storms, I will condole in some measure. To the rest :-Yet uy chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split.

"The raging rocks,

"With shivering shocks,
"Shall break the locks

"Of prison-gates:
"And Phibbus' car

"Shall shine from far,

"And make and mar

"The foolish fates."

This was lofty !-Now, name the rest of the players. This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein;

a lover is more condoling.

Quin. Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.
Flu. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. You must take Thisby on you.
Flu. What is Thisby? a wandering knight?
Quin. It is the lady that Pyramus must love.
Flu. Nay, faith let me not play a woman;
I have a beard coming.

Quin. That's all one; you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will.

Bot. An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too: I'll speak in a monstrous little voice-Thisne, Thisne,-Ah! Pyramus, my lover dear; thy Thisby dear! and lady dear! Quin. No, no; you must play Pyramus, and, Flute, you Thisby.

Bot. Well, proceed.

Quin. Robin Starveling, the tailor.
Star. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. Robin Starveling, you must
Thisby's mother.-Tom Snout, the tinker.
Snout. Here, Peter Quince.

Quin. You, Pyramus' father; myself, Thisby's father;-Snug, the joiner, you, the lion's part : and, I hope, here is a play fitted.

Bot. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in?

Quin. Why, what you will. Bot. I will discharge it in either your strawcoloured beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your Frenchcrown-colour beard, your perfect yellow.

Quin. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-faced. -But, masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moon-light; there will we rehearse : for if we meet in the city, we shall be dog'd with company, and our devices known. In the mean time I will draw a bill of properties, s such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not.

Bot. We will meet; and there we may rehearse more obscenely, and courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu.

I

Quin. At the duke's oak we meet.
Bot. Enough; Hold, or cut bow-strings. +
[Exeunt.

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Puck. How now, spirit! whither wander you!
Fai. Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,

Thorough flocd, thorough fire,
i do wander every where,

Swifter than the moones sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green:
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours:
must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
Farewell, thou lobý of spirits, I'll be gone ;
Our queen and all our elves come here anon.
Puck. The king doth keep his revels here
to-night;

play Take heed, the queen come not within his sight,
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she, as her attendant, bath
A lovely boy, stol'n from an Indian king;
She never had so sweet a changeling:
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild":
But she, perforce, withholds the loved boy,
Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all
her joy;

Snug. Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study.

Quin. You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.

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Bot. Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say, Let him rour again, Let him roar again.

Quin. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek: and that were enough to bang us all.

And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled star-light sheen,
But they do square; ¶ that all their elves, for

fear,

Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.
Fei. Either Iinistake your shape and making
quite,

Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite,
Call'd Robin Good-fellow are you not he,
That fright the maidens of the villagery;

churn;

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All. That would hang us every mother's son. Bot. I grant you, friends, if that you should | Skim milk; and sometimes labour in the quern, fright the ladies out of their wits, they would And bootless make the breathless housewife have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar yon as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale.

Quin. You can play no part but Pyramus: for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's day; a most lovely, gentleman-like man; therefore you must needs play Pyramus.

• Asif.

And

sometime make the drink to bear no
barm; ++
[harm?
Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their
Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck
You do their work, and they shall have goo
luck :
Are not you he?

• Articles required In performing a play.
+ At all event. ↑ Circles. A term of contemp
Shining. ¶ Quarrel ..Mill. tt Yeast

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