Midsummer-Night's Dream.

A

COMEDY,

BY

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.

ACCURATELY PRINTED

FROM THE TEXT OF

MR. STEEVENS'S LAST EDITION.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Theseus, Duke of Athens.
Egeus, Father to Hermia.
Lysander,

Demetrius

, } in love with Hermia.

Philostrate, Master of the Revels to Theseus.
Quince, the Carpenter.
Snug, the Joiner.
Bottom, the Weaver.
Flule, the Bellows-mender.
Snout, the Tinker.
Starveling, the Tailor.

Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to

Theseus. Hermia, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander. Helena, in love with Demetrius.

Oberon, King of the Fairies.
Titania, Queen of the Fairies.
Puck, or Robin-goodfellow, a Fairy,
Peaseblossom,
Cobweb,

>Fairies.
Moth,
Mustard-seed,
Pyramus,
Thisle,

Characters in the Interlude
Wall,

performed by the Clowns. Moonshine, Lion,

Other Fairies attending their King and Queen.

Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.

Scene, Athens, and a Wood not far from it.

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

ATHENS.

A ROOM IN THE PALACE OF THESEUS.

Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostrate, and Atten

dants.
The. Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! she linger3 my desires,
Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,
Long withering out a young man's reyenue.
Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in

nights;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.
The.

Go, Philostrate,
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;
Turn melancholy forth to funerals:
The pale companion is not for our pomp.—

[Exit Philostrate. Hippolyta, I wood thee with my sword,

B