A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM. A CT. I. SCENE, the Duke's Palace in Athens. Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with attendants. N THESEUS. OW, fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour Long withering out a young man's revenue. Hip. Four days will quickly fteep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time: And then the moon, like to a filver bow New bent in heaven, fhall behold the night The. Go, Philoftrate, Stir up th' 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 Phi. Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my fword, And And won thy love, doing thee injuries: With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling. Enter Egeus, Hermia, Lyfander, and Demetrius. Ege. Happy be Thefeus, our renowned Duke! The. Thanks, good Egeus; what's the news with thee? Ege. Full of vexation, come I with Complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth, Demetrius.My noble lord, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, The. What fay you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid. To you your father fhould be as a God, One, that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one, power By him imprinted; and within his But But in this kind, wanting your father's voice, Her. I would, my father look'd but with my eyes. I know not, by what pow'r I am made bold; In fuch a prefence here, to plead my thoughts: The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion your defires; For aye to be in fhady cloifter mew'd, Chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless, moon? Her. So will I grow, fo live, fo die, my lord, Unto his lordship, to whofe unwish'd yoak My foul confents not to give Sov'reignty. The. Take time to paufe; and by the next new moon, (The fealing day betwixt my love and me, For everlasting bond of fellowship) Upon that day either prepare to die, Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would; For aye, aufterity and fingle life. Dem. Relent, fweet Hermia; and, Lyfander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right. VOL. I. G Lyf. Lyf. You have her father's love, Demetrius; Ege. Scornful Lyfander! true, he hath my love, Lyf. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, And, which is more than all these boasts can be, Upon this spotted and inconftant man. The. I must confefs, that I have heard fo much, And with Demetrius thought t' have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of felf-affairs, felf My mind did lofe it. But, Demetrius, come; I muft employ you in fome bufiness [Exeunt. Lyf. How now, my love? why is your cheek fo pale? How chance, the rofes there do fade fo faft? Her. Belike, for want of rain; which I could well Beteem them from the tempeft of mine eyes. Lyf. Lyf. Hermia, for ought that ever I could read, The course of true love never did run smooth; Her. O cross! -- too high, to be enthrall'd to low ! -- (1) Lyf. Or elfe mifgraffed, in refpect of years Her. Ofpight! too old, to be engag'd to young! Lyf. Or else it stood upon the choice of friendsHer. O hell! to chufe love by another's eye! Lyf. Or if there were a fympathy in choice, War, death, or fickness did lay fiege to it; Making it momentary as a found, Swift as a fhadow, fhort as any dream, Brief as the lightning in the collied night, That (in a fpleen) unfolds both heav'n and earth And ere a man hath power to fay, Behold! The jaws of darkness do devour it up; So quick bright things come to confufion. Her. If then true lovers have been ever croft, (1) Too high, to be enthrall'd to Love.] This Reading poffeffes all the Editions, but carries no just meaning in it. Nor was Hermia difpleas'd at being in Love; but regretts the Inconveniences, that generally attend the Paflion: Either, the Parties are difproportion'd, in degree of Blood and Quality; or unequal, in refpect of Years; or brought together by the Appointment of Friends, and not by their own Choice. These are the Complaints reprefented by Lyfander; and Hermia, to anfwer to the first, as fhe has done to the other two, muft neceffarily fay; O Grofs! too high, to be enthrall'd to low! So the Antithefis is kept up in the Terms; and fo fhe is made to condole the Difproportion of Blood and Quality in Lovers. And This is one of the Curfes, that Venus, on feeing Adonis dead, prophefies fhall always attend Love,in our Author's Poem, call'd, VENUS and ADONISStanz. 190. Since thou art dead, lo! here I prophefie, That all Love's Pleasures fhall not match his Woe. Leon. |