A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. - АСТ І. SCENE. THE Palace of THESEUS, AT ATHENS. At the rise of the curtain, to melodious strains, certain nobles are discovered in various groups about the scene. PHILOSTRATE, with some ladics of the Amazon Court, are at the R. They all bow profoundly as THESEUS and HIPPOLITA enter, conversing, from L., and come forward, C. The. Now, fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager, Long withering out a young man's revenue. 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 Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my sword, [Exit PHILOSTrate. But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling. [He leads her to a lounge at R., where the women of her court surround her. He reclincs beside her. Music, which is interrupted by entrance of EGEUS and HERMIA from L. LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS follow. Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! [He kneels. The others also kneel, but rise immediately. Stand forth, Demetrius. [He rises.] My noble lord, [He crosses to LYSANDER. Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart; Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me, To stubborn harshness. [Returning to THESEUS.] 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, The. What say you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid: Demetrius is a worthy gentleman. Her. So is Lysander. 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! In such a presence here, to plead my thoughts: The worst that may befal me in this case, If I refuse to wed Demetrius. [Kneeling. The. [Rising.] Either to die the death, or to abjure Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice, For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. But earthly happier is the rose distill'd, Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn, Her. So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, The. Take time to pause; and, by the next new moon, [Returning to HIPPOLITA. (The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, Or else, to wed Demetrius, as he would; For aye, austerity and single life. [Sits and converses with HIPPOLITA. Dem. Relent, sweet Hermia; and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right. Lys. You have her father's love, Demetrius; Ege. Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love; I do estate unto Demetrius. [LYSANDER passes EGEUS and addresses THESEUS. Lys. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, As well possess'd; my love is more than his; 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? Upon this spotted and inconstant man. The. I must confess that I have heard so much, And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof, But, being over-full of self-affairs, My mind did lose it. [Rises and comes forward. But, Demetrius, come; And come, Egeus; you shall go with me, 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 THESEUS, HIPPOLITA, EGEUS, DEMETRIUS, and Court, R. |