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OBSERVATIONS.

THIS play was entered at Stationers' Hall, Oct. 8, 1600, by Thomas Fisher. It is probable that the hint for it was received from Chaucer's Knight's Tale.

There is an old black letter pamphlet by W. Bettie, called Titana and Theseus, entered at Stationers' Hall, in 1608; but Shakspeare has taken no hints from it. Titania is also the name of the Queen of the Fairies in Decker's Whore of Babylon, 1607. STEEVENS.

Wild and fantastical as this play is, all the parts in their various modes are well written, and give the kind of pleasure which the author designed. Fairies in his time were much in fashion; common tradition had made them familiar, and Spenser's poem had made them great. JOHNSON.

Johnson's concluding observation on this play, is not conceived with his usual judgment. There is no analogy or resemblance whatever between the Fairies of Spenser, and those of Shakespeare. The Fairies of Spenser, as appears from his description of them in the second book of the Fairy Queen, canto x. were a race of mortals created by Prometheus, of the human size, shape, and affections, and subject to death. But those of Shakspeare, and of common tradition, as Johnson calls them, were a diminutive race of sportful beings, endowed with immortality and supernatural power, totally different from those of Spenser. M. MASON.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

THESEUS, duke of Athens.

EGEUS, father to Hermia.

LYSANDER, in love with Hermia.

DEMETRIUS,

PHILOSTRATE, master of the revels to Theseus.

QUINCE, the carpenter.

SNUG, the joiner.

BOTTOM, the weaver.

FLUTE, 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.

PEAS-BLOSSOM,

COBWEB,

Мотн,

MUSTARD-SEED,

PYRAMUS,

THISBE,

WALL,

MOONSHINE,

LION,

}

Characters in the interlude, performed by the Clowns.

Other Fairies, attending their king and queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.

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

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Athens. A Room in the Palace of THESEUS. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants.

Theseus.

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 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
Of our solemnities.

The. Go, Philostrate,

[EX PHIL.

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.
-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, and with revelling.

Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS,
Ege. Happy be Theseus, 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,
This man hath my consent to marry her:
-Stand forth, Lysander;-and, my gracious duke,
This hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child :