MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM. ACT I. SCENE I. Athens. A Room in the Palace of Theseus. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants. 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 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; New bent in heaven, shall behold the night The. Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling. Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEME TRIUS. 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 I beg the ancient privilege of Athens; The. What say you, Hermia; be advis'd, fair maid: Το you your father should be as a god; gawds,] i. e. baubles, toys, trifles. One that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one The. In himself he is: 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. The. Rather your eyes must with his judgement look. Her. I do entreat your grace to pardon me. In such a presence here, to plead my thoughts: The. Either to die the death, or to abjure Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd, Than that, which, withering on the virgin thorn, To leave the figure, or disfigure it.] i. e. you owe to your father a being which he may at pleasure continue or destroy. 3 Know of your youth,] Consider your youth. But earthlier happy-] perhaps, earlier; or, earthly happy. Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessedness. Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke moon (The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, For aye, austerity and single life. 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 Lys. I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, love; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, Why should not I then prosecute my right? Upon this spotted3 and inconstant man. spotted] As spotless is innocent, so spotted is wicked. 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.-But, Demetrius, come; I must employ you in some business [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. The course of true love never did run smooth: Her. O cross! too high to be enthrall'd to low! Lys. Or else misgraffed, in respect of years; Her. O spite! too old to be engag'd to young! Lys. Or else it stood upon the choice of friends: Her. O hell! to choose love by another's eye! Lys. Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it; • Beteem them -] Give them, pour out upon them. |