Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.

SCENE I.

SCENE-Athens, and a wood near it.

ACT 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, O, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires,

Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.

SCENE I.

SCENE-Athens, and a wood near it.

ACT 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, O, 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.

Go, Philostrate,

The.
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 Philostrate.

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 reveling.

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 man hath witch'd the bosom of my child :·
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes;
And interchang'd love-tokens with my child:
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung,
With feigning voice, verses of feigning love;
And stol'n th' impression of her fantasy
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats,

messengers

Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth:

With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart;
Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,

To stubborn harshness: — and, my gracious duke,
Be 't so she will not here before your grace

Consent to marry with Demetrius,

I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,—