Chapter XIX: Act I

SCENE I. _Athens._ _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, O, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager, 5 Long withering out a young man’s revenue.

_Hip._ Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; 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 10 Of our solemnities.

_The._ Go, Philostrate, 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. [_Exit Philostrate._ 15 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! 20

_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. 25 Stand forth, Lysander: and, my gracious duke, This man hath bewitch’d the bosom of my child: Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child: Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, 30 With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; And stolen the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, messengers Of strong prevailment in unharden’d youth: 35 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 it so she will not here before your Grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, 40 I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, As she is mine, I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case. 45

_The._ What say you, Hermia? be advised, fair maid: To you your father should be as a god; One that composed your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax By him imprinted and within his power 50 To leave the figure or disfigure it. Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

_Her._ So is Lysander.

_The._ In himself he is; But in this kind, wanting your father’s voice, The other must be held the worthier. 55

_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. I know not by what power I am made bold, Nor how it may concern my modesty, 60 In such a presence here to plead my thoughts; But I beseech your Grace that I may know The worst that may befall me in this case, If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

_The._ Either to die the death, or to abjure 65 For ever the society of men. Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires; Know of your youth, examine well your blood, Whether, if you yield not to your father’s choice, You can endure the livery of a nun; 70 For aye to be in shady cloister mew’d, To live a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood, To undergo such maiden pilgrimage; 75 But earthlier happy is the rose distill’d, Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn, Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.

_Her._ So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, Ere I will yield my virgin patent up 80 Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

_The._ Take time to pause; and, by the next new moon,— The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, For everlasting bond of fellowship,— 85 Upon that day either prepare to die For disobedience to your father’s will, Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would; Or on Diana’s altar to protest For aye austerity and single life. 90

_Dem._ Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right.

_Lys._ You have her father’s love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia’s: do you marry him.

_Ege._ Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love, 95 And what is mine my love shall render him. And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius.

_Lys._ I am, my lord, as well derived as he, As well possess’d; my love is more than his; 100 My fortunes every way as fairly rank’d, If not with vantage, as Demetrius’; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia: Why should not I then prosecute my right? 105 Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head, Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena, And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant man. 110

_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; And come, Egeus; you shall go with me, 115 I have some private schooling for you both. For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself To fit your fancies to your father’s will; Or else the law of Athens yields you up,— Which by no means we may extenuate,— 120 To death, or to a vow of single life. Come, my Hippolyta: what cheer, my love? Demetrius and Egeus, go along: I must employ you in some business Against our nuptial, and confer with you 125 Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.

_Ege._ With duty and desire we follow you.

[_Exeunt all but Lysander and Hermia._

_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 130 Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

_Lys._ Ay me! for aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth; But, either it was different in blood,— 135

_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 engaged to young.

_Lys._ Or else it stood upon the choice of friends,—

_Her._ O hell! to choose love by another’s eyes. 140

_Lys._ Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it, Making it momentany as a sound, Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night, 145 That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, And ere a man hath power to say ‘Behold!’ The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion.

_Her._ If then true lovers have been ever cross’d, 150 It stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs, Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers. 155

_Lys._ A good persuasion: therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and she hath no child: From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; And she respects me as her only son. 160 There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee; And to that place the sharp Athenian law Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then, Steal forth thy father’s house to-morrow night; And in the wood, a league without the town, 165 Where I did meet thee once with Helena, To do observance to a morn of May, There will I stay for thee.

_Her._ My good Lysander! I swear to thee, by Cupid’s strongest bow, By his best arrow with the golden head, 170 By the simplicity of Venus’ doves, By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, And by that fire which burn’d the Carthage queen, When the false Troyan under sail was seen, By all the vows that ever men have broke, 175 In number more than ever women spoke, In that same place thou hast appointed me, To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.

_Lys._ Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.

_Enter_ HELENA.

_Her._ God speed fair Helena! whither away? 180

_Hel._ Call you me fair? that fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair! Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue’s sweet air More tuneable than lark to shepherd’s ear. When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. 185 Sickness is catching: O, were favour so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go; My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye, My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, 190 The rest I’d give to be to you translated. O, teach me how you look; and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart!

_Her._ I frown upon him, _yet_ he loves me still.

_Hel._ O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill! 195

_Her._ I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

_Hel._ O that my prayers could such affection move!

_Her._ The more I hate, the more he follows me.

_Hel._ The more I love, the more he hateth me.

_Her._ His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. 200

_Hel._ None, but your beauty: would that fault were mine!

_Her._ Take comfort: he no more shall see my face; Lysander and myself will fly this place. Before the time I did Lysander see, Seem’d Athens as a paradise to me: 205 O, then, what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turn’d a heaven unto a hell!

_Lys._ Helen, to you our minds we will unfold: To-morrow night, when Phœbe doth behold Her silver visage in the watery glass, 210 Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, A time that lovers’ flights doth still conceal, Through Athens’ gates have we devised to steal.

_Her._ And in the wood, where often you and I Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie, 215 Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet, There my Lysander and myself shall meet; And thence from Athens turn away our eyes, To seek new friends and stranger companies. Farewell, sweet playfellow: pray thou for us; 220 And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius! Keep word, Lysander: we must starve our sight From lovers’ food till morrow deep midnight.

_Lys._ I will, my Hermia. [_Exit Herm._ Helena, adieu: As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! [_Exit._ 225

_Hel._ How happy some o’er other some can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so; He will not know what all but he do know: And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes, 230 So I, admiring of his qualities: Things base and vile, holding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind: 235 Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgement taste; Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste: And therefore is Love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguiled. As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, 240 So the boy Love is perjured every where: For ere Demetrius look’d on Hermia’s eyne, He hail’d down oaths that he was only mine; And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt, So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt. 245 I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight: Then to the wood will he to-morrow night Pursue her; and for this intelligence If I have thanks, it is a dear expense: But herein mean I to enrich my pain, 250 To have his sight thither and back again. [_Exit._

~~~~~ Linenotes: _A Midsummer-Night’s Dream_, I, 1.

SC. I. Enter...] Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others. Qq Ff.

4: _wanes_] _waues_ Q1.

6: _withering out_] _wintering on_ Warburton. _lithering out_ Becket conj.

7: _night_] Q1. _nights_ Q2 Ff.

8: _nights_] Q1 Ff. _daies_ Q2.

10: _New-bent_] Rowe. _Now bent_ Qq Ff.

15: [Exit Ph.] Theobald.

19: _revelling_] _revelry_ Holt White conj.

24, 26: _Stand forth, Demetrius...Stand forth, Lysander_] Printed in Qq Ff as stage directions. Corrected by Rowe.

27: _This man hath bewitch’d_] Qq F1. _This hath bewitch’d_ F2 F3 F4.

_bewitch’d_] _witch’d_ Theobald.

38: _harshness_] _hardness_ Collier MS.

51: _leave_] _’leve_ Warburton. _lave_ Becket conj.

69: _if you yield not_] _not yielding_ Pope.

76: _earthlier happy_] _earlier happy_ Pope conj. _earthly happier_ Capell.

81: _whose unwished_] Qq F1. _to whose unwished_ F2 F3. _to whose unwish’d_ F4.

87: _your_] _you_ F2.

94: _Hermia’s_] _Hermia_ Tyrwhitt conj.

98: _unto_] _upon_ Hanmer.

101: _fortunes_] _fortune’s_ Rowe.

102: _Demetrius’_] Pope. _Demetrius_ Qq Ff.

107: _Nedar’s_] _Nestor’s_ S. Walker conj.

125: _nuptial_] Qq F1. _nuptialls_ F2 F3 F4.

127: [Exeunt...] Exeunt. Manet L. and M. Qq Ff.

128: SCENE II. Pope.

130: _which I could_] _yet could I_ Becket conj.

131: _my_] Qq. _mine_ Ff.

132: _Ay me! for aught that I could ever_] _Eigh me; for ought that I could ever_ Qq. _For ought that ever I could_ F1. _Hermia for ought that ever I could_ F2 F3 F4. _Ay me! for aught that ever I could_ Dyce.

136: _low_] Theobald. _love_ Qq Ff.

_too...low_] _to be enthrall’d! too high, too low_ Becket conj.

138: _to young_] _too young_ F4.

139: _friends_] Qq. _merit_ Ff. _men_ Collier MS.

140: _eyes_] Qq. _eie_ F1. _eye_ F2 F3 F4.

143: _momentany_] Qq. _momentary_ Ff.

146: _spleen_] _shene_ Becket conj.

148: _do_] _to_ F3 F4.

154: _due_] _dewe_ Q1.

159: _remote_] Qq. _remov’d_ Ff.

167: _observance to a_] Qq. _observance for a_ Ff. _observance to the_ Pope.

168–178: Her. _My good......with thee_] Her. _My good Lysander!_ Lys. _I swear...spoke._ Her. _In that...with thee_ Warburton.

172: _loves_] Q1. _love_ Q2 Ff.

180: SCENE III. Pope.

182: _your fair_] Qq. _you fair_ Ff. _you, fair_ Rowe (ed. 2).

186: _so_] Qq Ff. _so!_ Theobald.

187: _Yours would I_] Hanmer. _Your words I_ Qq F1. _Your words Ide_ F2 F3 F4.

191: _I’d_] Hanmer. _ile_ Q1. _Ile_ Q2 F1 F2. _I’le_ F3 F4.

200: _folly, Helena, is no fault_] Q1. _folly, Helena, is none_ Q2 Ff. _fault, Oh Helena, is none_ Hanmer. _fault, fair Helena, is none_ Collier MS.

205: _as_] Q1. _like_ Q2 Ff.

206: _do_] _must_ Collier MS.

207: _unto a_] Q1. _into_ Q2 Ff.

213: _gates_] Qq F1 F2. _gate_ F3 F4.

216: _sweet_] Theobald. _sweld_ Qq Ff.

219: _stranger companies_] Theobald. _strange companions_ Qq Ff.

225: _dote_] Qq. _dotes_ Ff.

229: _do_] Qq. _doth_ Ff.

237: _haste_] _hast_ F4.

239: _he is so oft_] Q1 _he is oft_ Q2. _he is often_ F1. _he often is_ F2 F3 F4.

240: _in game themselves_] _themselves in game_ F3 F4.

244: _this_] Q1 Ff. _his_ Q2.

245: _So_] _Lo,_ Capell.

248: _this_] Qq. _his_ Ff.

249: _a dear expense_] _dear recompense_ Collier MS. ~~~~~

SCENE II. _The same._ QUINCE’S _house_.

_Enter_ QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, _and_ STARVELING.

_Quin._ Is all our company here?

_Bot._ You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip.

_Quin._ Here is the scroll of every man’s name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before 5 fore the duke and the duchess, on his wedding-day at night.

_Bot._ First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and so grow to a point.

_Quin._ Marry, our play is, The most lamentable comedy, 10 and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.

_Bot._ A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.

_Quin._ Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver. 15

_Bot._ Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.

_Quin._ You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.

_Bot._ What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?

_Quin._ A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love.

_Bot._ That will ask some tears in the true performing of 20 it: if I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move storms, I will condole in some measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split.

The raging rocks 25 And shivering shocks Shall break the locks Of prison-gates; And Phibbus’ car Shall shine from far, 30 And make and mar The foolish Fates.

This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players. This is Ercles’ vein, a tyrant’s vein; a lover is more condoling.

_Quin._ Francis Flute, the bellows-mender. 35

_Flu._ Here, Peter Quince.

_Quin._ Flute, you must take Thisby on you.

_Flu._ What is Thisby? a wandering knight?

_Quin._ It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

_Flu._ Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a 40 beard coming.

_Quin._ That’s all one: you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will.

_Bot._ An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice, ‘Thisne, Thisne;’ ‘Ah 45 Pyramus, my lover dear! thy Thisby dear, and lady dear!’

_Quin._ No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby.

_Bot._ Well, proceed.

_Quin._ Robin Starveling, the tailor. 50

_Star._ Here, Peter Quince.

_Quin._ Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby’s mother. Tom Snout, the tinker.

_Snout._ Here, Peter Quince.

_Quin._ You, Pyramus’ father: myself, Thisby’s father: 55 Snug, the joiner; you, the lion’s part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted.

_Snug._ Have you the lion’s part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study.

_Quin._ You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but 60 roaring.

_Bot._ Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man’s heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say, ‘Let him roar again, let him roar again.’ 65

_Quin._ An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all.

_All._ That would hang us, every mother’s son.

_Bot._ I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the 70 ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an ’twere any nightingale.

_Quin._ You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus 75 is a sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer’s day; a most lovely, gentleman-like man: therefore you must needs play Pyramus.

_Bot._ Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in? 80

_Quin._ Why, what you will.

_Bot._ I will discharge it in either your straw colour beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French crown colour beard, your perfect yellow. 85

_Quin._ Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play barefaced. But, masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight; 90 there will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known. In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not.

_Bot._ We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely 95 and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.

_Quin._ At the duke’s oak we meet.

_Bot._ Enough; hold or cut bow-strings. [_Exeunt._

~~~~~ Linenotes: _A Midsummer-Night’s Dream_, I, 2.

SCENE II.] SCENE IV. Pope.

Quince’s house.] Capell. Changes to a cottage. Theobald.

3: _according to_] Q1 Ff. _according_ Q2.

6: _the duchess_] _duchess_ Pope (ed. 2).

8, 9: _grow to a point_] Qq. _grow on to a point_ F1 F2 F3. _grow on to appoint_ F4. _go on to a point_ Warburton. _go on to appoint_ Collier MS.

19: _gallant_] Qq. _gallantly_ Ff.

22: _storms_] _stones_ Collier MS.

24: _cat_] _cap_ Warburton.

_in, to_] _in two_ ed. 1661.

25–32: Printed as prose in Qq Ff.

26: _And_] _With_ Farmer conj.

37: _Flute,_] Q1. om. Q2 Ff.

45: See note (I).

56: _and, I hope, here_] Qq. _and I hope there_ Ff. _I hope there_ Rowe (ed. 2).

59: _it be_] _be_ F1.

66: _An_] _And_ Q1. _If_ Q2 Ff.

70: _friends_] _friend_ F4.

_if_] Qq. _if that_ Ff.

73: _roar you_] Qq. _roar_ Ff.

84: _colour_] Qq. _colour’d_ Ff.

_perfect_] Ff. _perfit_ Qq.

91: _will we_] Q1. _we will_ Q2 Ff.

95: _most_] Q1. _more_ Q2 Ff.

_obscenely_] _obscurely_ Grey conj. (withdrawn).

96: _Take...adieu_] given by Singer to Quince.

_pains_] Qq F1. _paine_ F2 F3 F4.

_perfect_] Ff. _perfit_ Qq.
~~~~~