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Athens, at the palace of Theseus.
[Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants]
THESEUS
T T . T , ,
,
Now fair Hippol|yta,| our nup|tial hour
, .
T T T ,
,
Draws^on | apace: four hap|py days | bring in
,
, ,
, ,
Anoth|er moon:| but oh,| methinks,| how slow
,
, , ,
,
This old | moon^wanes;| she ling|ers my | desires
,
, ,
, ,
Like to | a step-|dame, or | a dow|ager,
, ,
, , , 2
Long with/ering | out a / young man's | revenue.
HIPPOLYTA
,
, , ,
,
Four* days | will quick|ly steep | themselves |
in nights
,
, ,
, ,
Four* nights | will quick|ly dream | away | the
time:
,
, ,
, ,
And then | the moon,| like to | a silv|er bow,
T T .
T , ,
,
New-bent in heav|en, shall | behold | the night
,
, ,
Of our | solem|nities.
THESEUS
, ,
Go* Phil|ostrate,
,
2 , 2 ,
, ,
Stir^up | the Athen|ian youth | to mer|riments,
, ,
, x ,
Awake | the pert | and nimb|le spirit | of mirth,
,
, ,
, ,
Turn mel|ancho|ly forth | to fun|erals:
,
, 2 , T T
T
The pale | compan|ion is not | for our pomp,
, ,
, , ,
Hippol|yta,| I wooed | thee with | my sword,
,
, , ,
,
And won | thy love,| doing | thee in|juries:
,
, , ,
,
But I | will wed | thee in | anoth|er key,
,
, ,
, ,
With pomp,| with tri|umph, and | with rev|elling.
[Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS]
EGEUS
, ,
2 , ,
,
Happy | be The|seus, our | renown|ed duke.
THESEUS
, , ,
, ,
Thanks good^|Ege|us: what's | the news | with
thee?
EGEUS
,
, , ,
,
Full of | vexa|tion, come | I, with | complaint
,
, , ,
,
Against | my child,| my daught|er Herm|ia.
T T .
T ,
Stand forth Demet|rius.
, ,
My nob|le lord,
,
, , ,
,
This man | hath my | consent | to mar|ry her.
T T T ,
Stand forth Ly|sander.
2 ,
,
And my gra|cious duke,
, ,
, , 2
,
This man / hath be|witched the | bosom | of my
child:
,
, ,
x ,
Thou, thou | Lysan|der, thou | hast given | her
rhymes,
,
, , ,
,
And int|erchanged | love-tok/ens with | my child:
,
, , ,
,
Thou hast | by moon|light at | her wind|ow sung,
,
, , ,
,
With feign|ing voice,| verses | of feign|ing
love,
x
2 , , ,
,
And stolen | the impres|sion of | her fant|asy,
, , 2
T T T ,
With brace|lets of thy | hair, rings, gawds,|
conceits,
T
Tx T T T T
, 2
Knacks, trifles, nose|gays, sweetmeats |(messengers^
,
, , ,
,
Of strong | prevail|ment in / unhar|dened youth)
,
, , ,
,
With cun|ning hast | thou filched | my
daught|er's heart,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Turned her | obe|dience (which | is due | to me)
, ,
, ,
,
To stub|born harsh|ness. And | my gra|cious duke,
2 ,
, , ,
,
Be it so | she will | not here | before | your grace,
,
, , ,
,
Consent | to mar|ry with | Demet|rius,
,
, , ,
, ->
I beg | the an|cient priv|ilege | of Ath||ens;
, 2 ,
, ,
,
As | she is mine,| I may | dispose | of her;
,
, , , ,
Which shall | be eith|er to | this gent|leman,
,
, , ,
,
Or to | her death,| accord|ing to | our law,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Immed|iately | provi|ded in | that case.
THESEUS
,
, , 2 ,
,
What say | you Herm|ia?| Be advised | fair*
maid,
,
, ,
, ,
To you | your fath|er should | be as | a god;
,
, ,
, ,
One that | composed | your beaut|ies; yea | and
one
,
, ,
, ,
By him | imprint|ed: and | within | his power,
,
, , ,
,
To leave | the fig|ure, or | disfig|ure it:
, , 2
, , ,
Demet|rius | is a worth|y gent|leman.
HERMIA
,
,
So is | Lysan|der.
THESEUS
, ,
,
In | himself | he is.
,
, , ,
,
But in / this kind,| wanting | your fath|er's
voice.
, ,
, ,
,
The oth|er must | be held | the worth|ier.
HERMIA
,
, ,
, ,
I would | my fath|er looked | but with / my eyes.
THESEUS
Tx T
T ,
, ,
Rather your eyes | must with / his judg|ment
look.
HERMIA
,
, , ,
,
I do | entreat | your grace | to pard|on me.
,
, x ,
,
I know | not by | what power | I am / made bold,
,
, , ,
,
Nor how | it may | concern | my mod|esty
,
, ,
, ,
In such | a pres|ence 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 | Demet|rius.
THESEUS
, ,
, ,
,
Either | to die | the death, | or to | abjure
, ,
, , ,
For ev/er the | soci|ety | of men.
,
, 2 , ,
,
Therefore | fair Her|mia ques|tion your |
desires,
,
, ,
, ,
Know of | your youth,| exam|ine well | your
blood,
, ,
,
2 , ,
Whether |(if you / yield not | to your fath|er's
choice)
,
, , 2 ,
,
You can | endure | the liv|ery of | a nun,
,
, , , ,
For aye | to be | in sha|dy cloist|er mewed,
,
, ,
, ,
To live | a bar|ren sis|ter all | your life,
Tx T
T
, ,
,
Chanting faint hymns | to the / cold fruit|less
moon,
T T T ,
, ,
Thrice blessed they | that mast|er so | their blood,
,
, ,
, ,
To und|ergo | such maid|en pil|grimage,
, 2
, ,
, ,
But earth|lier hap|py is | the rose | distilled,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Than that | which with|ering on | the vir|gin
thorn,
T T
. T ,
, ,
Grows, lives, and dies,| in sing|le bles|sedness.
HERMIA
,
, , ,
,
So will | I grow,| so live,| so die | my lord,
T T T
, , ,
Ere I will | my vir|gin pat|ent up
, ,
, T T T
Unto | his lord|ship, whose | unwished yoke,
,
, ,
, , 2
My soul | consents | not to | give sove/reignty.
THESEUS
,
, , 2 T T T
Take time | to pause,| and by the | next new moon
,
, , ,
,
The seal|ing-day | betwixt | my love | and me,
,
, ,
, ,
For ev|erlast|ing bond | of fel|lowship:
,
, , ,
,
Upon | that day | either | prepare | to die,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
For dis|obe|dience to | your fath|er's will,
,
, , 2 ,
,
Or else | to wed | Demet|rius as | he would,
,
, , ,
,
Or on | Dian|a's alt|ar to | protest
,
, , ,
,
For aye,| auster|ity,| and sing|le life.
DEMETRIUS
,
, , 2 ,
,
Relent | sweet Her|mia,| and Lysan|der, yield
,
, , ,
,
Thy craz|ed tit|le to / my cert|ain right.
LYSANDER
,
, , , ,
You have | her fath|er's love, Demet|rius:
, , , ,
,
Let me | have Herm|ia's: do | you mar/ry him.
EGEUS
,
, ,
, ,
Scornful | Lysan|der, true,| he hath | my love;
,
, , ,
,
And what | is mine,| my love | shall rend|er him.
,
, , ,
,
And she | is mine,| and all | my right | of her,
,
, ,
, ,
I do | estate | unto | Demet|rius.
LYSANDER
,
, ,
, ,
I am | my lord,| as well | derived | as he,
,
, ,
, ,
As well | possessed:| my love | is more | than
his:
,
, ,
, ,
My for|tunes eve|ry way | as fair|ly ranked
,
, ,
, ,
(If not | with vant|age) as | Demet|rius:
,
, , ,
,
And (which^|is more | than all | these boasts |
can be)
,
, , 2 ,
,
I am | beloved | of beaut|eous Herm|ia.
,
, ,
, ,
Why should | not I | then pros|ecute | my right?
, ,
2 , ,
,
Demet|rius,| I'll avouch | it to | his head,
,
, , , ,
Made^love | to Ned|ar's daught|er, Hel|ena,
,
, , ,
,
And won | her soul:| and she |(sweet^la|dy)
dotes,
,
, ,
, ,
Devout|ly dotes,| dotes in | idol|atry,
, ,
, ,
,
Upon | this spot|ted and | inconst|ant man.
THESEUS
,
, , ,
,
I must | confess,| that I | have heard | so much,
,
, 2 , 2
, ,
And with | Demet|rius thought | to have spoke |
thereof:
, , ,
, ,
But be|ing ov|er-full | of self-|affairs,
,
, ,
, 2 ,
My mind | did lose | it. But | Demet|rius
come,
,
, , ,
,
And come | Ege|us, you | shall go | with me,
,
, , ,
,
I have | some priv|ate schoo|ling for | you both.
,
, 2 ,
, ,
For you | fair Herm|ia, look | you arm | yourself,
,
, ,
, ,
To fit | your fan|cies to | your fath|er's will;
,
, , ,
,
Or else | the law | of Ath|ens yields | you up
,
, , ,
,
(Which by | no means | we may | exten|uate)
,
, , , ,
To death,| or to | a vow | of sing|le life.
,
, , ,
,
Come my | Hippol|yta, | what^cheer | my love?
, ,
2 , , ,
Demet|rius | and Ege|us go | along:
,
, ,
, ,
I must | employ | you in | some bus|iness
,
, ,
, ,
Against | our nup|tial, and | confer | with you
, ,
, ,
,
Of some|thing, near|ly that | concerns |
yourselves.
EGEUS
,
, , ,
,
With du|ty and | desire | we fol|low you.
[Exeunt all but LYSANDER and HERMIA]
LYSANDER
,
, , ,
,
How now | my love?| why is | your cheek | so
pale?
, ,
, ,
,
How chance | the ros|es there | do fade | so fast?
HERMIA
,
, , , ,
Belike | for want | of rain,| which I | could
well
,
, ,
, ,
Beteem | them, from | the temp|est of | mine eyes.
LYSANDER
,
, , ,
For aught | that ev|er I | could read,
x ,
, , 2
Could ever | hear by | tale or | history, (tetra
with prev)
, .
T T x T T T
The course | of true love never | did run smooth;
, ,
, ,
,
But eith|er it | was dif|ferent | in blood.
HERMIA
,
, ,
, ,
O cross!| too high | to be | enthralled | to
love.
LYSANDER
,
, , ,
,
Or else | misgraf|fed, in | respect | of years.
HERMIA
, ,
, ,
,
O spite!| too old | to be | engaged | to young.
LYSANDER
,
, , ,
x
Or else | it stood | upon | the choice | of merit.
HERMIA
, ,
, ,
,
O hell!| to choose | love by | anoth|er's eyes.
LYSANDER
, ,
, ,
,
Or if | there were | a sym|pathy | in choice,
T T
. T ,
, ,
War, death, or sick|ness, did | lay siege | to
it;
, ,
, , ,
Making | it mom|entar|y, as | a sound:
,
, , ,
,
Swift as | a shad|ow, short | as an|y dream;
,
, ,
, ,
Brief as | the light|ning in | the col|lied
night,
,
, ,
x ,
That (in | a spleen)| unfolds | both^heaven | and
earth;
,
, , ,
,
And ere | a man | hath power | to say,| behold,
,
, ,
, ,
The jaws | of dark|ness do | devour | it up:
,
T T T 2
, ,
So quick | bright things come | to confu|sion.
HERMIA
. T
T T , ,
,
If then true lov|ers have | been ev|er crossed,
,
, , ,
,
It stands | as an | edict | in des|tiny:
,
, , , ,
Then let | us teach | our tri|al pa|tience,
,
, , ,
,
Because | it is | a cust|oma|ry cross,
,
, , ,
,
As due | to love,| as thoughts,| and dreams,| and sighs,
,
, ,
, ,
Wishes | and tears;| poor* fan|cy's fol|lowers.
LYSANDER
,
, , , ,
2 ->
A good | persua|sion: there|fore hear | me
Herm||ia,
, 2 ,
, , ,
I | have a wi|dow aunt,| a dow|ager,
,
, ,
, ,
Of great | reve|nue, and | she hath | no* child,
,
, , . T
Tx T
From Ath|ens is | her house | remote seven
leagues,
,
, , ,
,
And she | respects | me, as | her on|ly son:
T Tx
T 2 , ,
,
There gentle Herm|ia, may | I mar|ry thee,
,
, ,
, 2 ,
And to | that place,| the sharp | Athen|ian law
,
, , ,
,
Cannot | pursue | us. If | thou lovst | me, then
T T . T , ,
,
Steal forth thy fath|er's house | tomor|row
night: ??
,
, ,
, ,
And in | the wood,| a league | without | the town,
,
, , , ,
(Where I | did meet | thee once | with Hel|ena,
,
, ,
, ,
To do | observ|ance to | a morn | of May)
, 2 ,
,
There will I | stay for | thee.
HERMIA
, ,
My | good Ly|sander,
,
, , ,
,
I swear | to thee,| by Cup|id's stron|gest bow,
, , ,
, ,
By his / best ar|row with | the gold|en head,
, ,
, ,
,
By the | simpli|city | of Ven|us' doves,
,
, ,
, ,
By that | which knit|teth souls,| and pros|pers
love,
,
, , ,
,
And by | that fire | which burned | the Carth|age queen,
, ,
, ,
,
When the / false Troy|an und|er sail | was seen,
,
, , ,
,
By all | the vows | that ev|er men | have broke,
,
, , ,
,
(In num|ber more | than ev|er wom|en spoke)
, ,
, , ,
In that / same place | thou hast | appoint|ed me,
,
, , ,
,
Tomor|row tru|ly will | I meet | with thee.
LYSANDER
,
, , ,
,
Keep^prom|ise love:| Look^here | comes^Hel|ena.
[Enter HELENA]
HERMIA
,
, , ,
,
God* speed | fair Hel|ena,| whither | away?
HELENA
,
, , ,
,
Call* you | me fair?| That fair | again | unsay,
, 2
, , ,
,
Demet|rius loves | your fair:| O hap|py fair!
,
, , 2 T
T T
Your eyes | are lode-|stars, and your | tongue's sweet air
,
, , ,
,
More tune|able | than lark | to shep|herd's ear,
,
, , ,
,
When wheat | is green,| when haw|thorn buds |
appear,
,
, , ,
,
Sickness | is catch|ing: O | were fav|or so,
,
, , 2 ,
,
Yours would | I catch,| fair Herm|ia ere | I go,
,
, ,
, ,
My ear | should catch | your voice,| my eye,| your eye,
,
, ,
, ,
My tongue | should catch | your tongue's | sweet
mel|ody,
T . T T ,
2 , , o
Were the world mine,| Demet|rius be|ing bat|ed,
,
, ,
, , o
The rest | I'd give | to be | to you |
translat|ed. (hex with prev)
,
, , ,
,
O teach | me how | you look,| and with | what art
,
, , ,
2 ,
You sway | the mo|tion of | Demet|rius' heart.
HERMIA
,
, , ,
,
I frown | upon | him, yet | he loves | me still.
HELENA
,
, , ,
,
O that | your frowns | would teach | my smiles |
such skill.
HERMIA
,
, ,
, ,
I give | him cur|ses, yet | he gives | me love.
HELENA
,
, ,
, ,
O that | my prayers | could such | affec|tion
move.
HERMIA
,
, , ,
,
The more | I hate,| the more | he fol|lows me.
HELENA
,
, , ,
,
The more | I love,| the more | he hat|eth me.
HERMIA
,
, 2 , ,
,
His fol|ly Hel|ena is / no fault | of mine.
HELENA
,
, ,
, ,
None but | your beaut|y, would | that fault |
were mine.
HERMIA
,
, , ,
,
Take com|fort: he | no more | shall see | my
face,
,
, , ,
,
Lysan|der and | myself | will fly | this place.
,
, ,
, ,
Before | the time | I did | Lysan|der see,
, , , ,
,
Seemed^Ath|ens like | a par|adise | to me.
, ,
, ,
,
O then,| what gra|ces in | my love | do dwell,
,
, , ,
,
That he | hath turned | a heav|en in|to hell.
LYSANDER
, ,
, ,
,
Helen,| to you | our minds | we will |
unfold,
,
, , ,
,
Tomor|row night,| when Phoe|be doth | behold
, , , , 2 ,
Her silv|er vis|age, in | the wat|ery glass,
,
, ,
, ,
Decking | with li|quid pearl,| the blad|ed grass
, ,
, ,
,
(A time | that lov|ers' flights | doth still |
conceal)
,
, ,
, ,
Through Ath|ens' gates,| have we | devised | to steal.
HERMIA
,
, , ,
,
And in | the wood,| where of|ten you | and I,
. T T T , ,
,
Upon faint prim|rose^beds,| were wont | to
lie,
, 2 ,
, , ,
Emptying | our bos|oms, of | their couns|el
sweet:
,
, ,
, ,
There my | Lysan|der, and | myself | shall meet,
,
, , , ,
And thence | from Ath|ens turn | away | our
eyes
,
T T . T , ,
To seek | new friends and strang|er comp|anies,
,
T T T ,
x
Farewell | sweet playfel|low, pray | thou for us,
,
, , ,
,
And good | luck^grant | thee thy | Demet|rius.
,
, , ,
,
Keep word | Lysan|der we | must starve | our
sight,
,
, , , ,
From lov|ers' food,| till mor|row deep | midnight.
[Exit HERMIA]
LYSANDER
,
, 2 , ,
,
I will,| my Her|mia. Hel|ena | adieu,
,
, , 2 ,
,
As you | on him,| Demet|rius dotes | on you.
[Exit]
HELENA
,
, , ,
,
How hap|py some,| ore oth|er some | can be?
,
, ,
, ,
Through Ath|ens I | am thought | as fair | as
she.
,
, , 2
, ,
But what | of that?| Demet|rius thinks | not*
so:
,
, , ,
,
He will | not know,| what all,| but he | doth
know,
,
, , ,
2 ,
And as | he errs,| doting | on Her|mia's eyes;
,
, , ,
,
So I,| admir|ing of | his qual|ities:
, , ,
, ,
Things base | and vile,| holding | no quan|tity,
,
, ,
, ,
Love can | transpose | to form | and
dig|nity,
T T
T 2 ,
, ,
Love looks not | with the eyes,| but with | the
mind,
,
2 , ,
, ,
And there|fore is wing|ed Cup|id paint|ed blind.
,
, , , ,
Nor* hath | Love's^mind | of an|y judg|ment taste:
,
, , ,
,
Wings and | no eyes,| figure,| unhee|dy haste.
,
, , ,
,
And there|fore is | Love^said | to be | a child,
,
, , ,
,
Because | in choice | he is | so oft | beguiled,
,
, ,
, ,
As wag|gish boys | in game | themselves |
forswear;
, ,
, , ,
So the / boy Love | is per|jured eve|ry where.
,
, 2 , , 2 ,
For ere | Demet|rius looked | on Herm|ia's eyne,
,
, , ,
,
He hailed | down^oaths | that he | was on|ly
mine.
,
, , , 2
,
And when | this hail | some heat | from Herm|ia
felt,
, ,
, ,
,
So he | dissolved,| and showers | of oaths | did
melt,
,
, , , 2 ,
I will | go tell | him of / fair Herm|ia's
flight:
,
, , ,
,
Then to | the wood | will he | tomor|row night
,
, , ,
,
Pursue | her; and | for this | intel|ligence,
, ,
, ,
,
If I | have thanks,| it is | a dear | expense:
,
, ,
, ,
But here|in mean | I to | enrich | my pain,
,
, ,
, ,
To have | his sight | thither,| and back | again.
[Exit]