A Midsummer Night's Dream

Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,

And will for evermore be true to it.

THESEUS Fair lovers, you are fortunately met:

Of this discourse we shall hear more anon.

Egeus, I will overbear179 your will; For in the temple, by and by180 with us, These couples shall eternally be knit.

And, for the morning now is something worn182, Our purposed183 hunting shall be set aside.

Away with us to Athens; three and three,

We'll hold a feast in great solemnity185.--

Come, Hippolyta.

Exeunt Duke and lords [and Hippolyta]

DEMETRIUS These things seem small and undistinguishable187, Like far-off mountains turned into clouds.

HERMIA Methinks I see these things with parted189 eye, When everything seems double.

HELENA So methinks:

And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,

Mine own and not mine own193.

DEMETRIUS It seems to me

That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think

The duke was here, and bid us follow him?

HERMIA Yea, and my father.

HELENA And Hippolyta.

LYSANDER And he bid us follow to the temple.

Bottom wakes

DEMETRIUS Why, then, we are awake; let's follow him

And by201 the way let us recount our dreams.

Exeunt lovers

BOTTOM When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is, 'Most fair Pyramus.' Hey-ho! Peter Quince? Flute, the

bellows-mender? Snout, the tinker? Starveling? God's204 my life, stolen hence and left me asleep! I have had a most rare205

vision. I had a dream, past the wit206 of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass, if he go about207 to expound this dream. Methought I was -- there is no man can tell what.

Methought I was -- and methought I had -- but man is but

a patched210 fool if he will offer to say what methought I had.