The ARGUMENT. THESEUS, Duke of Athens, having brought the Princess Hippolita from the Amazons, designs to marry her in a few days. In the mean time Egeus, one of his courtiers, complains to him of his daughter Hermia's love to Lysander, and aversion to Demetrius, for whom he intended her. Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, and the Duke allows her four days, either to obey her father, to be put to death, or to vow perpetual chastity. Lysander persuades her to fly with him from Athens, and marry him: She consents, and informs her friend Helena of her design, who, out of dotage on Demetrius, acquaints him with it. He pursues Hermia, and Helena follows him. Thus they all meet at a wood, some little distance from Athens, where they become liable to the power of the Fairies. Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Titania his Queen, being come to give a blessing to Theseus' wedding, quarrel about an Indian boy, whom the Queen loved, to the raising Oberon's jealousy. Oberon, in revenge, and to get the boy from her, charms the Queen to be enamour'd of the first live creature she should see, and sends Puck with the same charm to force Demetrius to love Helena, but my mistake, Puck charms Lysander, who then loaths Hermia, and becomes in love with Helena. Oberon, seeing the mistake, charms Demetrius, who also falls in love with Helena. This produces a quarrel; but the rivals are prevented fighting by the artifice of Puck. Oberon, having got the Indian boy, puts an end to the charm that held the Queen enamoured of a clown: The lovers being asleep are likewise freed from the power of the charm. Theseus, Hippolita, Egeus, &c. coming to hunt in the Wood, find the four lovers sleeping; they are waked with the sound of the horns, and Demetrius avowing his love to Helena, and Lysander avowing his love to Hermia, they are married at the same time with Theseus and Hippolita.

PROLOGUE, Written and spoken by Mr. Garrick. Enter—Interrupting the Band of Music.

A moment stop your tuneful Fingers, pray,
While Here, as usual, I my Duty pay, [To the Audience.
Don't frown, my Friends, [to the Band] you soon shall melt again;
But, if not There, is felt each dying Strain,
Poor I shall Speak and you will Scrape in vain.
To see me Now, you think the strangest Thing!
For, like Friend Benedick, I cannot sing!
Yet in this Prologue, cry but you, Coraggio!
I'll Speak you both a Jig, and an Adagio.

A Persian King, as Persian Tales relate,
Oft' went disguis'd, to hear the People prate;
So, curious I, sometimes steal forth, incog,
To hear what Critics croak of me—King Log.
Three Nights ago, I heard a Tête á Tête
Which fix'd, at once, our English Opera's Fate:
One was a Youth born here, but flush from Rome,
The other born abroad, but here his Home;
And first the English Foreigner began,
Who thus address'd the foreign Englishman:
An English Opera! 'tis not to be borne;
I, both my Country, and their Music scorn,
Oh, damn their Ally Croakers, and their Early-Horn.
Signor si—bat sons—wors recitativo:
Il tutto, è bestiale e cativo,
This said, I made my Exit, full of Terrors!
And now ask Mercy, for the following Errors:

Excuse us first, for foolishly supposing,
Your Countryman could please you in composing;
An Op'ra too!—play'd by an English Band,
Wrote in a Language which you understand—
I dare not say, WHO wrote it—I could tell ye,
To soften Matters—Signor Shakespearelli:
This aukward Drama—(I confess th' Offence)
Is guilty too, of Poetry and Sense:
And then the Price we take—you'll all abuse it,
So low, so unlike Op'ras—but excuse it,
We'll mend that Fault, whenever you shall chuse it.
Our last Mischance, and worse than all the rest,
Which turns the whole Performance to a Jest,
OUR Singers all are well, and all will do their best.
But why would this rash Fool, this Englishman,
Attempt an Op'ra?—'tis the strangest Plan!

Struck with the Wonders of his Master's Art,
Whose sacred Dramas shake and melt the Heart,
Whose Heaven-born Strains the coldest Breast inspire,
Whose Chorus-Thunder sets the Soul on Fire!
Inflam'd, astonish'd! at those magic Airs,
When Samson groans, and frantic Saul despairs;
The Pupil wrote—his Work is now before ye,
And waits your Stamp of Infamy, or Glory!
Yet, ere his Errors and his Faults are known,
He says, those Faults, those Errors, are his own;
If through the Clouds appear some glimm'ring Rays,
They're Sparks he caught from his great Master's Blaze!

Castlist

[Chorus]

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

Other Fairies attending the King and Queen.

Theseus,	Duke of Athens,	Mr. Beard.
Egeus,	an Athenian Lord,	Mr. Chamnys.
Lysander,	in Love with Hermia,	Sig. Curioni.
Demetrius,	in Love with Hermia,	Mr. Atkins.
Hippolita [Hippolyta],	Princess of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus,	Mrs. Jefferson.
Hermia,	Daughter to Egeus, in Love with Lysander,	Sig. Passerini.
Helena,	in Love with Demetrius,	Mrs. Vernon.
Oberon,	King of the Fairies,	Master Reinholt.
Titania,	Queen of the Fairies,	Miss Young.
Puck, or Robin Goodfellow [Puck],	a Fairy,	Master Moore.
A Fairy,	Master Evans.

The Scene lies in Athens, and in a Wood not far from it. ^note

THE FAIRIES. AN OPERA.

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