PHILOSTRATE.-First dress: White chiton-red pallium, emSecond broidered with silver-fleshings and black cothurni. dress: Green chiton-gray chlamys, or scarf-hunting capjavelin.

NICK BOTTOM.

QUINCE.

SNUG.

SNOUT.

STARVELING.

FLUTE.

Gray woolen chitons, without sleeves-gray blankets-shapless felt hats--hair very short -fleshings-sandals (untanned leather) and black girdles or belts.

PROLOGUE-PLAYERS.

BOTTOM (Pyramus).—Green armor, helmet and Iamberkins.
QUINCE (Prologue).-Brown shirt.

SNUG (Lion).-Large lion's mask and skin.

SNOUT (Wall).-White shirt, representing a wall.
STARVELING (Moonshine).-Brown shirt.

FLUTE (Thisby).-White lineu chiton, embroidered with red, and wreath of red roses.

ATHENIAN GENTLEMEN.-White chitons, variously embroidered-palliums of various colors, richly embroidered in gold and silver.

ATHENIAN SOLDIERS.-Cloth of gold armor-white chitonrusset cothurni-helmets and spears.

HIPPOLYTA. First dress: (Amazon costume, copied from a Greek vase.-Ilope's Costumes of the Ancients.) Armor of red and gold-red sandals-leopard skin, cap, and spear. Second dress: White chiton and chlamys, richly embroidered with gold and silver-armilia or armlet-zona, or girdle, of gold and jewels-necklace of gold and jewels-wreath on head. HERMIA.-First dress: White chiton and chalmya, embroidered with blue and silver-armlet girdle-necklace of gold and jewels.

HELENA. First dress: White chiton, &c., embroidered with scarlet and gold-jewels, &c., as Hermia.

OBERON'S TRAIN.-Amber satin dress, embroidered with gold and siiver-wreaths, wings, fleshings and boots.

TITANIA'S TRAIN.-White gauze-flowers, wreaths, wings, fleshings and wands.

INDIAN BOY.-Indian tunic-feather head-dress.

PEAS BLOSSOM.-Violet-colored gauze, mixed with white.

MUSTARD SEED.-Yellow.

MOTH.-Greenish gold-colored dress.

COBWEB.-Gray and black gauze.

OBERON.-Gold tissue dress. no sleeves-jeweled girdle-fleshings-jeweled fillet and sandals-wings-spangled scarf. TITANIA.-Flesh body-pink and silver tissue dress-white scarf-jeweled butterfly on head-fleshings, and jeweled slippers-wings.

PUCK.-Grotesque fairy dress.

PREFACE.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM was, according to the best authorities, written by Shakspeare at a period of life when his creative mind "glowed with all the warmth of a youthful and lively imagination."

The poet did not search very deeply into history or tradition for the story, but relying on his own exquisite genius, bequeathed to posterity one of "those unparalleled compositions which have rendered him the delight and wonder of successive ages," Apart from the supernatural agencies, which relate to the quarrels of Oberon, the fairy Monarch, and his Queen, Titania, the classical figures of Theseus and Hippolyta stand forward as the chief human personages of this most harmonious of dramas. Nevertheless,

I have undertaken with enthusiasm the production of the Midsummer Night's Dream; not that the range of its female characters present any one which I might make peculiarly my own, but because this play, and that of As You Like It, have been the chief objects of my admiration and study in the Shaksperian Drama— the one abounding in the most exquisite poetical imagery, and the other fascinating by its beautiful pastoral simplicity. It has been my earnest endeavor that the present representation shall be in strict accordance with the text, as far as theatrical capabilities will allow, and I trust my endeavors will prove successful.

I desire to render my warm and sincere thanks to Mr. Hof Harvard College, for the valuable information he has afforded me on the subject of Greek, and more particularly Athenian, antiquities. Also to Mr. W--, whose knowledge of Shaksperian subjects and deep learning have elucidated many of the ambiguous and obsolete phrases of the original and thus enabled me to arrive at the exact intentions of the author. Mr. W's valuable library, which has been placed at my disposal, has greatly facilitated my search after the historical information necessary to the faithful production of the piece. To Mr. Genio C. Scott, also, I am indebted for much valuable information on the subject of costume he having kindly supplied me many designs from his sketches, taken during his antiquarian researches at or near the scene of the events represented. I must also acknowledge my obligation to Mr. Charles Kean, for the use of his acting edition of the play, which is admirably arranged for the stage; and I should have availed myself more of his scholarly labors, had I not desired to blend with the poetry of Shakspeare the music of Mendelsohn, and produce the chef d'oeuvre of that great composer, Ein Sommernachtstraum, entire.

New York, 1859.

LAURA KEENE.

HISTORICAL NOTES TO ACT FIRST.

(a) Athens, the capital of Attica, was situated on a promontory', formed by the confluence of two rivers, the Ilissus and the CephisIt was built on the side of an abrupt, rocky eminence, rising out of an extensive plain.

sus.

Its origin, like that of most ancient and renowned cities, is involved in fable. Its reputed founder is Cecrops, described by some as an Egyptian, and also as a contemporary with Moses, B. C. 1556.

Athens was burnt by Xerxes, B. C. 480, but was soon rebuilt under the administration of Themistocles, and was adorned with public buildings by Cimon, and especially by Pericles, in whose time B. C. 460-469 it reached its greatest splendor. Its beauty was chiefly owing to its public buildings, for the private houses were mostly insignificant, and its streets badly laid out.

The summit of the Acripolis was covered with temples, statues of bronze and marble, and various other works of art. Of the temples, the grandest was the Parthenon, sacred to the "Virgin" goddess Athena 'Minerva,' and north of the Parthenon was the magnificent Erechtheum, containing three separate temples, one of Athena Polios, or the "Protectress of the State," the Erechtheum proper, or sanctuary of Pandrosos, the daughter of Cecrops. Be tween the Parthenon and Erechtheum was the colossal statue of Athena Promorchos, or the "Fighter in the Front," whose helmet and spear was the first object on the Acropolis visible from the sea.-Dr. Smith's "Classical Dictionary.”

(b) Theseus (two syllables), king of Athens, and son of Egeus by Ethra, the daughter of Pittheus, was one of the most celebrated heroes of antiquity. He was reared in the palace of his grandfather; and when grown to the proper age, his mother led him to the rock under which his father had deposited his sword and sandals, and he removed it with ease and took them out. He was now to proceed to Athens, and present himself to geus. As, however, the roads were infested by robbers, his grandfather, Pittheus, pressed him earnestly to take the shorter and safer way over the Saronic Gulf; but the youth, feeling in nimself the spirit and soul of a hero, resolved to signalize himself

like Hercules, with whose fame all Greece now rang, by destroying the evil-doers and the monsters that oppressed and ravaged the country; and he determined on the more perilous and adventurous journey by land, and on his way to Athens he met with many adventures, and destroyed Periphates, Sinis, Sciron, Procrustes, and also the monstrous Phoa, which ravaged the country in the neighborhood of Crommyon. Having overcome all the perils of the road, Theseus at length reached Athens, where new dangers awaited him. He found his father's court all confusion. The Pallantide, or sons and grandsons of Pallas, the brother of Egeus, had long seen with jealousy the sceptre in the hands of an old man, and now meditated wresting it from his feeble grasp, Thinking, however, that his death could not be very remote, they resolved to wait for that event; but they made no secret of their intentions. The arrival of Theseus disconcerted their plan. They feared that if this young stranger should be received as a son of the old king, he might find in him a protector and avenger; and they resolved to poison his mind against him. Their plot so far succeeded that Egeus was on the point of sacrificing his son; when he recognised him, and then acknowledged him in the presence of all the people. The Pallantide had recourse to arms, but Theseus defeated and slew them. Medea, it is also said, who was married to Egeus, fearing the loss of her influence when Theseus should have been acknowledged by his father, resolved to anticipate that event; and, moved by her calumnies, Egeus was presenting a cup of poison to his son, when the sight of the sword left with Ethra discovered to him who he was. The bull which Hercules had brought from Crete was now at Marathon, and the country was in terror of his ravages. Theseus went in quest of him-overcame and exhibited him in chains to the astonished Athenians, and then sacrificed the animal to Apollo Delphinius. The Athenians were at this period in deep affliction on account of the tribute which they were forced to pay to Minos, king of Crete (Vid. Androgeus and Minotarus. Theseus resolved to deliver them from this calamity, or die in the attempt. Accordingly, when the third time of sending off this tribute came, and the youths and maidens were according to custom, drawn by lot to be sent, in spite of the entreaties of his father to the contrary, he voluntarily offered himself as one of the vic tims. The ship departed, as usual. under black sails, which Theseus promised his father, to change to white ones in case of his returning victorious.

When they arived at Crete, the youths and maidens were exhibited before Minos and Ariadne, the daughter of the king, who was present, became deeply enamored of Theseus, by whom her love was speedily returned. She furnished him a clue of thread which enabled him to penetrate in safety the windings of the labyrinth, tiil he came to where Minotaur lay, whom he caught by the hair