Ant. If but one of his pockets could speak, would it not say he lies?

Seb. Ay, or very falsely pocket up his report.

Gon. Methinks our garments are now as fresh as when we put them on first in Afric, at the marriage of the king's fair daughter Claribel to the King of Tunis. 71

Seb. 'Twas a sweet marriage, and we prosper well in our

return.

Adr. Tunis was never graced before with such a paragon to their queen.

Gon. Not since widow Dido's time.

Ant. Widow! a pox o'that! How came that widow in? widow Dido!

Seb. What if he had said "widower Æneas," too? Good Lord, how you take it!

Adr."

Widow Dido" said you? you make me study of that she was of Carthage, not of Tunis.

Gon. This Tunis, sir, was Carthage.

Adr. Carthage?

Gon. I assure you, Carthage.

Seb. His word is more than the miraculous harp; he hath raised the wall and houses too.

Ant. What impossible matter will he make easy next? Seb. I think he will carry this island home in his pocket

and give it his son for an apple.

91

Ant. And, sowing the kernels of it in the sea, bring forth more islands.

Gon. Ay.

Ant. Why, in good time.

Gon. Sir, we were talking that our garments seem now as fresh as when we were at Tunis at the marriage of your daughter, who is now queen.

Ant. And the rarest that e'er came there.

Seb. Bate, I beseech you, widow Dido.

Ant. O, widow Dido! ay, widow Dido.

100

Gon. Is not, sir, my doublet as fresh as the first day I

wore it? I mean, in a sort.

Ant. That sort was well fished for.

Gon. When I wore it at your daughter's marriage?

Alon. You cram these words into mine ears against

The stomach of my sense.

Would I had never

Married my daughter there! for, coming thence,

My son is lost and, in my rate, she too,

Who is so far from Italy removed

I ne'er again shall see her. O thou mine heir
Of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish
Hath made his meal on thee?

110

Fran.

Sir, he may live:

I saw him beat the surges under him,
And ride upon their backs; he trod the water,
Whose enmity he flung aside, and breasted
The surge most swoln that met him; his bold head
'Bove the contentious waves he kept, and oar'd
Himself with his good arms in lusty stroke

To the shore, that o'er his wave-worn basis bow'd,
As stooping to relieve him: I not doubt
He came alive to land..

Alon.

No, no, he's gone.

Seb. Sir, you may thank yourself for this great loss, That would not bless our Europe with your daughter, But rather lose her to an African;

Where she at least is banish'd from your eye,

Who hath cause to wet the grief on't.

Alon.

Prithee, peace.

Seb. You were kneel'd to and importuned otherwise

By all of us, and the fair soul herself

Weigh'd between loathness and obedience at

120

130

Which end o' the beam should bow. We have lost your son,

I fear, for ever: Milan and Naples have

More widows in them of this business' making

Than we bring men to comfort them:

The fault's your own.

Alon.

So is the dear'st o' the loss.

Gon. My lord Sebastian,

The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness
And time to speak it in: you rub the sore,

When you should bring the plaster.

Seb.

Ant. And most chirurgeonly.

Very well.

140

Gon. It is foul weather in us all, good sir,

When you are cloudy.

Seb.

Ant.

Foul weather?

Very foul.

Gon. Had I a plantation of this isle, my lord,—
Ant. He'ld sow't with nettle-seed.

Seb.
Or docks, or mailows,
Gon. And were the king on't, what would I do?
Seb. 'Scape being drunk for want of wine.
Gon. I' the commonwealth I would by contraries
Execute all things; for no kind of traffic
Would I admit ; no name of magistrate;
Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
And use of service, none; contract, succession,
Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;

A

No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
No occupation; all men idle, all;

And women too, but innocent and pure ;
No sovereignty ;----

Seb.

Yet he would be king on't.

Ant. The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning.

Gon. All things in common nature should produce
Without sweat or endeavour: treason, felony,
Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,
Would I not have; but nature should bring forth,
Of its own kind, all foison, all abundance,
To feed my innocent people.

Seb. No marrying 'meng his subjects?

Ant. None, man; all idle: whores and knaves. Gon. I would with such perfection govern, sir, To excel the golden age.

Seb.

God save his majesty !

Ant. Long live Gonzalo !
Gon.

160

And, do you mark me, sir? Alon. Prithee, no more: thou dost talk nothing to me. Gon. I do well believe your highness; and did it to minister occasion to these gentlemen, who are of such sensible and nimble lungs that they always use to laugh at nothing.

Ant. "Twas you we laughed at.

Gon. Who in this kind of merry fooling am nothing to you so you may continue and laugh at nothing still. Ant. What a blow was there given !

Seb. An it had not fallen flat-long.

180

Gon. You are gentlemen of brave mettle; you would lift the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue in it five weeks without changing.

Enter ARIEL, invisible, playing solemn music.

Seb. We would so, and then go'a bat-fowling.
Ant. Nay, good my lord, be not angry.

Gon. No, I warrant you; I will not adventure my discretion so weakly. Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very heavy?

Ant, Go sleep, and hear us.

190

[All sleep except Alon., Seb., and Ant. Alon What, all so soon asleep! I wish mine eyes Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find

They are inclined to do so.

Seb.

Please you, sir,

Do not omit the heavy offer of it:

It seldom visits sorrow; when it doth,

It is a comforter.

Ant.

We two, my lord,

Will guard your person while you take your rest,
And watch your safety.

Alon.

Thank you. Wondrous heavy.

[Alonso sleeps. Exit Ariel.

200

Seb. What a strange drowsiness possesses them !
Ant. It is the quality o' the climate.

Seb.

Why

Doth it not then our eyelids sink? I find not
Myself disposed to sleep.

Ant.

Nor I; my spirits are nimble.

'They fell together all, as by consent;

They dropp'd, as by a thunder-stroke.

What might,

Worthy Sebastian? O, what might ?-No more :-
And yet me thinks I see it in thy face,

What thou shouldst be: the occasion speaks thee, and
My strong imagination sees a crown

Dropping upon thy head.

Seb.

What, art thou waking?

Ant. Do you not hear me speak?

Seb.

I do; and surely

210

It is a sleepy language and thou speak'st

Out of thy sleep. What is it thou didst say?

This is a strange repose, to be asleep

With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving,
And yet so fast asleep.

Thou let'st thy fortune sleep die, rather; wink'st

Whiles thou art waking.

Seb.

Thou dost snore distinctly;

There's meaning in thy snores.

Ant. I am more serious than my custom: you

Must be so too, if heed me; which to do

Trebles thee o'er.

Seb.

Well, I am standing water.

Ant. I'll teach you how to flow.
Seb.

Hereditary sloth instructs me.

If

Ant.

Do so to ebb

0,

you but knew how you the purpose cherish Whiles thus you mock it! how, in stripping it,

You more invest it! Ebbing men, indeed,

Most often do so near the bottom run

By their own fear or sloth.

220

Seb.

Prithee, say on:

SHAK. I.

-2

The setting of thine eye and cheek proclaim
A matter from thee, and a birth indeed
Which throes thee much to yield.

Ant.

Thus, sir:

Although this lord of weak remembrance, this,
Who shall be of as little memory

When he is earth'd, hath here almost persuaded,—

For he's a spirit of persuasion, only

Professes to persuade,—the king his son's alive,
Tis as impossible that he's undrown'd

As he that sleeps here swims.

Seb.

That he's undrowr'd.

Ant.

I have no hope

O, out of that "no hope"

What great hope have you! no hope that way is
Another way so high a hope that even

Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,

But doubt discovery there. Will you grant with me
That Ferdinand is drown'd?

Seb.
Ant.

280

Who's the next heir of Naples?

Seb.

Ant. She that is queen of Tunis; she that dwells
Ten leagues beyond man's life; she that from Naples
Can have no note, unless the sun were post-

The man i' the moon's too slow-till new-born chins
Be rough and razorable; she that-from whom?
We all were sea-swallow'd, though some cast again,
And by that destiny to perform an act
Whereof what's past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge.

Seb.

What stuff is this! how say you?

"Tis true, my brother's daughter's queen of Tunis; So is she heir of Naples; 'twixt which regions

There is some space.

A space whose every cubit

Ant.
Seems to cry out, "How shall that Claribel

Measure us back to Naples? Keep in Tunis,

And let Sebastian wake." Say, this were death

That now hath seized them; why, they were no worse

Than now they are.

There be that can rule Naples

As well as he that sleeps; lords that can prate

As amply and unnecessarily

As this Gonzalo; I myself could make

A chough of as deep chat. O, that you bore
The mind that I do what a sleep were this

For your advancement! Do you understand me?

260