Plays and Poems

ACT III.

SCENE I-Before PROSPERO's cell.
Enter FERDINAND, bearing a log.

Fer. There be some sports are painful, and their labour

Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead
And makes my labours pleasures; O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's compos'd of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress

Weeps when she sees me work; and says, such baseness

Had never like executor. I forget:

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,

Most busiest when I do it.

Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO at a distance

unseen.

Fer.

Mir. Alas! now, pray you, Work not so hard: I would the lightning had Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile. Pray set it down and rest you: when this burns "Twill weep for having wearied you. My father Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself: He's safe for these three hours. O most dear mistress, The sun will set before I shall discharge What I must strive to do. Mir. I'll bear your logs the while. I'll carry it to the pile. Fer. No, precious creature ; I had rather crack my sinews, break my back, Than you should such dishonour undergo, While I sit lazy by.

If you'll sit down, Pray, give me that:

Mir. It would become me As well as it does you; and I should do it With much more ease, for my good will is to it, And yours it is against.

Pros. Poor worm! thou art infected: This visitation shows it. Mir. You look wearily. 32 Fer. No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me

When you are by at night. I do beseech you→ Chiefly that I might set it in my prayersWhat is your name?

Mir.

Miranda-O my father! I have broke your hest to say so. Fer. Admir'd Miranda! Indeed the top of admiration; worth What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady I have eyed with best regard, and many a time The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues Have I lik'd several women; never any With so full soul but some defect in her Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd And put it to the foil: but you, O you! So perfect and so peerless, are created Of every creature's best.

Mir. I do not know One of my sex; no woman's face remember, Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen More that I may call men than thou, good friend, And my dear father: how features are abroad, I am skill-less of; but, by my modesty, The jewel in my dower, I would not wish Any companion in the world but you; Nor can imagination form a shape, Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle Something too wildly and my father's precepts I therein do forget.

Fer. I am in my condition A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king; I would, not so! and would no more endure This wooden slavery than to suffer The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak: The very instant that I saw you did

I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.
Pros.

Fair encounter Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace On that which breeds between them!

Fer.

Wherefore weep you? Mir. At mine unworthiness that dare not offer What I desire to give; and much less take What I shall die to want. But this is trifling; And all the more it seeks to hide itself so The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful

cunning!

And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant
Whether you will or no.
Fer.

My mistress, dearest;

And I thus humble ever.

Mir. My husband then? Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.

Mir. And mine, with my heart in 't: and now farewell

Till half an hour hence.

Fer.

A thousand thousand! Exeunt FERDINAND and MIRANDA. Pros. So glad of this as they I cannot be, Who are surpris'd withal; but my rejoicing At nothing can be more. I'll to my book, For yet, ere supper-time, must I perform Much business appertaining.

Exit.

SCENE II.-Another Part of the Island. Enter CALIBAN with a bottle; STEPHANO and TRINCULO, following.

Ste. Tell not me: when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and board 'em. Servant-monster, drink to me.

Trin. Servant monster! the folly of this island! They say there's but five upon this isle we are three of them; if the other two be brained like us, the state totters.

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head.

Trin. Where should they be set else? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail. 12

Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.

Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe. I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Ste. My man-monster hath drowned his tongue in sack for my part, the sea cannot drown me: I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-andthirty leagues, off and on, by this light. Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard. Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.

Ste. We'll not run, Monsieur monster. Strikes TRINCULO. Trin. Nor go neither; but you'll lie like dogs As you like this, give me the lie another time. and yet say nothing neither. Trin. I did not give the lie. Out o' your

wits and hearing too? A pox o' your bottle! | Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, this can sack and drinking do. A murrain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers!

Cal. Ha, ha, ha!

Ste. Now, forward with your tale. Prithee, stand further off.

Cal. Beat him enough: after a little time I'll beat him too.

Ste.

Stand further. Come, proceed. Cal. Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him I' the afternoon to sleep: there thou may'st brain him,

101

Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his wezand with thy knife. Remember
First to possess his books; for without them
He's but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
One spirit to command: they all do hate him
As rootedly as I. Burn but his books;
He has brave utensils,-for so he calls them,-
Which, when he has a house, he 'll deck withal :
And that most deeply to consider is
The beauty of his daughter; he himself
Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman
But only Sycorax my dam, and she;
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax

As great'st does least.

The clouds methought would open and show riches

Ready to drop upon me, that when I wak'd
I cried to dream again.

Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my music for nothing. Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.

151

Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember the story.

Trin. The sound is going away: let's follow it, and after do our work.

Ste. Lead, monster; we'll follow. I would I could see this taborer: he lays it on. Trin. Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano.

Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Another Part of the Island. Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others.

Gon. By 'r lakin, I can go no further, sir; My old bones ache: here's a maze trod indeed Through forth-rights and meanders! By your patience,

I needs must rest me.

Alon.

Old lord, I cannot blame thee, Who am myself attach'd with weariness, To the dulling of my spirits: sit down and rest. Cal. Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I Even here I will put off my hope and keep it

Ste.

warrant,

Is it so brave a lass?

And bring thee forth brave brood.

110

Ste. Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen; save our graces! and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo?

Trin. Excellent.

119

Ste. Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head. Cal. Within this half hour will he be asleep: Wilt thou destroy him then? Ste.

Ay, on mine honour.
Ari. This will I tell my master.
Cal. Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of
pleasure.

Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch
You taught me but while-ere?

Ste. At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason. Come on, Trinculo, let us sing.

Flout 'em, and scout'em; and scout'em, and flout'em; Thought is free.

Cal. That's not the tune.

130

ARIEL plays the tune on a tabor and pipe. Ste. What is this same?

Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody.

Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy like. ness: if thou beest a devil, take 't as thou list. Trin, O! forgive me my sins.

Ste. He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee. And what does else want credit, come to me, Mercy upon us.

Pros. Aside.
Praise in departing. 40
Fran. They vanish'd strangely.
Seb.

No matter, since They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.

Will't please you taste of what is here?

Alon.

Not I. Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys,

Who would believe that there were mountaineers Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men, Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find

Each putter-out of five for one will bring us
Good warrant of.

Alon.
I will stand to and feed,
Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past. Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand to and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL, like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table; and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom Destiny,
That hath to instrument this lower world
And what is in 't, the never-surfeited sea
Hath caus'd to belch up you, and on this island
Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad ;
And even with such-like valour men hang and
drown

Their proper selves.

Upon your heads,-is nothing but heart-sorrow
And a clear life ensuing.

And these mine enemies are all knit up
In their distractions: they now are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, while I visit
Young Ferdinand, whom they suppose is drown'd,
And his and my lov'd darling.
Exit.
Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why
stand you

In this strange stare?
Alon.

O! it is monstrous; monstrous !
Methought the billows spoke and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd
The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded; and 101
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded.
Exit.
Seb.
But one fiend at a time,
I'll fight their legions o'er.
Ant.

Seeing ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, etc., draw
their swords.
You fools! I and my fellows
Are ministers of fate: the elements,
Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
One dowle that's in my plume: my fellow-
ministers

Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted. But remember,
For that 's my business to you, that you three 70
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me:
Lingering perdition, worse than any death
Can be at once, shall step by step attend
You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you
from,-

Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls

He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mocks and mows, and carry out the table.

Pros. Aside. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou

Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring.
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
Their several kinds have done. My high charms
work

I'll be thy second.
Exeunt SEBASTIAN and ANTONIO.
Gon. All three of them are desperate: their
great guilt,

Like poison given to work a great time after,
Now 'gins to bite the spirits. I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly
And hinder them from what this ecstasy
May now provoke them to.
Adr.

Follow, I pray you.
Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.
Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA,
Pros. If I have too austerely punish'd you,
Your compensation makes amends; for I
Have given you here a thread of mine own life,
Or that for which I live; whom once again
I tender to thy hand. All thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand!
Do not smile at me that I boast her off,
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise, 10
And make it halt behind her.

I do believe it

Fer.

Against an oracle.

Pros. Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: but
If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minister'd,
No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly

Ari.

Well, I conceive. Exit.

Juno. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me

Pros. Look thou be true. Do not give dalliance To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,

Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw
To the fire i' the blood. Be more abstemious,
Or else good night your vow.

Fer.

I warrant you, sir; The white cold virgin snow upon my heart Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pros.

Well.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and pease; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;

Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,
To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy
broom-groves,

Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;
And thy sea-marge, sterile, and rocky-hard,
Where thou thyself dost air;-the queen o' the sky,
Whose watery arch and messenger am I,
Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain:
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

And honour'd in their issue.

They sing.

Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.

Ceres. Earth's increase, foison plenty,

Barns and garners never empty;
Vines with clust'ring bunches growing;
Plants with goodly burden bowing;
Spring come to you at the farthest
In the very end of harvest!
Scarcity and want shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you.

Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
To think these spirits ?

Pros.

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Spirits, which by mine art
I have from their confines call'd to enact
My present fancies.

Fer.
Let me live here ever:
So rare a wonder'd father and a wife
Makes this place Paradise.

121

JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. Pros. Sweet, now, silence! Juno and Ceres whisper seriously; There's something else to do. Hush, and be mute, Or else our spell is marr'd.

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