X

Delight in them sets off2: 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: 0, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed;
And he's composed 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 ne'er like executor. I forget:

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my
Most busy-less, when I do it.

labours;

Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO at a distance. Mira. 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.

Fer. O most dear mistress, The sun will set, before I shall discharge What I must strive to do.

Mira.

If you'll sit down,

I'll bear your logs the while: Pray, give me that; I'll carry it to the pile.

Fer.

No, precious creature; I'd rather crack my sinews, break my back, Than you should such dishonour undergo, While I sit lazy by.

Mira.

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,

2 Molliter austerum studio fallente laborem.-Hor. Sat. ii. 1. 2.

So, in Macbeth: "The labour we delight in physics pain."

Y

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 prayers), What is your name?

Mira.

Miranda: 0 my father,

I have broke your hest 4 to say so!

Admir'd Miranda !

Fer.
Indeed, the top of admiration; worth
What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have ey'd 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 5,
And put it to the foil: But you, O you,

So perfect, and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best 6.

Mira.
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 you, 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.

3 "Tu mihi curarum requies, tu nocte vel atra

Lumen

"

See Note 27, p. 24.

Tibull. lib. iv. el. 13.
See Note 37, P: 29.

6 In the first book of Sidney's Arcadia, a lover says of his mistress: "She is herself of best things the collection."

I the third book there is a fable which may have been in Shakspeare's mind.

to blow means the act of a fly, by which the Cooper cost

in Hesh. Freevens.

X

SC. I.

Fer.

TEMPEST.

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

53

The flesh-fly blow my mouth.--Hear my soul speak ;

The very instant that I saw you, did

My heart fly to your service; there resides,
To make me slave to it; and, for your sake,
Am I this patient log-man.

Mira.

Do you love me?
Fer. O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,
And crown what I profess with kind event,
If I speak true; if hollowly, invert

What best is boded me to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i' the world,
Do love, prize, honour you.

Mira.

I am a fool,

To weep at what I am glad ofo.

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

Wherefore weep you?

Fer.
Mira. 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,

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 9

What else, for whatsoever else.

all other writers.

8 Steevens observes justly that this is one of those touches of
nature which distinguish Shakspeare from
There is a kindred thought in Romeo and Juliet:

"Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring!
Your tributary drops belong to woe,
Which you mistaking offer up to joy."

9 i. e. your companion. Malone has cited a very apposite passage from Catullus; but, as Mr. Douce remarks, Shakspeare had more probably the pathetic old poem of The Nut Brown Maid in his recollection.

1. mears. Meaning, he is to much intoxicated, is not to be able to stand The quibble berween it an ensign and it, a suit-hee, that wilasyr siphort, evident. Heevers, 51

TEMPEST.

ACT III.

You may deny me; but I'll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.

Fer.

And I thus humble ever.

Mira.

My mistress, dearest,

My husband then?

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing

As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.
Mira. And mine, with my heart in't: And now
farewell,

Till half an hour hence.

Fer.

A thousand! thousand!
[Exeunt FER. and MIR.

Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be,
Who are surpriz'd with all; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I'll to my book;
For yet, ere supper time, must I perform
Much business appertaining.

SCENE II.

[Exit.

Another part of the Island.

Enter STEPHANO and TRINCULO; CALIBAN following
with a bottle.

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; Cathy 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.
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-and-thirty
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.

Trin. Nor go neither: but you'll lie, like dogs; and yet say nothing neither.

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.

Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster; I am in case to justle a constable: Why, thou deboshed 1 fish thou, was there ever man a coward, that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish, and half a monster?

Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord?

Trin. Lord, quoth he! that a monster should be such a natural!

Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee. Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head; if you prove a mutineer, the next tree-The poor monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity. Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas'd to hearken once again to the suit I made thee? Ste. Marry will I: kneel, and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.

Enter ARIEL, invisible.

Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant; a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of this island.

Ari. Thou liest.

Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou! I would, my valiant master would destroy thee: I do not lie.

Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

Trin. Why, I said nothing.

1 Deboshed, this is the old orthography of Debauched; following the sound of the French original. In altering the spelling we have departed from the proper pronunciation of the word.