Ste.

Stand farther.-Come, proceed.

Cal. Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him

I' th' afternoon to sleep there thou may'st brain him,
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.

Ste.

Is it so brave a lass?

Cal. Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant, And bring thee forth brave brood.

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.

Ste. Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee, but, while thou liv'st, 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.

Cul. 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.

[Sings.

Flout 'em, and skout 'em; and skout 'em, and flout 'em :

Thought is free.

Cal. That's not the tune.

[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 No-body.

Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, tak 't as thou list.

Trin. O, forgive me my sins!

Ste. Mercy upon us!

Cal. Art thou afeard?

Ste. No, monster, not I.

Cal. Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,

Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.

Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments

1 Throat.

Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep,

Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
The clouds, methought, would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I wak'd

I cry'd to dream again.

Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my music for nothing.

Cal. When Prospero is destroy'd.

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 borer: 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 lak'in, I can go no farther, sir;
My old bones ake: 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 th' dulling of my spirits: sit down, and rest.
Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it
No longer for my flatterer, he is drown'd,

Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks

Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.

Ant. [Aside to Sebas.] I am right glad that he's so out of hope. Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose

That you resolved t' effect.

Seb.

Will we take thoroughly.

Ant.

The next advantage

Let it be to-night;

For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance,
As when they are fresh.
Seb.

I say, to-night: no more.

[Solemn and strange music; and Prospero above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a Banquet: they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the King, &c., to eat, they depart.

Alon. What harmony is this? my good friends, hark!

Gon. Marvellous sweet music!

Alon. Give us kind keepers, heaven! What were these?
Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe

That there are unicorns; that in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix

At this hour reigning there.

Ant.

I'll believe both;

And what does else want credit, come to me,

And I'll be sworn 'tis true. Travellers ne'er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn 'em.

Gon.

If in Naples

I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say, saw such islanders

(For, certes, these are people of the island),

Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet note,,
Their manners are more gentle, kind, than of

Our human generation you shall find

Many, nay, almost any.

Pro.

[Aside.] Honest lord,

Thou hast said well; for some of you there present
Are worse than devils.

Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound expressing (Although they want the use of tongue) a kind

Of excellent dumb discourse.

Pro.

[Aside.] Praise in departing.

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 'em
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men,

Whose heads stood in their breasts?. which now we find,
Each putter-out on 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 throw up,-and on this island
Where man doth not inhabit: you 'mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;

[Seeing Alon., Seb., &c., draw their swords.
And even with such like valour men hang and drown
Their proper selves. 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 dowle1 that's in my plume. My fellow-ministers

1 Feather.

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
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 fall,

Upon your heads) is nothing, but heart's sorrows

And a clear life ensuing.

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

Pro. [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,
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 Pro. above. Gon. I' th' 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 base my trespass.
Therefore my son ï' th' oose is bedded; and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded.

Seb.

But one fiend at a time,

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant.

I'll be thy second.

[Exit.

[Exeunt Seb. and Ant.

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 ecstacy

May now provoke them to.

Adr.

Follow, I pray you.

[Exeunt.

Act Fourth.

SCENE I.-BEFORE PROSPERO'S CELL.
Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.
Pro. 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; who 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,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer.

Against an oracle.

I do believe it,

Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: but not Till sanctimonious ceremonies may,

With full and holy rite, be minister'd,

Then Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Fer.

As I hope

For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,

With such love as 'tis now, the strong'st suggestion
Our worser genius can, shall never melt

My honour.

Pro.

Fairly spoke.

Sit then, and talk with her; she is thine own.-
What, Ariel! my industrious servant Ariel!

Enter Ariel.

Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.
Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service

Did worthily perform, and I must use you

In such another trick. Go, bring the rabble,

O'er whom I give thee power, here, to this place :
Incite them to quick motion; for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

Ari.

Pro. Ay, with a twink.

Presently?

Ari. Before you can say, 'Come,' and 'go,'

And breathe twice; and cry, 'so so;'

Each one, tripping on his toe,

Will be here with mop and mowe.1

Do you love me, master? no?

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach, Till thou dost hear me call.

Ari.

Well, I conceive.

Pro. Look thou be true, or else good night your vow.

1 Grins and wry faces.

[Exit.