SCENE I-Before Prospero's cell. Enter Ferdinand, bearing a log.
Fer. There be some sports are painful;
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 'tis 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 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
Had ne'er like executor. I forget:
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours;
Most busy-less, when I do it.
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.
I'll bear your logs the while: pray give me that; 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.
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 against.
Poor worm! thou art infected; This visitation shows it.
Mira. Fer. No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with
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 :-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 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,❜ And put it to the foil: but you, O you, So perfect, and so peerless, are created Of every creature's best.)
Mira. I do not know One of my sex; no woman's face remember, Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
(1) Command. (2) Own'd. (3) Whatsoever.
More that I may call men, than you, good friend, And my dear father: how features are abroad, 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 Therein forget. 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 I would suffer 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
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.
To weep at what I am glad of. Pro.
Fair encounter Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace On that which breeds between them! Fer. Wherefore weep you? 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 You may deny me; but I'll be your servant, Whether you will or no.
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 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
I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.
Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing; I'll go further off.
Ste. Didst thou not say, he lied? Ari. Thou liest.
Ste. Do I so? take thou that. [strikes him.] As you like this, give me the lie another time.
Trin. I did not give the lie:-Out o' your wits, and hearing too?-A pox o' your bottle! this can sack and drinking do.-A murrain on your mon ster, and the devil take your fingers!
Ste. Now, forward with your tale. Pr'ythee, stand further off.
Cal. Beat him enough: after a little time, I'll beat him too.
Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster; I am in case to justle a constable: Why, thou deboshed' fish thou, was there ever man a coward, that hath I' 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!
Ste. Stand further.-Come proceed. Cal. Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him the 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 weazand 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, Cil. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee. As rootedly as I: Burn but his books; Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head; He has brave utensils (for so he calls them,) if you prove a mutineer, the next tree-The poor Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal. monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indig- And that most deeply to consider, is The beauty of his daughter; he himself Calls her a nonpareil: I ne'er saw woman, But only Sycorax my dam, and she; But she as far surpasseth Sycorax, As greatest does least.
Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas'd To hearken once again the suit I made thee? Ste. Marry will I: kneel, and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.
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. 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.
Ste. Mum then, and no more.-[To Caliban.] Proceed.
Ca. I say, by sorcery he got this isle; From me he got it. If thy greatness will Revenge it on him-for, I know, thou dar'st; But this thing dare not.
Ste. That's most certain.
Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it, and I'll serve thee. Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party?
Cal. Yea, yea, my lord; I'll yield him thee asleep, Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head. Ari. Thou liest, thou canst not.
Cal. What a pied ninny's this! Thou scurvy patch!-
I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows, And take his bottle from him: when that's gone, He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not show Where the quick freshes are.
Ste. Trineulo, run into no further danger; interrupt the monster one word further, and, by this hand, I'll turn my mercy out of doors, and make a stock-fish of thee.
Alluding to Trinculo's party-coloured dress.
Cal. Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will ham 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 destroyed.
Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember the
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.
(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. Honest lord, Pro. Thou hast said well; for some of you there present, [Aside. Are worse than devils. Alon. I cannot too much muse, Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, ex- pressing (Although they want the use of tongue,) a kind Of excellent dumb discourse. Praise in departing. Pro.
[Aside. No matter, since They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.
Fran. They vanish'd strangely. Seb.
Will't please you taste of what is here? Alon.
Not I. Gon. Faith, Sir, you need not fear: When we were boys,
En-Who would believe that there were mountaineers, Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging
SCENE III Another part of the Island. ler 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 pa- tience,
1 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. 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. I am right glad that he's so out of hope. [Aside to Sebastian. Donot, for one repulse, forego the purpose Thit you resolv'd to effect. The next advantage
For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance, A when they are fresh. S:b.
I say, to-night: no more.
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.
I will stand to, and feed, Although my last: no matter, since I feel The best is past:-Brother, my lord the duke, Stand too, and do as we.
Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a har py: 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 caused to belch 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 Semn and strange music; and Prospero above, Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bring-Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs ing in a banquet; they dance about it with gen- Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish the actions of salutation; and inviting the king, &c. to eat, they depart.
One dowles that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers Are like invulnerable: if you could hurt, Your swords are now too massy for your strengths, Ton. What harmony is this? my good friends, And will not be uplifted: But, remember hark!
Gon, Marvellous sweet music!
Aon. Give us kind keepers, heavens!-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. Art. 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 them. Gon.
If in Naples I should report this now, would they believe me? If I should say I saw such islanders
(1) Our lady. (2) Show, (3) Certainly.
(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, Arainst 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 wrath to guard you
(Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads,) is nothing, but heart's sorrow. (5) Down
And a clear life ensuing. Sour-ey'd disdain, and discord, shall bestrew The union of your bed with weeds so loathly, He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft music, enter That you shall hate it both: therefore, take heed, the Shapes again, and dance with mops and As Hymen's lamps shall light you. mowes, and carry out the table.
Pro. [Aside.] Bravely the figure of this harpy
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 iny power; And in these its I leave them, whilst I visit Young Ferdinand (whom they suppose is drown'd,) And his and my lov'd darling.
[Exit Prospero from above. 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 I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, And with him there lic mudded.
I'll fight their legions o'er. Ani,
Gon, All three of them great guilt,
[Exit. But one fiend at a time,
I'll be thy second. [Exeunt Seb. and Ant. are desperate; their
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 ecstacy2 May now provoke them to. Adr.
Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt.
As I hope For quiet days, fair issue, and long life, With such love as 'tis now; the murkiest den, The most opportune place, the strongest suggestion Our worser Genius can, shall never melt Mine honour into lust; to take away The edge of that day's celebration, When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd Or night kept chain'd below. Fairly spoke: Sit then, and talk with her, she is thine own.- What, Ariel: my industrious servant Ariel!
Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary,*
SCENE 1.-Before Prospero's cell. Enter Pros- Rather than want a spirit; appear, and pertly.-
pero, 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; 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, And make it halt behind her. Fer. Against an oracle.
Pro. 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,
(1) Pure, blameless. (2) Alienation of mind.
No tongue; all eyes; be silent. [Soft music.
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 peonied and lilied 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, steril, 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
Juno. How does my bounteous sister? Go with
Juno. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, Long continuance, and increasing, Hourly joys be still upon you! Juno sings her blessings on you.
Cer. Earth's increase, and foizon3 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?
Pro. Spirits, which by mine art I have from their confines call'd to enact
There's something else to do: hush, and be mute, Or else our spell is marr'd.
Iris. You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the wand'ring brooks,
With your sedg'd crowns, and ever harmless looks, Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land Answer your summons; Juno does command: Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love; be not too late.
Enter certain Nymphs.
You sun-burn'd sicklemen, of August weary, Come hither from the furrow, and be merry; Make holy-day: your rye-straw hats put on, And these fresh nymphs encounter every one In country footing.
Enter certain Reapers, properly habited; they join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof Prospero starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.
Pro. [Aside.] I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates, Against my life; the minute of their plot Is almost come.-[To the Spirits.] Well done ;- avoid;-no more.
Fer. This is most strange: your father's in some passion
That works him strongly. Mira. Never till this day, Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd. Pro. You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort, As if you were dismay'd: be chcerful, sir: Our revels now are ended; these our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve; And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind: We are such stuff As dreams are made of, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.-Sir, I am vex'd; Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled. Be not disturb'd with my infirmity: If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell, And there repose; a turn or two I'll walk, To still my beating mind. Fer. Mira. We wish your peace. [Exeunt. Pro. Come with a thought:-I thank you :-
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