Alon. Pr'ythee, peace. Sebas. You were kneel'd to, and impórtuned otherwise, By all of us; and the fair soul herself Weigh'd, between loathness and obedience, at Which end the beam should bow.17 We've 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 Alon. So is the dear'st o' the loss.18 My Lord Sebastian, The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness, When you should bring the plaster. Sebas. Anto. And most chirurgeonly, 19 Very well. Gonza. It is foul weather in us all, good sir, When you are cloudy.20 Sebas. Anto. Foul weather! Very foul. Gonza. Had I plantation 21 of this isle, my lord, – make the grief grow stronger. "The grief on't" is the grief arising from it or out of it; that is, from the loss or banishment of Claribel. 17 Hesitated, or stood in doubt, between reluctance and obedience, which way the balance should turn or incline. To weigh is to deliberate, and hence to pause, to be in suspense, or to suspend action. 18 Dear was used of any thing that causes strong feeling, whether of pleasure or of pain; as it hurts us to lose that which is dear to us. See vol. v. page 227, note 6. 19 Chirurgeon is the old word, which has got transformed into surgeon. 20 The meaning is, "your gloom makes us all gloomy." A cloud in the face is a common metaphor both for anger and for sorrow. 21 In Shakespeare's time a plantation meant a colony, and was so used of the American colonies. Here plantation is a "verbal noun," and means the colonizing. Sebas. Or docks, or mallows. Gonza. And were the king on't, what would I do? Sebas. 'Scape being drunk for want of wine. Gonza. I' the commonwealth I would by contraries And women too, but innocent and pure; No sovereignty: Sebas. Yet he would be king on't. Anto. The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning. Gonza. All things in common Nature should produce Without sweat or endeavour: treason, felony, Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,23 Would I not have; but Nature should bring forth, Of its own kind, all foison,24 — all abundance, To feed my innocent people. Sebas. No marrying 'mong his subjects? Anto. None, man; all idle, —whores and knaves. 22 Succession is the tenure of property by inheritance, as the son succeeds the father.- Bourn is boundary or limit. Properly it means a stream of water, river, rivulet, or brook; these being the most natural boundaries of landed property.— Tilth is tillage: also used of land tilled, or prepared for sowing. So in Measure for Measure, iv. 1: Our corn's to reap, for yet our tilth's to sow." 23 Engine was applied to any kind of machine: here it probably means furniture of war. 24 Foison is an old word for plenty or abundance of provision, especially of the fruits of the soil. Often used so by the Poet. T'excel the golden age.25 Sebas. God save his Majesty ! Anto. Long live Gonzalo ! And, — do you mark me, sir?· Alon. Pr'ythee, no more: thou dost talk nothing to me. Gonza. I do well believe your Highness; and did it to minister occasion to these gentlemen, who are of such sensible 26 and nimble lungs, that they always use to laugh at nothing. Anto. 'Twas you we laugh'd at. Gonza. Who in this kind of merry fooling am nothing to you: 27 so you may continue, and laugh at nothing still. Anto. What a blow was there given ! Sebas. An it had not fallen flat-long.28 Gonza. You are gentlemen of brave mettle; 29 you would lift the Moon out of her sphere, if she would 30 continue in it five weeks without changing. Enter ARIEL, invisible; solemn music playing. Sebas. We would so, and then go a bat-fowling.31 25" The golden age" is that fabulous period in "the dark backward of time" when men knew nothing of sin and sorrow, and were so wise and good as to have no need of laws and government. Milton, in his Ode on the Nativity, has "Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold." 26 Sensible for sensitive. So in Coriolanus, i. 3: "I would your cambric were sensible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity." 27 Nothing in comparison with you. So the Poet often uses to. 28 The idea is of a sword handled so awkwardly as to hit with the side, and not with the edge. 29 Brave mettle is high, glorious, or magnificent spirit. The Poet often has mettle in that sense. Sphere, in the next line, is orbit. 30 Our present usage requires should. In Shakespeare's time, the auxiliaries could, should, and would were often used indiscriminately. Again, later in this scene, “should not upbraid our course"; should for would. 31 Bat-fowling was a term used of catching birds in the night. Fielding, in Joseph Andrews, calls it bird-batting, and says "it is performed by holding a large clap-net before a lantern, and at the same time beating the bushes; Anto. Nay, good my lord, be not angry. Gonza. No, I warrant you; I will not adventure my discretion 32 so weakly. Will you laugh me asleep? for I am very heavy. Anto. Go sleep, and hear us not. [All sleep but ALON., SEBAS., and ANTO. 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. Sebas. Please you, sir, Do not omit the heavy offer of it : 33 Anto. We two, my lord, Will guard your person while you take your rest, Alon. Thank you. Wondrous heavy. [ALONSO sleeps. Exit ARIEL. Sebas. What a strange drowsiness possesses them ! Anto. It is the quality o' the climate. Sebas. Why Doth it not, then, our eyelids sink? I find not Myself disposed to sleep. Anto. Nor I; my spirits are nimble. They fell together all, as by consent; They dropp'd, as by a thunder-stroke. What might, And yet methinks I see it in thy face, for the birds, when they are disturbed from their places of rest or roost, immediately make to the light, and so are enticed within the net. 32 That is, "hazard my character for discretion, or put it in peril." 33 "Do not slight or neglect the offer of sleep which it holds out," or 'when it offers to make you sleepy." Heavy is here used proleptically, or anticipatively. 34" What might you be !" is probably the meaning. What thou shouldst be: th' occasion speaks thee; Dropping upon thy head. Sebas. 35 and What, art thou waking? I do; and surely Anto. Do you not hear me speak? It is a sleepy language, and thou speak'st Out of thy sleep. What is it thou didst say? With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving, Anto. Noble Sebastian, Thou lett'st thy fortune sleep,- die, rather; wink'st Sebas. Thou dost snore distinctly; There's meaning in thy snores. Anto. I am more serious than my custom: you Must be so too, if heed me; which to do If Anto. you but knew how you the purpose cherish Whiles thus you mock it! how, in stripping it, 35 Antonio is probably aiming to tempt Sebastian by flattery; declaring that he sees royalty or majesty in his looks, and that the present occasion bespeaks, points out, or proclaims his elevation to the throne. 36 "Closest thine eyes as if asleep while thou art awake." While, whiles, and whilst were used indifferently. 37 "The doing of which will make thee thrice what thou art now." 38 Water standing between ebb and flow, and so ready to be moved in either direction. So in Twelfth Night, i. 5: "'Tis with him e'en standing water between boy and man." |