Something too wildly, and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.

Ferd.

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

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?

Ferd. 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.

To weep at what I'm glad of.
Pros. [Aside.]

I am a fool

Fair encounter

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

Ferd.

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.

Ferd.

And I thus humble ever.

Mira.

My mistress, dearest,

My husband, then?

Ferd. 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 fare

well,

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.

SCENE II. Another part of the Island.

[Exit.

Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, 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 th' other two be brain'd like us, the State totters.

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head. [CALIBAN drinks. 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 drown'd 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.1

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 debosh'd 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! 3 8

Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee.
Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if

1 Standard is standard-bearer, or ensign.

2 Deboshed is the old orthography of debauched.

8 Natural was used for simpleton or fool. See vol. i. page 29, note 4. There is also a quibble intended between monster and natural, a monster being unnatural.

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 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 the 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's tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

Trin. Why, I said nothing.

Ste. Mum, then, and no more.

[To CAL.] Proceed. Cal. 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 will serve thee. Ste. How now shall this be compass'd? 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.

4

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 him
Where the quick freshes 5 are.

Ste. Trinculo, 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. Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing I'll go

further off.

Ste. Didst thou not say he lied?

4 Pied is dappled or diversely-coloured. Trinculo is " an allowed Fool" or jester, and wears a motley dress. Patch refers to the same circumstance. See vol. i. page 124, note 8.

5 Quick freshes are living springs.

Ari. Thou liest.

- Out o' your

Ste. Do I so? take thou that. [Strikes him.] As you like this, give me the lie another time. Trin. I did not give thee the lie : wits and hearing too? A pox o' your bottle! 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. - Pr'ythee 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: then 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't withal:
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 great'st does least.

Ste.

Cal. Ay, lord.

Is it so brave a lass?

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 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

6 Wezand is throat or windpipe.

master.

7 Sot, from the French, was often used for fool; as our word besotted sometimes is. See vol. i. page 187, note 12.

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.

[Sings.

Flout 'em and scout 'em, and scout '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, play'd by the picture of Nobody.

Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: 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. - 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.
Sometime a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime 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 taborer: he lays it on. Wilt come?

9

Trin. I'll follow, Stephano.

[Exeunt.

8 The picture of Nobody was a common sign, and consisted of a head upon two legs, with arms. There was also a wood-cut prefixed to an old play of Nobody and Somebody, which represented this personage.

9 You shall heare in the ayre the sound of tabers and other instruments, to put the travellers in feare, by evill spirites that makes these soundes, and also do call diverse of the travellers by their names. Travels of Marcus Paulus, 1579. To some of these circumstances Milton also alludes:

"Of calling shapes, and beckoning shadows dire;
And aery tongues that syllable men's names
On sands, and shores, and desert wildernesses."