hand, I'll turn my mercy out of doors, and make stock-fish of thee.

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 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: 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 boot W
One spirit to command: They all do hate him,
As rootedly as I: Burn but his books; sub
He has brave utensils, (for so he calls them,)

First to possess his books; for without them

He's but a sot, as I am,] In the old romances the sorcerer is always furnished with a book, by reading certain parts of which he is enabled to summon to his aid whatever dæmons or spirits he has occasion to employ. When he is deprived of his book, his power ceases. Our author might have observed this circumstance much insisted on in the Orlando Innamorato of Boyardo; and also in Harrington's translation of the Orlando Furioso, 1591.

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 non-pareil: I ne'er saw woman,
But only Sycorax my dam, and she;
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax,

As greatest 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 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 master.

Cal. Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of plea

sure;

Let us be jocund: Will you troll the catch2
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 shout 'em, and flout 'em ;

Thought is free.

Cal. That' not the tune.

[ARIEL plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.

Ste. What is this same?

* Will you troll the catch-] To troll a catch, is to dismiss it trippingly from the tongue.

Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of No-body.3

Ste. If thou beest a man, shew 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?

4

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

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 shew 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 musick for nothing.

Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.

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.

This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of No-body.] A ridiculous figure, sometimes represented on signs. Westward for Smelts, a book which our author appears to have read, was printed for John Trundel in Barbican, at the sign of the No-body. MALONE.

The allusion is here to the print of No-body, as prefixed to the anonymous comedy of "No body and Some-body;" without date, but printed before the year 1600. REED.

4

afeard?] Thus the old copy.-To affear is an obsolete verb, with the same meaning as to affray. Between aferde and afraide in the time of Chaucer, there might have been some nice distinction, which is at present lost, STEEVENS.

Ste. Lead, monster; we'll follow.-I would, I could see this taborer: he lays it on.

Trin. Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano.5

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Another part of the Island.

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, Gonzalo, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others.

6

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

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. Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose That you resolv'd to effect.

5 Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano.] The first words are addressed to Caliban, who, vexed at the folly of his new companions idly running after the musick, while they ought only to have attended to the main point, the dispatching Prospero, seems, for some little time, to have staid behind. HEATH.

The words-Wilt come? should be added to Stephano's speech. I'll follow, is Trinculo's answer. RITSON.

Bu'r lakin,] i. e. The diminutive only of our lady, i. e. ladykin. STEEVENS.

Our frustrate search-] Frustrate for frustrated.

Seb.

The next advantage

Will we take thoroughly.

Let it be to-night;

Ant.

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 musick; 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 musick!

Alon. 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.

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 them.

8 A living drollery:] Shows, called drolleries, were in Shakspeare's time performed by puppets only. From these our modern drolls, exhibited at fairs, &c. took their name. A living drollery, i. e. a drollery not represented by wooden machines, but by personages who are alive.

9 one tree, the phoenix' throne;] Our poet had probably Lyly's Euphues, and his England, particularly in his thoughts: signat. Q 3.-" As there is but one phoenix in the world, so is there but one tree in Arabia wherein she buildeth." See also, Florio's Italian Dictionary, 1598: "Rasin, a tree in Arabia, whereof there is but one found, and upon it the phoenix sits."

MALONE.