SCENE III.—Another part of the Island.
Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO,
ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and Others.

Gon. By'r la'kin,' 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 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.

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.

say, to-night: no more.

Seb.
[Solemn and strange music; and PROSPERO above, invis-
ible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a
banquet: they dance about it with gentle actions of
salutations; 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, 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.

Gon.

If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say, I 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,

3

Thou hast said well; for some of you there present,
Are worse than devils.
Alon.
I cannot too much muse, [ing
Such shapes, such gestures,2 and such sounds, express-
(Although they want the use of tongue) a kind
Öf 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.

Who would believe that there were mountaineers
Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at
them

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men,
Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now, we find,
Each putter-out of 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 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 :5
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,

6

[ALON., SEB., &c., draw their Swords.
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 dowle' that's in my plume: my fellow-ministers
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 falls
Upon your heads) is nothing, but heart's sorrow,
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. [Above.] 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 PROSPERO.
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,

Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd
boys,

The name of Prosper: it did base my trespass.

1 By our lady-kin. 2 gesture in f. e. 3 sound: in f. e. 4 A custom of old travellers to put out a sum of money at interest, at the outset of a journey, for which they received at the rate of five to one, if they returned. 5 f. e. insert here this direction: Seeing ALON., SEB., &c., draw their Swords. 6 Omitted in f. e. 7 A feather or particle of down. 8 Aside in f. e.

Be not afraid: I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son
Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,

4 Coarse grass, used sometimes for covering farm-buildings. 5 pion-
omitted in most modern editions; "slowly" is added in the MS., 1632.

Juno. Honour, riches, marriage, blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.1
Earth's increase, foison plenty,
Barns, and garners never empty ;
Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing;
Plants, with goodly burden bowing;
Rain2 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

My present fancies.

Fer.

Let me live here ever:

So rare a wonder'd father, and a wife,3

Makes this place Paradise.

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 on, 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 thee.-Ariel, come!

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?
Pro.
Spirit,

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Ari. Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,
I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd
Lest I might anger thee.

Pro. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
Ari. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking:
So full of valour, that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kissing of their feet, yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears,

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd, through Pro. Sweet now, silence!

Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;

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 winding
brooks,

With your sedge1 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 where-
of PROS. 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
Avoid ;-no more.

Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking gorse, and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail skins: at last I left them
I' the filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.

Pro.
This was well done, my bird,
Thy shape invisible retain thou still :
The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,
For stale to catch these thieves.

Ari.
I go, I go. [Exit.
Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture never can stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,

So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c.
Even to roaring.—Come, hang them on this line.
ARIEL hangs them on the line, and with PROSPERO
remains unseen.8

Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet.
Cal. Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may

not

Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your fairy, which, you say, is a harmdone.-less fairy, has done little better than played the Jack'

Fer. This is 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 cheerful, sir.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

1 In f. e. the remainder of the song is given to Ceres.

6 shins in f. e. 7 A decoy.

with us.

Trin. Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which my nose is in great indignation.

Ste. So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you; look you,—

Trin. Thou wert but a lost monster.

Cal. Good my lord, give me thy favour still.
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to

2 Spring in f. e. 3 wise in f. e. 4 sedg'd: in f. e. 5 A vapor, from reek.

8 f. e. have only the direction, PROSPERO and ARIEL remain unseen. 9 Jack o' lantern.

Trin. O king Stephano! O peer! O worthy Ste-[A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits, in phano! look, what a wardrobe here is for thee !

Cal. The dropsy drown this fool! what do you mean, | With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them, To doat thus on such luggage? Let 't alone, Than pard, or cat o' mountain. [Cries and roaring.3 And do the murder first: if he awake, Ari. Hark! they roar. Pro. Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour Lie at my mercy all mine enemies: Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little, Follow, and do me service.

ACT V.

1 Not in f. e. 2 An old clo' shop. 3 Not in f. e. 4 The old word for lime. 5 green-sour: in f. e.