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.

Pros. [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 strange: your father's in some passion

That works him strongly.

Mir.

Never till this day

Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper❜d.

Pros. You do look, my son, in a moved sort,

As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, 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 on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd; Bear with my weakness; my old brain is

troubled:

Pros.

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.

Pros. 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,

Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their

Nurture can never 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, Even to roaring.

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 harmless fairy, has done little better than played the Jack with us.

Trin. Monster, I do smell all horsepiss; 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 Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.

All's hush'd as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,

Ste. There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster, but an infinite loss.

Trin. That's more to me than my wetting yet this is your harmless fairy,

Cal. Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.

Trin. O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery. O king Stephano! Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Trin. Thy grace shall have it.

Cal. The dropsy drown this fool! what

do you mean

To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone

And do the murder first: if he awake, From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,

Make us strange stuff.

Mistress

Ste. Be you quiet, monster. line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald jerkin.

Trin. Do, do: we steal by line and level, an't like your grace.

Ste. I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't: wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this country. 'Steal by line and level' is an excellent pass of pate; there's another garment for't.

Trin. Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest. Cal. I will have none on't: we shall

That if you now beheld them, your affec

tions

Would become tender.

Pros. Dost thou think so, spirit? Ari. Mine would, sir, were I human. Pros. And mine shall. Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling

Of their afflictions, and shall not myself, One of their kind, that relish all as sharply, Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?

Though with their high wrongs I am struck to the quick,

Yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury
Do I take part: the rarer action is
In virtue than in vengeance: they being
penitent,

The sole drift of my purpose doth extend
Not a frown further. Go release them,
Ariel :

My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore,

And they shall be themselves.

Ari. I'll fetch them, sir. [Exit.
Pros. Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing

lakes and groves,

And ye that on the sands with printless foot

Do chase the ebbing Neptune and do fly him

When he comes back; you demi-puppets