Gonzalo.

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.

Prospero [Aside].

Honest lord,

Thou hast said well; for some of you there present
Are worse than devils.

Alonso.

I cannot too much muse

Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing-
Although they want the use of tongue—a kind

Of excellent dumb discourse.

Prospero [Aside].

Praise in departing.

No matter, since

Francisco. They vanish'd strangely.

Sebastian.

They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.

Will't please you taste of what is here?

Alonso.

Gonzalo. Faith, sir, you need not fear.

Not I.

When we were boys, Who would believe that there were mountaineers

Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em
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.

Alonso.

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.

F

Ariel. 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 caus'd to belch up you; and on this island,
Where man doth not inhabit,-you 'mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad ;
And even with such-like valour men hang and drown
Their proper selves. [Alonso, Sebastian, etc., draw their swords.
You fools! I and my fellows

Are ministers of Fate: the elements,

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 mows, and carry out the table.

Prospero [Aside]. 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 mine lov'd darling.

[Exit above.

Gonzalo. I' th' name of something holy, sir, why stand you In this strange stare?

Alonso.

O, it is monstrous, monstrous!
Methought the billows spoke, and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd
The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i' th' ooze is bedded; and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded.

Sebastian.

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Antonio.

[Exit.

But one fiend at a time,

I'll be thy second.

[Exeunt Sebastian and Antonio.

Gonzalo. All three of them are desperate: their great guilt, Like poison given to work a great time after,

Now 'gins to bite the spirits.-I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,
And hinder them from what this ecstasy

May now provoke them to.

Adrian.

Follow, I pray you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA. Prospero. If I have too austerely punish'd you, Your compensation makes amends; for I Have given you here a thread of mine own life,

Or that for which I live: who once again
I tender to thy hand. All thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me that I boast her off,

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,

And make it halt behind her.

Ferdinand.

Against an oracle.

I do believe it

Prospero. Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: but

If thou dost break her virgin-knot before

All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minister'd,

No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain, and discord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
That you shall hate it both: therefore, take heed,
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Ferdinand.

As I hope For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,

With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,

The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion

Our worser genius can, shall never melt

Mine honour into lust, to take away

The edge of that day's celebration

When I shall think, or Phœbus' steeds are founder'd, Or night kept chain'd below.

Prospero.

Fairly spoke.

Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.-
What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!