I had rather crack my sinews, break my back, Mir. It would become me As well as it does you: and I should do it With much more ease; for my good will is to it, Pros. [Aside.] One of my sex; no woman's face remember, Nor can imagination form a shape, Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle Fer. 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, Poor worm! thou art infected; To make me slave to it; and for your sake, This visitation shows it. You look wearily. Fer. No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me, When you are by at night. I do beseech you,— Mir. Miranda. Oh, my father! Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd, So perfect, and so peerless, are created Mir. I do not know Theobald, Most busyless when I do it:' Mr. Holt White, 'Most busiest when I do it; Mr. Collier's MS. Corrector, 'Most busy, blest when I do it ;' and Mr. Staunton printing, 'Most busy felt, when I do it,' while suggesting, Most busy still, when I do it.' The reading we have adopted is from the 2nd Folio of 1632, and we take its meaning to be in Shakespeare's elliptical style of sometimes making "it" refer to a plural noun) - These sweet thoughts refresh my labours, and make me most busy when I least work.' 2. Pray, set it down. The "it" in this sentence affords an instance of Shakespeare's way of making that word refer back to something named plurally. Here "it" means one of those "logs" mentioned in the previous line. 3. Top of admiration. In his use of so small and insignificant a word as "top," we have an instance of Shakespeare's way of giving dignity to slight and familiar expressions. "Top" here, and elsewhere in his plays, has the force of highest point, crowning pre-eminence. It is worthy of remark, too, how characteristic the entire speech is of Ferdinand, with his fervid imagination and generous promptitude of belief in good; forming an admirable counterpart to Miranda's artless warmth of impulse. 4. Ow'd. See Note 63, Act i. 5. What else. For whatever else. 6. Your fellow. Your equal, your chosen companion. SCENE II.-Another part of the Island. Enter CALIBAN (with a bottle), STEPHANO, and TRINCULO. 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 the other two be brained like us, the state totters. Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head. 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 drowned his tongue in sack; for my part, the sea cannot drown me; I swam, ere I could recover the shore, fiveand-thirty leagues, off and on, by this light. Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my 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 deboshed 10 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 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; Trin. Nor go neither: but you'll lie, like dogs; But this thing dare not, and yet say nothing neither. 7. Whether you will or no. This was formerly in use (and is so still, with those who write a slipshod style) for the more will or not." correct "whether you 8. Here's my hand. Shakespeare alludes to the old custom of ratifying a contract by clasping hands; but with what poet's and lover's gusto has he done so here! 9. Standard. This word was used for a standard-bearer, as Ste. That's most certain. well as for the ensign he bore. There is a play on the word here, alluding to the " poor monster's" being too much intoxicated to stand upright. 10. Deboshed. Debauched, degraded, corrupted by intemperance. There is much humour in Trinculo's twitting Caliban with being overcome by drink, while himself boasting of being valorous by its means. Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it, and I'll serve thee. As rootedly as I. Burn but his books. Ste. How, now, shall this be compassed? Canst Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal. And that most deeply to consider is thou bring me to the party? Cal. Yea, yea, my lord: I'll yield him thee The beauty of his daughter; he himself Ste. Trinculo, run into no farther danger: in--and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys.-Dost terrupt the monster one word farther, and, by this hand, I'll turn my mercy out o' doors, and make a stock-fish of thee. thou like the plot, Trinculo? Trin. Excellent, Ste. Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing. I'll thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue go farther off. in thy head. Cal. Within this half hour will he be asleep : Ste. pleasure, Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch 13 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, played 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. Oh, 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. or move circularly. A "catch" being a piece of music where each singer takes his part round and round in succession, the verb "troll" is peculiarly applicable. 14. Picture of Nobody. This was a grotesque figure formerly common as an alehouse sign; and there is a woodcut representing the same "Nobody" prefixed to an old play entitled Nobody and Somebody." 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 The clouds methought would open, and show riches Ready to drop upon me; that, when I wak'd, Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my music 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. Ste. Lead, monster; we'll follow.-I would I could see this taborer! he lays it on. SCENE III.-Another part of the Island. Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others, Gon. By'r la'kin,16 I can go no farther, sir; My old bones ache: here's a maze trod, indeed, Through forth-rights and meanders! patience, I needs must rest me. Alon. By your Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose Seb. [Aside to Ant.] The next advantage Ant. [Aside to Seb.] Let it be to-night; Seb. [Aside to Ant.] I say, to-night: no more. Gon. Marvellous sweet music! I should report this now, would they believe me? For, certes,21 these are people of the island, Old lord, I cannot blame thee, Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, 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 Well, let him go. Our frustrate search on land. Ant. [Aside to Seb.] I am right glad that he's so out of hope. 15. Cried to dream again. The poet has marked the difference between the natural savage and the clods of the civilised earth by making Caliban speak in blank verse, while the butler and the jester talk plainest prose. 16. By'r la'kin. A contraction of "By our ladykin," the diminutive of our lady, and was a subterfuge oath for avoiding the more direct adjuration. 17. Through forth-rights and meanders! The allusion is to the paths of a "maze," or labyrinth, which were sometimes made in straight lines, sometimes in waving or circular lines. 18. Throughly. A form of "thoroughly." 19. A living drollery. "Drollery" was a name for a puppetshow; and by "living " is meant one played not by puppets, or wooden figures, but by living beings. 20. One tree, the phenix throne. This and those mentioned in Gonzalo's speech, where he speaks of "mountaineers dew-lapped like bulls," were among the travellers' wonders recounted by home-returned voyagers in Shakespeare's time. 21. Certes. An antique form of "certainly." |