SONG.

Juno. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.
Cer. Earth's increase, and foison9 plenty;
Barns, and garners never empty;
Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing;
Plants, with goodly burden bowing;
Spring 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.

I have from their confines call'd to enact

My present fancies.

Fer.

Spirits which by mine art

Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd1 father, and a wife,

Make this place paradise.

Pro.

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment.

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 wand'ring brooks,

land

With your sedg'd crowns, and ever harmless looks,
Leave your crisp channels, and on this green
Answer your summons; Juno does command:
Come temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love; be not too late.

9 Abundance.

1 Able to produce such wonders.

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 whereof PROSPERO 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 done;avoid;- -no more.

Fer. This is most 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, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air: And like the baseless fabrick of this vision, The cloud capp'd tow'rs, 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 of, 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 disturbed 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 you: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 drink

ing;

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 musick; so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd, through
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and
thorns,

Which enter'd their frail shins; at last I left them
I' the filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,
Up to the chins.

Pro.

This was well done, my bird.

Thy shape invisible retain thou still:

The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,

For stale2 to catch these thieves.

2 Bait.

Ari.

I go, I go. [Exit.

Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture3 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,

Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c.
Even to roaring :-Come, hang them on this line.
PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter CA-
LIBAN, 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 harmless fairy, has done little better than played the Jack4 with us.

Trin. Monster, 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 hood-wink 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, monster.

Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears for my labour.

Cal. Pr'ythee, my king, be quiet: Seest thou here,

3 Education.

4 Jack with a lantern.

This is the mouth of the cell: no noise, and enter: Do that good mischief, which may make this island Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,

For aye thy foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy hand: I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Trin. O king Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! look, what a wardrobe here is for thee!

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

Trin. O, ho, monster; we know what belongs to a frippery5:-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 doat thus on such luggage? Let's along,
And do the murder fi st: if he awake,

From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches ;
Make us strange stuff.

Ste. Be you quiet, monster.- Mistress 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, and'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 lose our time, And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes

With foreheads villainous low.

Ste. Monster, lay-to your fingers; help to bear

A shop for sale of old clothes.

6 Bird-lime.