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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,

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

2

Alon. I cannot too much muse, [ing Such shapes, such gestures,' and such sounds, express(Although they want the use of tongue) a kind Of 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 sto

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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 one3 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

1 gesture: in f. e. 2 sound in f. e. 3 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.

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 :'
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,

[ALON., SEB., &c., draw their Swords.2
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 dowle3 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

1 f. e. insert here this direction: Seeing ALON., SEB., &c., draw their Swords. 2 Omitted in f. e. 3 A feather or particle of down. 4 Aside in f..e.

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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, That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd The name of Prosper: it did base my trespass. Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded; and I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded.

Seb.

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant. I'll be thy second.

[Exit. But one fiend at a time,

[Exeunt SEB. and ANT.

Gon. 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.

Adr. Follow, I pray you.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-Before PROSPERO'S Cell.

[Exeunt.

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA.
Pro. 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: whom 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.

Fer.

Against an oracle.

I do believe it,

Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition

VOL. I.-5

1 third in f. e.

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.

Fer.

As I hope

For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,

With such love as 't is 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.

Pro.

Fairly spoke.

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

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.

Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service

Did worthily perform, and I must use you

In such another trick. Go, bring the rabble,

O'er whom I give thee power, here, to this place:
Incite them to quick motion; for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,

And they expect it from me.

Ari.

Pro. Ay, with a twink.

Presently?

Ari. Before you can say, "Come," and "go,"

And breathe twice; and cry, "6 so so;"

Each one, tripping on his toe,

Will be here with mop and mow.

Do you love me, master? no?

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach, Till thou dost hear me call.

Ari.

Well I conceive. [Exit.

Pro. Look, thou be true. Do not give dalliance Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw

To the fire i' the blood.

Be more abstemious,

Or else, good night, your vow.

Fer.

I warrant you, sir;

The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pro.

Well.

Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,'

Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly."—
No tongue, all eyes; be silent.

A Masque. Enter IRIS.

[Soft music.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, And flat meads thatch'd with stover,3 them to keep; Thy banks with pioned and tilled brims,

Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy brown groves,

Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,

Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;
And thy sea-marge, steril, and rocky-hard,

Where thou thyself dost air; the queen o' the sky,
Whose watery arch and messenger am I,

Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,

[Juno descends slowly.' To come and sport. Her peacocks fly amain: Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter CERES.

Cer. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;

Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers

Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers;

And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown

My bosky acres, and my unshrubb'd down,

Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen Summon'd me hither, to this short-graz'd green? Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate,

And some donation freely to estate

On the bless'd lovers.

Cer.

1 Surplusage.

Tell me, heavenly bow,

pertly-quickly, skilfully. 3 Coarse grass, used sometimes for covering farm-buildings. pion-to dig 5 twilled : in f. e. 6 broom in f. e. 7This direction is omitted in most modern editions; "slowly" is added in the MS., 1632.

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