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.
As I hope

Fer.

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, "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.

Well I conceive. [Exit.

Ari.
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.

If Venus, or her son, as thou dost know,
Do now attend the queen? since they did plot
The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
I have forsworn.

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her gon
Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain:
Mars' hot minion is return'd again;

Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,

Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, And be a boy right out.

Cer.

Highest queen of state,

Great Juno comes: I know her by her gait.

Enter JUNO.

Jun. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me, To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be, And honour'd in their issue.

SONG.

Juno. Honour, riches, marriage, blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.1
Earth's increase, foison plenty,
Barns, and garners never empty;
Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing;
Plants, with goodly burden bowing;
Rain' 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:

1 In f. e. the remainder of the song is given to Ceres 2 Spring: in f. e.

So rare a wonder'd father, and a wife,1

Makes this place Paradise.

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. Pro. 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 winding brooks,

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

1 wise in f. e. 2 sedg'd: in f. e.

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: Be not disturb'd 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 thee.-Ariel, come!

Enter ARIEL.

Spirit,

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure? Pro. 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 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,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd, through
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking gorse, and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail skins: at last I left them
I' the filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.

Pro.

This was well done, my bird,

Thy shape invisible retain thou still:

The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,
For stale to catch these thieves.

Ari.
I go, I
go. [Exit.
Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture never can 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,
3 A decoy.

1 A vapor, from reek. 2 shins in f. e.