Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.

10

Ant. [Aside to Seb.] I am right glad that he's so out of

hope.

Do not, for one repulse, forgo the purpose

That you resolved to effect.

Seb.

[Aside to Ant.] The next advantage

Will we take throughly.

Ant. [Aside to Seb.] Let it be to-night;

For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance
As when they are fresh.

Seb. [Aside to Ant.] I say, to-night: no more.

15

[Solemn and strange music. Alon. What harmony is this?-My good friends, hark! Gon. Marvellous sweet music!

Enter PROSPERO above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a banquet: they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the King, &c. to eat, they depart.

Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens !-What heavens!-What were these?

A living drollery. Now I will believe

Seb. A living

That there are unicorns; that in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix
At this hour reigning there.

Ant.

I'll believe both;

And what does else want credit, come to me,
And I'll be sworn 'tis true:

11 [Aside to Seb.] Hanmer. The 'A-
sides' to lines 13, 14, 17, were marked
by Capell.

17 [here Enter. Collier MS.
19 Prospero above] Malone. Prosper

on the top Ff. See note (XIV).
they dance...salutation;] and dance

travellers ne'er did lie,

20

25

did lie] lied Hanmer. lie Nicholson conj.

Though fools at home condemn 'em.

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.

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

Alon.

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.

Pros.

[Aside] Praise in departing.

No matter, since

Fran. They vanish'd strangely.

Seb. They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.Will't please you taste of what is here?

Alon.

Not I.

40

Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys, Who would believe that there were mountaineers Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em 45 Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men

Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find

29 islanders] FF3F4. Islands F1.

32 gentle-kind] Theobald. gentle, kinde Ff. gentle kind Rowe.

34, 39 [Aside.] Marked by Capell.

34 [Aside.] (aboue) and aside. Collier MS.

36 muse] FFF3. muse, F4 Capell.

muse;

37 gesture] gestures Collier MS.
sound] sounds Collier MS.

39 excellent dumb] excellent-dumb S.
Walker conj.

[Aside] Capell. (aboue) Collier MS. 40 Fran.] Ant. Kinnear conj.

No] 'Tis no Hanmer. 42 Alon.] Ant. Hanmer.

Each putter-out of five for one will bring us

Good warrant of.

Alon.
Although my last no matter, since I feel

I will stand to, and feed,

Brother, my lord the duke,

The best is past.
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

55

Hath caused 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.
[Alon., Seb. &c. 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,

60

65

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;
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,

Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incensed 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-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 carrying out the table.

Pros. 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

67 strengths] strength F4.

71 requit it,] requited D. Wilson conj. 79 wraths] wrath Theobald.

80 falls] fall Hanmer.

81 is] there's Hanmer.

heart-sorrow] Clark and Glover. hearts-sorrow Ff. heart's-sorrow

80

85

90

Rowe. heart's sorrow Pope.
82 mocks] mopps Theobald.
83-93 Marked as 'Aside' by Capell.
(aboue) Collier MS.

83 harpy hast] harpy 'st Allen conj.
86 life]list Johnson conj. will Jervis conj.
90 now] om. Pope.

Young Ferdinand,-whom they suppose is drown'd,-
And his and mine loved darling.

[Exit above. Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you In this strange stare?

Alon. O, it is monstrous, monstrous ! 95 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, pronounced 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.

Seb.

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant.

100

[Exit.

But one fiend at a time,

I'll be thy second.

[Exeunt Seb. and Ant.

105

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