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Or elfe good-night your vow.

Fer. I warrant you, Sir,

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

Pro. Well.

Now come, my Ariel, bring a corollary,
Rather than want a fpirit, appear, and pertly.
No tongue; all eyes; be filent.

SCENE III.

A MASQU E. Enter Iris.

[Soft mufick.

Iris. Ceres, moft bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and peafe; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibling fheep, And flat meads, 'with thatch'd' ftover, them to keep; Thy banks with pioned, and tulip'd brims, Which fpungy April at thy heft betrims,

[groves,

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To make cold nymphs chafte crowns; and thy brown Whose shadow the difmiffed batchelor loves,

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Being lafs-lorn; thy 'pale-clipt` vineyard,

And thy fea-marge fteril, and rocky-hard,

Where thou thy felf do'ft air; the Queen o' th' sky,
Whofe wat❜ry arch and meffenger am I,

Bids thee leave these, and with her Sov'reign Grace,
Here on this grafs-plot, in this very place [Juno defcends.
To come and fport; her peacocks fly amain:

Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter Ceres.

Cer. Hail many-colour'd meffenger, that ne'er
Do'ft difobey the wife of Jupiter:

Who, with thy faffron wings, upon my flowers
Diffufeft honey drops, refreshing fhowers;
And with each end of thy blue bow do'ft crown
My bosky acres, and my unfhrub'd down.

E 3

thatch'd with z broom-groves,
3 pole-clipt... old edit. Warb. emend.

Rich

!

Rich fcarf to my proud earth; why hath thy Queen
Summon'd me hither, to this fhort-grafs green?
Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate,
And fome donation freely to eftate
On the blefs'd lovers.

Cer. Tell me, heav'nly bow,

If Venus or her fon, as thou do'ft know,
Do now attend the Queen? fince they did plot
The means, that dusky Dis my daughter got;
Her and her blind boy's fcandal'd company
I have forfworn.

Iris. Of her fociety

Be not afraid: I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her fon
Dove-drawn with her; here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
(Whofe vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted) but in vain;

Mars's hot minion is return'd again;

Her wafpifh-headed fon has broke his arrows,
Swears he will shoot no more, but play with fparrows,
And be a boy right-out.

Cer. High Queen of state,

Great Juno comes, I know her by her gate.

Jun. How does my bounteous fifter? go with me

To blefs this twain, that they may profp'rous be,

And honour'd in their iffue.

Jun. Honour, riches, marriage blessing,

Long continuance and encreafing,
Hourly joys be ftill upon you,

Juno fings her bleffings on you.

4'Cer.`Earth's increase, and foyfon-plenty,

Barns and garners never empty,

Vines, with cluftring bunches growing,
Plants, with goodly burthen bowing:

[They fing.

Spring

4 All former editions very improperly give this whole fonnet to

Juno. . . . Theobald.

Spring come to you at the fartheft,
In the very end of harvest:
Scarcity and want shall shun you,
Ceres' bleffing fo is on you.

Fer. This is a moft majestick vifion, and
Harmonious charming lay; may I be bold
To think these spirits?

Pro. Spirits which by mine art

I have from all their confines call'd, t' enact
My present fancies.

Fer. Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd father, and a wife,
Make this place paradise.

Pro. 'Now filence, fweet!

There's fomething elfe to do; hufh, and be mute,
Or else our spell is marr'd.

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Juno and Ceres whisper, and fend Fris on imployment.

Iris. You nymphs call'd Nayads of the winding brooks, With your fedg'd crowns, and ever-harmless looks, Leave your crifp channels, and on this green-land Answer your fummons, Juno does command: Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You fun-burn'd ficklemen, of Auguft weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;
Make holy-day; your rye-ftraw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

5 Sweet now, filence:

Jurand Ceres whifper ferioufly;

There's fomething else to do;

E 4

SCENE

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Enter certain reapers, properly habited; they join with the nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof Profpero farts fuddenly, and speaks; after which, to a Strange, bollow and confufed noife, they vanish.

Pro. I had forgot that foul confpiracy Of the beaft Caliban, and his confed❜rates, Against my life; the minute of their plot

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Is almoft come. Well done, avoid, no more. [paffion Ferd. This is most strange; your father's in fome That works him strongly.

Mira. Never 'till this day

Saw I him touch'd with anger, fo diftemper❜d.

Pro. Why, you do look, my fon, in a mov'd fort; As if you were dismay'd; be chearful, Sir:

Our revels now are ended: thefe our actors,
As I foretold you, were all fpirits, and

Are melted into air, into thin air;

And, like the bafeless fabrick of their vifion,
The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The folemn temples, the great globe it self,
Yea, all which it inherit, fhall diffolve,
And, like this infubftantial pageant faded,

8

Leave not a track behind. We are fuch stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a fleep. Sir, I am vext;.
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 repofe; a turn or two I'll walk
To still my beating mind.

Fer. Mira. We wish you peace.

[Exeunt.

Pre. Come with a thought; I thank thee, Ariel: come.

6 This is strange; 9 thou

7 You look,

8 rack

Enter

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 prefented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd

Left I might anger thee.

[varlets? Pro. But, fay again, where didft thou leave these Ari. I told you, Sir, they were red hot with drinking; So full of valour, that they fmote the air

For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kiffing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
At which like unbackt colts they prickt their ears,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their nofes,
As they smelt mufick; fo I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briars, fharp furzes, pricking gofs and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail fhins: at laft I left them
I' th' filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to th' chins, that the foul lake
O'er-ftunk their feet.

Pro. This was well done, my bird;

Thy shape invisible retain thou ftill;

The trumpery in my houfe, go bring it hither,
For ftale to catch thefe thieves.

Ari. I go, I go.

2

Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never ftick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken; are all loft, quite loft;
And, as with age his body ugler grows,
So his mind cankers; I will plague them all,
Even to roaring: come, hang them on this line.

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[Exit.

SCENE

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