Mira. The ftrangeness of your story put Heaviness in me. Pro. We'Hovifit Caliban, my slave, who never Yields us kind answer. Mira. I do not love to look on. Pro. Shake it off: Come on; "Tis a villain, fir, But, as 'tis, We cannot miss him :9 he does make our fire, -Cal. [Within] There's wood enough within. Pro. Come forth, I fay; there's other business for thee: Come forth, thou tortoife! when? Re-enter ARIEL, like a water-nymph. Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel, Hark in thine ear. Ari. My lord, it thall be done. Pro. Thou poifonous flave, got by the devil himself Upon thy wicked dam, come forth! Enter CALIBAN. Cal. As wicked dew 2 as e'er my mother brush'd [Exit, With 8 The frangeness- -] Why fhould a wonderful ftory produce neep? I believe experience will prove, that any violent agitation of the mind easily fubfides in flumber, especially when, as in Profpero's rela tion, the laft images are pleafing. JOHNSON. The poet feems to have been apprehenfive that the audience, as well as Miranda, would fleep over this long but neceffary tale, and therefore ftrives to break it. First, by making Profpero diveft himself of his magic robe and wand; then by waking her attention no less than fix times by verbal interruption: then by varying the action when he rifes and bide her continue fitting and lastly, by carrying on the bufinefs of the fable while Miranda fleeps, by which he is continued on the stage till the poet has occafion for her again. WARNER. 9 We cannot mifs bim:] That is, we cannot do without him. M. MASON This provincial expreffion is ftill used in the midland counties. MALONE 2 Wicked; having baneful qualities. So Spenfer fays, wicked weed ; fo, in oppofition, we fay herbs or medicines have virtues. Bacon mensions virtuous bemoar, and Dryden virtuous berbs. JoHNSON. With raven's feather from unwholsome fen, Pro. For this, be fure, to night thou fhalt have cramps, As thick as honey-combs, each pinch more ftinging Cal. I must eat my dinner. Which thou tak'ft from me. When thou cameft firft, To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I lov'd thee, The freth fprings, brine pits, barren place, and fertile ; Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you! Which firft was mine own king: and here you fty me The reft of the ifland. Pro ! Under King Henry VI. the parliament petitioned against hops, as a wicked weed. STEEVENS. 3 It was a tradition, that Lord Falkland, Lord C. J. Vaughan, and Mr. Selden, concurred in obferving, that Shakspeare had not only found out a new character in his Caliban, but had also devised and adapted a new manner of language for that character. WARBURTON. Whence the critics derived the notion of a new language appropria ted to Caliban, I cannot find. they certainly mistook brutality of fentiment for uncouthnefs of words. Caliban had learned to speak of Profpero, and his daughter; he had no names for the fun and moon before their arrival, and could not have invented a language of his own, without more understanding than Shakspeare has thought it proper to bestow upon him. His diction is indeed fomewhat clouded by the gloominefs of his temper, and the malignity of his purposes; but let any other being entertain the fame thoughts, and he will find them eafily iffue in the fame expreffions. JOHNSON, 4 i. e. hedgehogs; and perhaps here put for fairies. STEEVENS. 5 The waft of night means the night which is naturally empty and deferted, without action; or when all things lying in fleep and filence, makes the world appear one great uninhabited waffe. STELVENS. Pro. Thou moft lying flave, Whom ftripes may move, not kindness: I have us'd thee, Cal. O ho, O ho !—'wou'd it had been done! Which any print of goodnefs will not take, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour With words that made them known: But thy vile race,8 Who hadit deferv'd more than a prifon. Cal. You taught me language; and my profit on't Is, I know how to curfe: The red plague rid you,9 For learning me your language! Pro. Hag-feed, hence! Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, th' wert best, Το O bo, O bo!] This favage exclamation was originally and constantly appropriated by the writers of our ancient Myfteries and Moralities, to the devil; and has, in this instance, been transferred to his defcendant Caliban. STEEVENS. 7 By this expreffion, however defective, the poet feems to have meant-- When thou didst utter founds, to which thou hadst no determinate meaning but the following expreffion of Mr. Addison, in his 389th Spectator, concerning the Hottentots, may prove the best comment on this paffage; having no language among them but a confufed gabble, which is neither well understood by themselves, or others." STEEVENS. Race, in this place, feems to fignify original difpofition, inborn qualities. In this fenfe we still fay-The race of wine. STEEVENS. Race and racinefs in wine, fignifies a kind of tartnefs. BLACKSTONI. 9 I fuppofe from the redness of the body, universally inflamed. JOHNSON. The erysipelas was anciently called the red plague. STEZVENS. 24 To answer other bufinefs. Shrug'ft thou, malice? What I command, I'll rack thee with old cramps; Cal. I must obey: his art is of fuch power, Pre No, 'pray thee! [Afide So, flave; hence! [Exit CALIBAN, Re-enter ARTEL invifible, playing and finging; FERDINAND following him. Come unto thefe yellow fands, And then take hands: Court'fied when you have, and kif'd, (The wild waves whift)$ Foot it featly here and there; And fweet Sprites the burden bear. Hark, bark! Bur. Bowgh, wowgh. The watch-dogs bark: Bur. Bowgh, wowgh. Hark, bark! I hear [difperfedly [difperfedly. Fer. Where fhould this musick be? i'the air, or the earth It founds no more :-and fure, it waits upon Some 2my dam's god Setebos,] A gentleman of great merit, Mr. Ware ner, has obferved on the authority of John Barbot, that " the Patagons are reported to dread a great horned devil, called Setetos.". -It may be afked, however, how Shakespeare knew any thing of this, as Barbot was a voyager of the prefent century?-Perhaps he had red Eden's History of Travayle, 1577, who tells us, p. 434, that the giantes, when they found themfelves fettered, roared like bulls, and cried upon Setebos to help them."-The metathefis in Caliban from Canibal is evident. FARMER. 3 As was anciently done at the beginning of fome dances. STEEVENS, Some god of the island. Sitting on a bank, ARIEL fings. Full fathom five thy father lies;4 n Hark! now I hear them,-ding-dog, bell. [Burden, ding-dong. Fer. The ditty does remember my drown'd father : This is no mortal business, nor no found That the earth owes :"-I hear it now above me. Pro. The fringed curtains of thine And fay, what thou feeft yond'. eye advance, Mira. It carries a brave form :-But 'tis a fpirit. Pro. No, wench; it eats and fleeps, and hath such senses As we have, fuch: This gallant, which thou feest, VOL. I. C Was 4 Ariel's lays, however seasonable and efficacious, must be allowed to be of no fupernatural dignity or elegance; they exprefs nothing great, nor reveal any thing above mortal discovery. The reason for which Ariel is introduced thus trifling is, that he and his companions are evidently of the fairy kind, an order of beings to which tradition has always afcribed a fort of diminutive agency, powerful but ludicrous, a humorous and frolick controulment of nature, well expreffed by the fongs of Ariel. JOHNSON. 5 The meaning is-Every thing about him, that is liable to alteration, is changed. STEEVENS. 6 Toowe, in this place, as well as many others, fignifies to own. STEEVENS. |