-O my

Mira.
Miranda :-

father! I have broke your hest o to say so. Fer.

Admir'd Miranda ! Indeed the top of admiration; worth What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady I have ey'd with best regard ; and many a time The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage Brought my too diligent ear : for several virtues Have I lik'd several women; never any With so full soul, but some defect in her Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd," And put it to the foil : But

you,

O you !
So perfect, and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best.”
Mira.

I do not know
One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men, than you, good friend,
And my dear father : how features are abroad,
I am skill-less of; but, by my modesty,
(The jewel in my dower,) I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you ;
Nor can imagination form a shape,
Besides yourself, to like of: But I prattle
Something too wildly, and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.
Fer.

condition, A prince, Miranda ; I do think, a king ; (I would, not so !) and would no more endure This wooden slavery, than to suffer

in

your sake,

The flesh-fly blow my mouth. - Hear my soul

speak :The very

instant that I saw you, did My heart fly to your service; there resides, To make me slave to it; and,

for Am I this patient log-man. Mira.

Do you love me?
Fer. O heaven! O earth! bear witness to this

sound,
And crown what I profess with kind event,
If I speak true; if hollowly, invert
What best is boded me to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else & i' the world,
Do love, prize, honour you.'
Mira.

I am a fool,
To weep at what I am glad of.
Pro.

Fair encounter
Of two most rare affections ! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between them !
Fer.

Wherefore weep you

? Mira. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer What I desire to give; and much less take What I shall die to want : But this is trifling; And all the more it seeks to hide itself, The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning! And prompt me, plain and holy innocence ! I am your wife, if you will marry me; If not, I'll die your maid : to be your

fellow You may deny me; but I'll be your servant, Whether

you

will or no. Fer.

My mistress, dearest,
And I thus humble ever.
Mira.

My husband then ?

7

And now

8

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing
As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.
Mira. And mine, with my heart in't :

farewell,
Till half an hour hence.
Fer.

A thousand, thousand !

[Exeunt FER. and MIR. Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, Who are surpris'd witirall; but my rejoicing At nothing can be more. I'll to my book; For yet, ere supper time, must I perform Much business appertaining.

[Erit.

SCENE II. Another part of the Island. Enter STEPHANO and TRINCULO; CALIBAN follow

ing with

a bottle. Ste. Tell not me: – when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before : therefore bear up, and board ’em: Servant-monster, drink to me.

Trin. Servant-monster ? the folly of this island ! They say, there's but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if the other two be brain'd like us, the state totters.

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head.

Trin. Where should they be set else ? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.

Ste. My man-monster hath drown'd his tongue in sack : for my part, the sea cannot drown me : I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty leagues, off and on, by this light. — Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard.'

Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard. Ste. We'll not run, monsieur monster.

Trin. Nor go neither : but you'll lie like dogs, and yet say nothing neither.

Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.

Cal. How does thy honour ? Let me lick thy shoe : I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster : I am in case to justle a constable : Why, thou debosh'd fish thou, was there ever man a coward, that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish, and half a monster ?

Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him,

2

my lord ?

The poor

Trin. Lord, quoth he !— that a monster should be such a natural !

Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee.

Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if you prove a mutineer, the next tree monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.

Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas'd to hearken once again to the suit I made thee?

Ste. Marry will I: kneel, and repeat it: I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.

Enter ARIEL, invisible. Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant; a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.

Ari. Thou liest.

Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou ! I would, my valiant master would destroy thee: I do not lie.

Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

Trin. Why, I said nothing.

Ste. Mum then, and no more. — [To CAL.] Proceed. Cal. I

say, by sorcery he got this isle ;
From me he got it: If thy greatness will
Revenge it on him, — for, I know, thou dar'st;
But this thing dare not,

Ste. That's most certain.
Cal. thou shalt be lord of it, and I'll serve thee.

Ste. How now shall this be compass'd ? Canst thou bring me to the party? Cal. Yea, yea, my lord: I'll yield him thee

asleep,
Where thou mayst knock a nail into his head.

Ari. Thou liest ; thou canst not.
Cal. What a pied ninny's this ! : Thou scurvy

patch!
I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows,
And take his bottle from him : when that's gone,
He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not show him
Where the quick freshes 4 are.

Ste. Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt the monster one word further, and, by this hand, I'll turn my mercy out of doors, and make a stockfish of thee.

3 He calls him a pied ninny, alluding to Trinculo's motley dress : he was a licensed fool or jester.

• Quick freshes are living springs.