Line 10. Weather-fends; that is, 'defends from the weather.' 17. Eaves of reeds; that is, the ' eaves of a reed-thatched roof.' 20. Were I human. Shakespeare's idea of Ariel and the other fairies is that they are irresponsible beings, too light to be affected by the deeper passions of humanity, with scarcely more depth or strength of character than the lower animals. La Motte Fouqué, in his fairy tale of Undine, very beautifully developes the same idea. 23. That relish, &c.; that is, 'who feel or taste passion altogether as sharply as they.' 25. Though with their high wrongs, &c.; that is, though my feelings are wounded to the quick by the high wrongs they have done me.' 27. Do I take part. Prospero says there is a conflict in his soul between his nobler reason and his fury, and that he takes part with the former. 29. The sole drift of my purpose means 'the only object towards which my purpose drives.' Drift is formed from the verb drive,' as cleft' from 'cleave.' 6 33. Ye elves, &c. This address is an example of the solecism called in rhetoric anacoluthon,' that is to say, when the construction of the end of a sentence does not correspond with that of the beginning. Prospero solemnly addresses the spirits, his ministers; but then, instead of telling them to do anything, he merely enumerates the wonders he has wrought by their aid. Steevens, the commentator, suggests that, to cure this defect, we should read, instead of "but this," in line 50, 'all this.' In writing this passage Shakespeare had probably in his mind some faint recollection of Medea's speech in Ovid's Metamorphoses, which he had probably read in Golding's translation. 'Elf' (plural elves) means properly a spirit of the mountains, and is the same word as alp in the other Teutonic tongues. 35. The ebbing Neptune. Neptune, the god of the sea, means here the sea itself. 37. Green sour ringlets are the rings of rank, dark green, but sour grass, formed, I believe, by the growth of some fungus. Of this grass the cattle will not eat. 38. The ewe not bites. The ewe is put poetically for all cattle. Bites, by the same poetical figure, is for eats.' 39. That rejoice, &c.; that is, 'you who rejoice;' that refers to you. The fairies are said to rejoice to hear the curfew, for the curfew ushers in the night, when they are supposed to take their pastime. I Line 41. Weak masters. The commentators suppose an antithesis between masters and servants in this; as if Prospero meant, that though the fairies were weak as masters, they were powerful when acting as his servants. But I think masters is only used ironically as a term of slight contempt. 52. Which even now I do: 'require' is understood. He speaks this to the spirits, who are supposed to hear him, though they are invisible. 53. To work, &c.; that is, 'to produce the effect which I intend upon their senses, and for which this airy charm has been woven.' 58. A solemn air, &c.; that is, 'May this solemn air, which is the best comforter to an unsettled fancy, cure thy (Alonzo's) brains, which are now useless, being boiled within thy skull.' Madness a fever of the brain; and so the brain in madness may be said to boil. So we say, 'My blood boils,' meaning 'I am in a fever of anger.' The same expression occurs in The Winter's Tale: "Would any but these boiled brains [madmen] hunt in this weather?" 63. Even sociable, &c. ; that is, 'My eyes let fall tears in sympathy with the appearance of yours.' 'I see you are weeping, and I weep for sympathy.' 67. Ignorant fumes, &c.; that is, 'the mist of ignorance which is wrapped like a cloak round their clearer reason.' 69. A loyal sir, &c; that is, 'a loyal gentleman to him, [Alonzo,] whom thou followest as a servant.' 70. Thy graces; that is, the favours thou hast done me.' 73. Furtherer is one who furthers or assists another in some act. 74. Pinched, punished by this shipwreck; or else perhaps pricked by conscience. Flesh and blood: Prospero addresses Antonio as his flesh and blood, because he is his brother. 75. Entertained ambition; that is, welcomed ambition to your bosom.' 80. Begins to swell, &c. Prospero compares the return of their reason to the flow of the tide; and says that the tide of reason will soon cover the shore of their minds, which is now foul and muddied by madness. 82. Not one of them, &c. Prospero is dressed in his magic robe, and therefore, he says, not one of them knows him : he therefore tells Ariel to fetch him his hat and rapier which he used to wear at home; and he adds that he will discase him, that is, take off his robe, and present himself to them as he used to dress when he was once Duke of Sometime means once ; Milan means Duke of See note, act i. sc. ii. l. 109. Milan. Line 88. Where the bee sucks, &c. This elegant song illustrates the supposed nature of the fairies, who in mediæval belief were the old gods of the Romans, reduced to a state of comparative harmlessness and weakness, but retaining all the love of nature which distinguished the fauns and nymphs. 91. On the bat's back, &c. Bats are seen in summer only, and therefore Shakespeare seems to suppose that they migrated. Ariel, being a delicate epicurean spirit, abhors the cold of winter and everything rough and ugly, and like the swallow-or, as Shakespeare seems to suppose, the bat-migrates from one zone to another, so as always to be where it is summer. 96. So, 80, 80, &c. This is said by Prospero as Ariel fits on his dress. It is as much as to say that will do.' 102. I drink the air, &c. Johnson wittily observes, This is an expression of swiftness, of the same kind as to devour the way' in King Henry IV. 103. Or ere, &c.; see note, act i. sc. ii. 1. 11. 105. Inhabits. This is an example of the present singular form of the verb with a plural nominative case. act i. sc. i. 1. 16. See note, 112. Or some enchanted, &c.; that is, or some vain magical apparition sent to deceive me.' 113. I not know is a poetical form for 'I do not know,' or 'I know not.' 114. As of flesh, &c. ; that is, 'as if you were of flesh and blood.' 116. This must crave, &c.; that is, 'This must require, if indeed it exists at all and be not a mere delusion, a most strange explanation. 118. Thy dukedom, &c. It appears from Prospero's conversation with Miranda that Alonzo had required Antonio to pay tribute as the price of his connivance in Antonio's usurpation of the dukedom. And do entreat, &c. This sentence is elliptical: when fully expressed it would run thus, and do entreat that thou wilt pardon,' &c. 121. Embrace thine age. This is a very poetical expression, and so full of meaning that it is difficult to explain. It means, 'Let me embrace thee who art so aged;' but it also implies a respect for Gonzalo's age, as if his age were one of the causes which urge him to embrace his old friend. Line 122. Confined means here 'limited.' 123. You do yet taste, &c.; that is, 'Your senses are still under the influence of the delusions of this magic island; the taste of them, as it were, still remains on the palate of your mind.' 126. My brace of lords; said in contempt to Sebastian and Antonio. Pluck here means to bring down. 128. Justify means to prove, to convict. 139. Woe is here an adjective meaning 'grieved.' 145. As great, &c. ; that is, "The loss is as great to me as it is recent.' He means that he has lost Miranda because he has given her to Ferdinand. In this line the accent must be laid upon the first syllable of supportable. The direct order is, And I have much weaker means to make the dear loss supportable than you may call to comfort you.' The dear loss means the loss of the dear one.' 6 154. Admire is here a verb neuter, meaning to wonder. Encounter means meeting. 155. Devour their reason. This expression is analogous to 'devour the way,' and means 'question their reason with the utmost anxiety.' 156. Do offices of truth; that is, 'perform their functions truly.' 163. A chronicle of day by day; a story to be related little by little daily. 167. And subjects, &c. ; that is, 'and no subjects beyond it.' 170. To content ye, &c.; that is, 'to content you as much as my dukedom contents me.' 172. You play me false; that is, 'you cheat.' He replies, he would not cheat for the world; and she rejoins that if he were to wrangle, that is, to argue against reason, for twenty kingdoms, she would call it fair play. 183. Brave means beautiful. 195. And second father, &c.; that is, she, by becoming my wife, will make him my father-in-law.' 196. I am hers; that is, 'her father, by accepting her as your wife.' He then recollects that he must ask her forgiveness for having driven her, with her father, from Milan. 200. Inly, inwardly. 212. And all of us, &c.; 'All of us have found ourselves, having lost our reason and then being restored.' 218. Blasphemy. Gonzalo addresses the boatswain not as blasphemer, but as blasphemy itself personified. 223. We gave out means 'we believed to be.' 226. Tricksy means pretty or engaging. Line 230. Dead of sleep. This form shows that ' asleep' is a contraction for 'of sleep' or 'on sleep.' We should now say, 'dead asleep.' 241. My diligence. As Gonzalo calls the boatswain 'Blasphemy,' so Prospero addresses Ariel as my diligence, Diligence personified. 244. Conduct means here 'conductor,' as we say now 'a safe-conduct.' 245. Rectify means to verify or explain. 246. Infest, annoy, trouble; from the Latin infesto. Beating on; that is, 'continually thinking on.' 247. Picked leisure; that is, some selected unoccupied time. 248. Single I'll resolve you; that is, 'I alone, without the presence of others, will explain to you.' 258. Coragio, the Italian for courage; not used, I think, because Stephano was a Neapolitan, but because it was an affectation among the tavern-haunters of the time to use strange terms and far-fetched oaths"-to interlard their conversation with foreign languages-in order that people might think they had served in the wars abroad. 66 me. 259. If these, &c.; that is, 'if my eyes do not deceive 261. Setebos. See note, act i. sc. ii. 1. 373. 266. Plain fish; that is, 'plainly a fish.' 268. This mis-shapen knave. Here is a nominative case without any verb, for 'his mother' is the nominative case to the verb 'was.' But though not grammatically correct, this is a common colloquial form, used where the object is to draw particular attention to the word in the nominative. 269. And one so strong, &c. This sentence is elliptical: the ellipsis may be thus supplied: 'And one that was so strong that she could,' &c. 271. And deal, &c.; that is, and exercise authority within her (the moon's) jurisdiction, though not equal to the moon in power.' 279. Reeling ripe. Ripe means drunk; reeling ripe, drunk even to reeling. 280. This grand liquor, &c. Alonzo alludes to the 'grand elixir' of the alchemists, which was supposed to restore him who drank of it to youth. It was called aurum potabile, drinkable gold; and these drunkards are therefore said to be 'gilded' by it. The joke lies in the insinuation that wine is the only elixir of life. 281. Pickle. Alonzo asks how they came into this pickle, |