To feed my innocent people.

Seb. No marrying 'mong his subjects?

Ant. None, man; all idle; whores and knaves.
Gon. I would with such perfection govern, sir,

To excel the golden age.

Seb.

'Save his majesty!

Ant. Long live Gonzalo !

Gon.

And,—do you mark me, sir?

Alon. Prithee, no more: thou dost talk nothing

to me.

165

Gon. I do well believe your highness; and did it 170 to minister occasion to these gentlemen, who are of such sensible and nimble lungs that they always use to laugh at nothing.

Ant. 'Twas you we laughed at.

Gon. Who in this kind of merry fooling am 175 nothing to you: so you may continue, and laugh at nothing still.

Ant. What a blow was there given !

Seb. An it had not fallen flat-long.

Gon. You are gentlemen of brave mettle; you 180 would lift the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue in it five weeks without changing.

Enter ARIEL (invisible) playing solemn music. Seb. We would so, and then go a bat-fowling. Ant. Nay, good my lord, be not angry.

Gon. No, I warrant you; I will not adventure my 185 discretion so weakly. Will you laugh me asleep, for

I am very heavy?

Ant. Go sleep, and hear us.

[All sleep except Alon., Seb., and Ant.

Alon. What, all so soon asleep! I wish mine eyes Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find 190 They are inclined to do so.

Seb.

Please you, sir,

Do not omit the heavy offer of it:

It seldom visits sorrow; when it doth,
It is a comforter.

Will guard your person while you take your rest, 195 And watch your safety.

Alon.

Thank you.-Wondrous heavy.
[Alonso sleeps. Exit Ariel.

Seb. What a strange drowsiness possesses them!
Ant. It is the quality o' the climate.

Why

Seb.
Doth it not then our eyelids sink? I find not

Myself disposed to sleep.

Ant.

Nor I; my spirits are nimble. 200

They fell together all, as by consent;

They dropped, as by a thunder-stroke. What might,
Worthy Sebastian ?—O, what might ?—No more :—
And yet methinks I see it in thy face,

What thou shouldst be: the occasion speaks thee; and 205
My strong imagination sees a crown

Dropping upon thy head.

Seb.

What, art thou waking?

Ant. Do you not hear me speak?

Seb.

I do; and surely

It is a sleepy language, and thou speak'st
Out of thy sleep. What is it thou didst say?
This is a strange repose, to be asleep

With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving,
And yet so fast asleep.

Ant.

Noble Sebastian,

Thou let'st thy fortune sleep-die, rather; wink'st
Whiles thou art waking.

Seb.

210

Thou dost snore distinctly; 215

There's meaning in thy snores.

Ant. I am more serious than my custom: you Must be so too, if heed me; which to do

Trebles thee o'er.

Seb.

Well, I am standing water.

Ant. I'll teach you how to flow.

Seb.

Hereditary sloth instructs me.

Ant.

If

you

Do so to ebb

220

O,

but knew how you the purpose cherish Whiles thus you mock it! how, in stripping it, You more invest it! Ebbing men indeed Most often do so near the bottom run

By their own fear or sloth.

Seb.

Prithee, say on: The setting of thine eye and cheek proclaim A matter from thee and a birth indeed

Which throes thee much to yield.

Ant.

Thus, sir:

Although this lord of weak remembrance, this,
Who shall be of as little memory

When he is earthed, hath here almost persuaded,—
For he's a spirit of persuasion, only

Professes to persuade,—the king his son's alive,
'Tis as impossible that he's undrowned

As he that sleeps here swims.

Seb.

That he's undrowned.

Ant.

225

230

235

I have no hope

O, out of that no hope'

What great hope have you! no hope that way is
Another way so high a hope that even

Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,
But doubt discovery there.

That Ferdinand is drowned?

Ant. She that is queen of Tunis; she that dwells

240

Ten leagues beyond man's life; she that from Naples 245 Can have no note, unless the sun were post,

The man i' the moon's too slow,-till new-born chins
Be rough and razorable; she from whom

We all were sea-swallowed, though some cast again,
And by that destiny, to perform an act

Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come,
In yours and my discharge.

Seb.
What stuff is this! How say you?
'Tis true, my brother's daughter's queen of Tunis;
So is she heir of Naples; 'twixt which regions

There is some space.

Ant.
A space whose every cubit
Seems to cry out, "How shall that Claribel

Measure us back to Naples?

Keep in Tunis,

And let Sebastian wake." Say, this were death

250

255

That now hath seized them; why, they were no worse Than now they are. There be that can rule Naples 260 As well as he that sleeps; lords that can prate

As amply and unnecessarily

As this Gonzalo; I myself could make

A chough of as deep chat. O, that you bore
The mind that I do! what a sleep were this
For your advancement! Do you understand me?
Seb. Methinks I do.

And look how well my garments sit upon me;
Much feater than before: my brother's servants
Were then my fellows; now they are my men.

Seb. But, for your conscience.

Ant. Ay, sir; where lies that? if 't were a kibe, "Twould put me to my slipper: but I feel not

265

270

275

This deity in my bosom: twenty consciences,
That stand 'twixt me and Milan, candied be they,
And melt, ere they molest! Here lies your brother,
No better than the earth he lies upon,

If he were that which now he's like, that's dead;
Whom I, with this obedient steel, three inches of it,
Can lay to bed for ever; whiles you, doing thus,
To the perpetual wink for aye might put
This ancient morsel, this Sir Prudence, who
Should not upbraid our course.
They'll take suggestion as a cat laps milk;
They'll tell the clock to any business that
We say befits the hour.

Seb.

Shall be my precedent;

280

For all the rest, 285

Thy case, dear friend,

as thou got'st Milan,

I'll come by Naples. Draw thy sword: one stroke 290 Shall free thee from the tribute which thou pay'st;

And I the king shall love thee.

Ant.

Draw together;
And when I rear my hand, do you the like,
To fall it on Gonzalo.

Seb.

O, but one word. [They talk apart.

Re-enter ARIEL invisible.

Ari. My master through his art foresees the danger 295 That you, his friend, are in; and sends me forth,— For else his project dies,—to keep them living.

[Sings in Gonzalo's ear.

While you here do snoring lie,

Open-eyed conspiracy

His time doth take.

If of life you keep a care,
Shake off slumber, and beware:

Awake, Awake!

Ant. Then let us both be sudden.

300