No longer for my flatterer: he's drowned
Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.

Ant. [Aside to Seb.] I am right glad that he's so out
Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose [of hope.
That you resolved to effect.

Seb. [Aside to Ant.] The next advantage Will we take throughly.

Ant. [Aside to Seb.] Let it be to-night;

For, now they are oppressed with travel, they
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance
As when they're fresh.

Seb. [Aside to Ant.] I say, to-night: no more.
[Solemn and strange music.
Alon. What harmony is this?-My good friends,
Gon. Marvellous sweet music!

[hark!

Enter PROSPERO above, invisible. Enter several strange
Shapes, bringing in a banquet: they dance about it
with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the
King, &c. to eat, they depart.

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15

Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens !-What were 20 Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe [these? That there are unicorns; that in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix
At this hour reigning there.

Ant.
I'll believe both;
And what does else want credit, come to me,
And I'll be sworn 'tis true: travellers ne'er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn 'em.

Gon.

If in Naples

I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say, I saw such islanders,—

For, certes, these are people of the island,

Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,

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30

Their manners are more gentle-kind than of
Our human generation you shall find

Many, nay, almost any.

Pros.

[Aside] Honest lord,

Thou hast said well; for some of you there present 35 Are worse than devils.

Alon.

I cannot too much muse

Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressAlthough they want the use of tongue-a kind [ing, Of excellent dumb discourse.

Pros.

[Aside]

Praise in departing.

No matter, since 40

Fran. They vanished strangely.

Seb. They've left their viands behind; for we have stoWill 't please you to taste of what is here?

Alon.

[machs.

Not I.

[boys,

Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were
Who would believe that there were mountaineers
Dew-lapped like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em 45
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men

Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we
Each putter-out of five for one will bring us
Good warrant of.

Alon.
Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past. Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand to, and do as we.

I will stand to, and feed,

[find

Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL, like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table; and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom Destiny,—
That hath to instrument this lower world
And what is in 't, the never-surfeited sea
Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island,
Where man doth not inhabit,-you 'mongst men

E

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55

Being most unfit to live. I've made you mad;
And even with such-like valour men hang and drown
Their proper selves. [Alon., Seb. etc. draw their swords.
You fools! I and my fellows 60

Are ministers of Fate: the elements,

Of whom your swords are tempered, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemocked-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

One dowle that's in my plume: my fellow-ministers 65
Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,

three

Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted. But remember,—
For that's my business to you,—that you
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me:
Lingering perdition--worse than any death

Can be at once-shall step by step attend [from,——
You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you
Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls
Upon your heads,-is nothing but heart-sorrow
And a clear life ensuing.

He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music, enter the
Shapes again, and dance, with mocks and mores,
and carrying out the table.

Pros. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
Performed, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
Their several kinds have done. My high charms work,

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75

80

85

And these mine enemies are all knit up

In their distractions: they now are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, while I visit
Young Ferdinand,-whom they suppose is drowned,—
And his and mine loved darling. [Exit above.
Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why
In this strange stare?
[stand you

90

Alon. O, it is monstrous, monstrous! 95 Methought the billows spoke, and told me of it; The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder, That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass. Therefore my son i' th' ooze is bedded; and I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded.

Seb.

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant.

[Exit.

But one fiend at a time,

I'll be thy second.

[Exeunt Seb. and Ant.

100

Gon. All three of them are desperate: their great Like poison given to work a great time after, [guilt, 105 Now 'gins to bite the spirits. I do beseech you That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly And hinder them from what this ecstasy

May now provoke them to.

Adr.

Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA.

Pros. If I have too austerely punished you, Your compensation makes amends; for I Have given you here a third of mine own life,

Or that for which I live; who once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,
Do not smile at me that I boast her off,

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer.

Against an oracle.

I do believe it

Pros. Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition Worthily purchased, take my daughter: but If thou dost break her virgin-knot before All sanctimonious ceremonies may With full and holy rite be ministered, No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall To make this contract grow; but barren hate, Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew The union of your bed with weeds so loathly That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed, As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Fer.

As I hope

For quiet days, fair issue and long life,

With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,

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10

15

20

25

The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion

Our worser genius can, shall never melt

Mine honour into lust, to take away

The edge of that day's celebration

When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are foundered, 30 Or Night kept chained below.

Pros.

Fairly spoke.

Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.
What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.