I'll feek him deeper than e'er plummet founded,
And with him there lie mudded.

Seb. But one fiend at a time,

I'll fight their legions o'er.,
Ant. I'll be thy fecond.

[Exit.

[Exeunt

Gon. All three of them are defperate; their great guilt, Like poifon giv'n to work a great time aftery di Now gins to bite the fpirits. I do beseech you, IS That are of fuppler joints, follow them swiftly on ol And hinder them from what this ecstasy May now provoke them too. Adri. Follow, I pray you.

da baА Con[Exeunt.

Enter Profpero, Ferdinand, and Miranda, wih obi

PROSPERO.

F I have too aufterely punifh'd you,

IF

I have too Pakes ar Your compenfation makes amends; for I pay a T Have giv'n you here a thread of mine own life; (24) ¿A

(24)

for I

99

L

Or

Have giv'n you here a third of my own life,] Thus all the impreflions in general; but why is the only a third of his own life?T He had no wife living, nor any other child, to rob her of a fhare in his affection: So that we may reckon her at leaft half of himself, Nar could he intend, that he lov'd himself twice as much as he did A her; for he immediately fubjoins, that it wh the lofs of his daughter, was She for whom be liv'd. Y In Othello, when Iago alarms the Senator he tells him, 510 290

Your heart is burst, you have loft balf your soul. And dimidium anima mea is the current language on fuch occafions. There is no room doubt, but I have reftor'd to the Poet his true reading; and the he thread of life is a phrafe, most frequent with him.

So in K. Henry V.

And let not Bardolfe's vital thread be cut
With edge of penny cord.

Henry VI.

had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not so foon decay'd,

1

2. Henry

Or that, for which I live; whom once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Haft ftrangely ftood the teft.

Here, afore heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift; O Ferdinand,
Do not fmile at me, that I boast her off;
For thou fhalt find, fhe will outstrip all praife,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer. I believe it,

Against an oracle.

Pro. Then as my gift, and thine own acquifition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter. But If thou dost break her virgin-knot, before All fanctimonious ceremonies may With full and holy rite be minifter'd, No sweet afperfions fhall the heav'ns let fall To make this contract grow: but barren hate, Sour-ey'd difdain, and difcord fhall beftrew The union of your bed with weeds fo loathly, That you fhall hate it both: therefore take heed, As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Fer. As I hope

For quiet days, fair iffue, and long life,

With fuch love as 'tis now; the murkieft den,

The most opportune place, the ftrong'st suggestion

Our worfer Genius can, fhall never melt

Mine honour into luft; to take away

The edge of that day's celebration,

When I fhall think or Phœbus' fteeds are founder'd,

Or night kept chain'd below.

Pro. Fairly spoke.

Sit then, and talk with her, he is thine own.

What, Ariel's my induftrious fervant, Ariel

Enter Ariel. tblink ton tel

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

2. Henry VI. Argo, their thread of life is fpun.

Othello

I'm glad. thy father's dead;
Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief.
Shore his old thread in twain.

Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your laft fervice: Did worthily perform; and I muft ufe you In fuch another trick; go, bring the rabble, O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place: Incite them to quick motion, for I muft Beftow upon the eyes of this young couple Some vanity of mine art; it is my promife, And they expect it from me.

Ari. Prefently?

Pro. Ay, with a twink.

Ari. Before you can fay, Come, and go,

And breathe twice; and cry, fo, fo

Each one, tripping on his toe,

Will be here with mop and mow

Do you love me, mater? no?

L

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel; do not approach,. 'Till thou dost here me call.

-1 Ari. Well, I conceive,

[Exit

Pro. Look, thou be true; do not give dalliance Too much the rein; the ftrongest oaths are straw To th' fire i'th' blood: be more abftemious, o £Å Or elfe, good-night, your vow!lg Lid car aQ Fer. I warrant you, Sir;

The white, cold, virgin-fnaw upon my heart. SAI Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pro. Well,

Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary,

܂

Rather than want a fpirit; appear, and pertly.I No tongue; all eyes; be filent.

[To Ferdinand.

boni, bis[Soft Mufic.

4 MASQUE. Enter Iris.

Iris. Ceres, moft bounteous Lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and peafe; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibling sheep, And fat meads that ch'd with ftover, them to keep; Thy banks with pioned, and tulip'd brims, Which pungy April at thy het betrims,

[groves, To make cold nymphs chafte crowns; and thy broomWhofe fhadow the difmiffed batchelor loves,

Being

Being lafs-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard,
And thy fea-marge fteril, and rocky hard,
Where thou thyfelf do'ft air; the Queen o'th' fky,
Whofe wat❜ry arch and meffenger am I,

Bids thee leave thefe; and with her foy'reign grace,
Here on this grafs-plot, in this very place,

To come and fport; her peacocks fly amain;
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain,

Enter Ceres.

J

flowers W

Cer. Hail, many-colour'd meffenger, that ne'er
Do'ft difobey the wife of Jupiter A
Who, with thy faffron wings, upon my
Diffufeft honey drops, refreshing fhowers;
And with each end of thy blue bow do'ft crown
My bofky acres, and my unthrub'd down, !

Rich fcarf to my proud earth; why hath thy Queen
Sammon'd me hither, to this fhort-grafs green-
Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate,
And fome donation freely to eftatele

On the blefs'd lovers.704 10

Ger. Tell me, heav'nly bow,

If Venus or her ifon, as thou do't know,
Do now attend the Queen: fince they did plot
The means, that dusky Dis my daughter got ;
Her and her blind boy's fcandal'd company
I have forfworn.

Iris. Of her fociety i

Be not afraid; I met her deity

A

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her fon
Dove-drawn with her; here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
Whofe vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid }
"Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain
Mars's hot minion is return'd again;

di

# bA

Her wafpifh-headed fon has broke his arrows; v T Swears, he will fhoot no more, but play with fparrows, And be a boy right-out.

D 4

n

Ger.

Cer. High Queen of ftate,

Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gate.

[Juno defcends, and enters:
Jen. How does my bounteous fifter? go with me.
To blefs this twain, that they may profp'rous be,
And honour'd in their iffue.

Jun. Honour, riches, marriage bleffing.
Long continuance and encreafing,
Hourly joys be ftill upon you;.
Juno fings her bleffings on you:

Cer. Earth's increase, and foyfon-plenty, (25).
Barns and garners never empty,.
Vines, with cluftring bunches growing,
Plants, with goodly burthen bowing;
Spring come to you, at the fartheft,
In the very end of harveft;

Scarcity and want fhall fhun you;
Ceres's bleffing fo is on you.

Fer. This is a moft majestic vifion, and
Harmonious charmingly may I be bold
To think thefe fpirits?

Pro. Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines call'd to enact (26)
My prefent fancies.

Fer.

(25). Earth's Increafe.] All the editions, that I have ever feen, concur in placing this whole fonnet to Juno: but very abfurdly, in my opinion. I believe, every accurate reader, who is acquainted with poetical history, and the diftinct offices of thefe two goddeffes, and who then feriously reads over our Author's lines, will agree with me, that Ceres's name ought to have been placed where I have now prefix'd it.

(26) I have from all their confines ] This all is obtruded upon us by the nice ears of our modern editors, who were for helping the verfe, upon a fuppofition that the accent in confines must needs be upon the first fyllable: But the practice of our Poet is against them; and therefore I have reftor'd him to his own reading.

See As you like it. A&t 2. Sc. I.

And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools;
Being native burghers of this defart city,
Should, in their own confines,

K. John.