Ant. Let it be to-night; For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they Seb. I say, tonight: no more. Solemn and strange musick; and PROSPERO above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a banquet; they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the King, etc. to eat, they depart. Alon. What harmony is this? my good friends, hark! Gon. Marvellous sweet musick! Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these? Seb. A living drollery: Now I will believe, That there are unicorns; that, in Arabia There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; on phoenix At this hour reigning there... Ant. I'll believe both; And what does else want credit, come to me, 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, Their manners are more gentle kind, than of Many, nay, almost any. Pro. Honest Lord, Thou hast said well for some of you there present, Are worse than devils. [Aside. Alon. I cannot too much muse, Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing (Although they want the use of tongue,) a kind Fran. They vanish'd strangely. They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs. Will't please your taste of what is here? Alon. Not I. Gon. Faith, Sir, you need not fear: When we were boys, Who would believe that there were mountaineers, Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them Wallets of flesh or that there were such men, Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find, Each putter out on five for one, will bring us Good warrant of. Alon. I will stand to, and feed, Although my last no matter, since I feel The best is past: Brother, my Lord the Duke, Stand 100, and do as we. Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table, and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes. Ariel. 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; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; [Seeing ALON. SEB. etc. draw their swords. And even with such like valour, men hang and drown Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows Are ministers of fate; the elements Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well One dowle that's in my plume; my fellow - ministers (Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads,) is nothing, but heart's sorrow, And a clear life ensuing. He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft musick, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes and carry out the table. Pro. [Aside,] Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: thou nothing 'bated, say: so, with good life, Of my instruction hast And observation strange, my meaner ministers Their several kinds have done: my high charms work, And these, mine enemies, are all knit up In their distractions: they now are in my power; And in these fits I leave them, whilst I visit Young Ferdinand (whom they suppose is drown'd,) And his and my lov'd darling. [Exit PROSPERO from above. Gon. I' the name of something holy, Sir, why stand you, In this strange stare? Alon. O, it is monstrous! monstrous! 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, pronounc'd The name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass. Therefore my son i'the ooze is bedded; and I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded. 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 second. [Exit. Exeunt SEB. and ANT. Gon. All three of them are desperate; their great guilt, Like poison given to work a great time after, Now 'gins to bite the spirits :- I do beseech you That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly, And hinder them from what this ecstacy May now provoke them to. Adri. Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt. Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA. Pro. If I have too austerely punish'd you, Have given you here a thread of mine own life, 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. I do believe it, Against an oracle. Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acqui sition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: But Fer. As I hope For quiet days, fair issue, and long life, |