would shed his liquor. If it should thunder, as it did before, I know not where to hide my head: yond' same cloud cannot chuse but fall by pailfuls.What have we here? a man or a fish? Dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fish-like smell; a kind of, not of the newest, Poor-John. A strange fish! Were I in England now, (as once I was,) and had but this fish painted," not a holiday fool there but would give a piece of silver: there would this monster make a man; any strange beast there makes a man: when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian. Legg'd like a man! and his fins like arms! Warm, o' my troth! I do now let loose my opinion, hold it no longer; this is no fish, but an islander, that hath lately suffered by a thunder-bolt. [Thunder.] Alas! the storm is come again: my best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter hereabout: Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud, till the dregs of the storm be past. Enter STEPHANO, singing; a bottle in his hand. STE. I shall no more to sea, to sea, Here shall I dye a-shore ; This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's funeral: 8 - this fish painted,] To exhibit fishes, either real or imaginary, was very common about the time of our author. 9 I STEEVENS. make a man ;] That is, make a man's fortune. or outward garment of a peasant. Spanish Gaberdina. Lov'd Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery, She lov'd not the savour of tar nor of pitch, This is a scurvy tune too: But here's my comfort. [Drinks. 2 Cal. Do not torment me: O! Ste. What's the matter? Have we devils here? Do you put tricks upon us with savages, and men of Inde? Ha' I have not 'scap'd drowning, to be afeard now of your four legs; for it hath been said, As proper a man as ever went on four legs, cannot make him give ground: and it shall be said so again, while Stephano breathes at nostrils. Cal. The spirit torments me: O! Ste. This is some monster of the isle, with four legs; who hath got, as I take it, an ague: Where the devil should he learn our language? I will give him some relief, if it be but for that: If I can recover him, and keep him tame, and get to Naples with him, he's a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat's-leather. Cal. Do not torment me, pr'ythee; I'll bring my wood home faster. Ste. He's in his fit now; and does not talk after the wisest. He shall taste of my bottle: if he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit: if I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much3 for him: he shall pay for him that hath him, and that soundly. 2-savages,] The folio reads-salvages, and rightly. It was the spelling and pronunciation of the time. 3 too much Too much means, any sum, ever so much. Cal. Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt Anon, I know it by thy trembling ;* Now Prosper works upon thee. Ste. Come on your ways; open your mouth: here is that which will give language to you, cat; open your mouth: this will shake your shaking, I can tell you, and that soundly: you cannot tell who's your friend: open your chaps again. Trin. I should know that voice: It should beBut he is drowned; and these are devils: O! defend me! Ste. Four legs, and two voices; a most delicate monster! His forward voice now is to speak well of his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches, and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle will recover him, I will help his ague: Come, -Amen! I will pour some in thy other mouth. Trin. Stephano,— Ste. Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy! mercy! This is a devil, and no monster: I will leave him; I have no long spoon.s Trin. Stephano!-if thou beest Stephano, touch It has, however, been observed to me, that when the vulgar mean to ask an extravagant price for any thing, they say, with a laugh, I won't make him pay twice for it. This sense sufficiently accommodates itself to Trinculo's expression. Mr. M. Mason explains the passage differently." I will not take for him even more than he is worth." STEEVENS. I think the meaning is, Let me take what sum I will, however great, I shall not take too much for him: it is impossible for me to sell him too dear. MALone. 4 I know it by thy trembling;] This tremor is always represented as the effect of being possessed by the devil. 5 cat;] Good liquor will make a cat speak. 6 His forward voice, &c.] The person of Fame was anciently described in this manner. 7 Amen!] Means, 8 I have no long spoon.] spoon to eat with the devil. stop your draught. me, and speak to me; for I am Trinculo;-be not afeard,-thy good friend Trinculo. Ste. If thou beest Trinculo, come forth; I'll pull thee by the lesser legs: if any be Trinculo's legs, these are they. Thou art very Trinculo, indeed: How cam'st thou to be the siege of this moon-calf?' Can he vent Trinculos? Trin. I took him to be killed with a thunderstroke-But art thou not drowned, Stephano? I hope now, thou art not drowned. Is the storm over-blown? I hid me under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine, for fear of the storm: And art thou living, Stephano? O Stephano, two Neapolitans 'scap'd! Ste. Pr'ythee, do not turn me about; my stomach is not constant. Cal. These be fine things, and if they be not sprites. That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor: Ste. How did'st thou 'scape? how cam'st thou hither? swear by this bottle, how thou cam'st hither. I escaped upon a butt of sack, which the sailors heaved over-board, by this bottle! which I made of the bark of a tree, with mine own hands, since I was cast a-shore. Cal. I'll swear, upon that bottle, to be thy 9- to be the siege of this moon-calf?] Siege signifies stool in every sense of the word, and is here used in the dirtiest. A moon-calf is an inanimate shapeless mass, supposed by Pliny to be engendered of woman only. Ste. Here; swear then how thou escap'dst.] Mr. Ritson proposes to alter this line thus: Ste. [to Cal.] Here, swear then. [to Trin.] How escap❜dst thou? Trin. Swam a-shore, man, like a duck; I can swim like a duck, I'll be sworn. Ste. Here, kiss the book: Though thou canst swim like a duck, thou art made like a goose. Trin. O Stephano, hast any more of this? Ste. The whole butt, man; my cellar is in a rock by the sea-side, where my wine is hid. How now, moon-calf? how does thine ague? Cal. Hast thou not dropped from heaven?2 Ste. Out o' the moon, I do assure thee: I was the man in the moon, when time was. Cal. I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee; My mistress shewed me thee, thy dog, and bush. Ste. Come, swear to that; kiss the book: I will furnish it anon with new contents: swear. Trin. By this good light, this is a very shallow monster :-I afeard of him? a very weak monster: -The man i' the moon?-a most poor credulous monster: Well drawn, monster, in good sooth. Cal. I'll shew thee every fertile inch o' the island; And kiss thy foot: I pr'ythee, be my god. Trin. By this light, a most perfidious and drunken monster; when his god's asleep, he'll rob his bottle. Cal. I'll kiss thy foot: I'll swear myself thy subject. Ste. Come on then; down and swear. Trin. I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy "Hast thou not dropped from heaven?] The new-discovered Indians of the island of St. Salvador, asked, whether Columbus and his companions were not come down from heaven? 3 I afeard of him?-a very weak monster: &c.] It is to be observed, that Trinculo, the speaker, is not charged with being afraid; but it was his consciousness that he was so that drew this brag from him. This is nature. WARBURTON. |