What I shall die to want: But this is trifling; The bigger bulk it shews. Hence, bashful cunning! If not I'll die your maid: to be your fellow2 Fer. you And I thus humble ever. Mira. My mistress, dearest, My husband then? Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand. Mira. And mine, with my heart in't:' And now farewell, Till half an hour hence. Fer. A thousand! thousand! [Exeunt FER. and MIR. 4 Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, [Exit. 2 your fellow-] i. e. companion. 3 Mira. And mine, with my heart in't :] It is still customary in the west of England, when the conditions of a bargain are agreed upon, for the parties to ratify it by joining their hands, and at the same time for the purchaser to give an earnest. HENLEY. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, Who are surpriz'd with all ;] The sense might be clearer, were we to make a slight transposition: "So glad of this as they, who are surpriz'd "With all, I cannot be-" Perhaps, however, more consonantly with ancient language, we should join two of the words together, and read "Who are surpriz'd withal. STEEVENS. SCENE II. Another part of the Island. Enter STEPHANO and TRINCULO; CALIBAN following with a bottle. Ste. Tell not me;-when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear and board 'em:5 Servant-monster, drink to up, me. Trin. Servant-monster? the folly of this island! They say, there's but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if the other two be brained like us, the state totters. Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee; thy eyes are almost set in thy head. Trin. Where should they be set else? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail. Ste. My man-monster hath drowned his tongue in sack for my part, the sea cannot drown me: I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty leagues, off and on, by this light.-Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard. Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard." Ste. We'll not run, monsieur monster. Trin. Nor go neither: but you'll lie, like dogs; and yet say nothing neither. 5 bear up, and board 'em :] A metaphor alluding to a chace at sea. 6 or my standard. Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.] Meaning, he is so much intoxicated, as not to be able to stand. The quibble between standard, an ensign, and standard, a fruit-tree that grows without support, is evident. STEEVENS. Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf. Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe: I'll not serve him, he is not valiant. Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster; I am in case to justle a constable: why, thou deboshed fish thou," was there ever a man a coward, that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish, and half a monster? Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord? Trin. Lord, quoth he!—that a monster should be such a natural! if ; Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee. Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: you prove a mutineer, the next tree-The poor monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity. Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased To hearken once again the suit I made thee? Ste. Marry will I kneel and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo, Enter ARIEL, invisible. Cal. As I told thee Before, I am subject to a tyrant;8 A sorcerer, that by his cunning hath Ari. Thou liest. Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou; 7 8 thou deboshed fish thou,] the same as debauched. I would, my valiant master would destroy thee: Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth. Trin. Why, I said nothing. Ste. Mum then, and no more.-[To CALIBAN.] Proceed. Cal. I say, by sorcery he got this isle; From me he got it. If thy greatness will Revenge it on him-for, I know, thou dar'st; But this thing dare not. Ste. That's most certain. Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it, and I'll serve thee. Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party? Cal. Yea, yea, my lord; I'll yield him thee asleep, Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head. Ari. Thou liest, thou canst not. Cal. What a pied ninny's this? patch! Thou scurvy I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows, And take his bottle from him: when that's gone, He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not shew him Where the quick freshes are. Ste. Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt the monster one word further, and, by this 9 What a pied ninny's this?] It should be remembered that Trinculo is no sailor, but a jester; and is so called in the ancient dramatis persona. He therefore wears the party-coloured dress of one of these characters. STEEVENS. Dr. Johnson observes, that Caliban could have no knowledge of the striped coat usually worn by fools; and would therefore transfer this speech to Stephano. But though Caliban might not know this circumstance, Shakspeare did. Surely he who has given to all countries and all ages the manners of his own, might forget himself here, as well as in other places. MALONE. hand, I'll turn my mercy out of doors, and make a stock-fish of thee. Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing; I'll go further off. Ste. Didst thou not say, he lied? Ari. Thou liest. Ste. Do I so? take thou that. [Strikes him.] As you like this, give me the lie another time. Trin. I did not give the lie-Out o' your wits, and hearing too?-A -A pox bottle! this can your sack, and drinking do.-A murrain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers! Cal. Ha, ha, ha! Ste. Now, forward with your tale. Pr'ythee stand further off. Cal. Beat him enough: after a little time, I'll beat him too. Ste. Stand further.-Come, proceed. Cal. Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him I' the afternoon to sleep there thou may'st brain him, Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log One spirit to command: They all do hate him, Remember, First to possess his books; for without them 'He's but a sot, as I am,] In the old romances the sorcerer iş always furnished with a book, by reading certain parts of which he is enabled to summon to his aid whatever dæmons or spirits he has occasion to employ. When he is deprived of his book, his power ceases. Our author might have observed this circumstance much insisted on in the Orlando Innamorato of Boyardo; and also in Harrington's translation of the Orlando Furioso, 1591. |