Seb. What a strange drowsiness possesses them?
Ant. It is the quality o' the climate.
Seb. Why

Doth it not then our eye-lids sink? I find not
Myself dispos'd to sleep.

Ant. Nor I; my spirits are nimble.
They fell together all, as by consent;

220

They dropp'd, as by a thunder-stroke. What might, Worthy Sebastian ?—O, what might ?—No more :And yet, methinks, I see it in thy face,

What thou shouldst be: the occasion speaks thee; and

My strong imagination sees a crown
Dropping upon thy head..

Seb. What, art thou waking?
Ant. Do you not hear me speak?
Seb. I do; and, surely,

It is a sleepy language; and thou speak'st

Out of thy sleep: What is it thou didst say?

This is a strange repose, to be asleep

230

With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving; And yet so fast asleep.

Ant. Noble Sebastian,

Thou let'st thy fortune sleep, die rather; wink'st

Whiles thou art waking.

Seb. Thou dost snore distinctly;

There's meaning in thy snores.

Ant. I am more serious than my custom: you

Must be so too, if heed me; which to do,

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Trebles thee o'er.

Seb.

Seb. Well; I am standing water.
Ant. I'll teach you how to flow.
Seb. Do so: to ebb,

Hereditary sloth instructs me.
Ant. O,

If you but knew, how you the purpose cherish,
Whilst thus you mock it! how, in stripping it,
You more invest it! Ebbing men, indeed,
Most often, do so near the bottom run,
By their own fear, or sloth.

Seb. Pr'ythee, say on:

The setting of thine eye, and cheek, proclaim
A matter from thee; and a birth, indeed,
Which throes thee much to yield.

Ant. Thus, sir:

Although this lord of weak remembrance, this,
(Who shall be of as little memory,

When he is earth'd) hath here almost persuaded
(For he's a spirit of persuasion, only
Professes to persuade) the king, his son's alive;
'Tis as impossible that he's undrown'd,
As he, that sleeps here, swims.

Seb. I have no hope

That he's undrown'd.

Ant. O, out of that no hope,

250

What great hope have you! no hope, that way, is
Another way so high an hope, that even
Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,

261

270

But doubts discovery there. Will you grant with me

That Ferdinand is drown'd?

Ant. She that is queen of Tunis; she that dwells Ten leagues beyond man's life; she that from Naples

Can have no note, unless the sun were post,

(The man i' the moon's too slow) till new-born

chins

Be rough and razorable; she, from whom

280

We were all sea-swallow'd, though some cast again;
And, by that destiny, to perform an act,
Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come,
Inyours, and my discharge.

Seb. What stuff is this?-How say you?

'Tis true, my brother's daughter's queen of Tunis; So is she heir of Naples; 'twixt which regions There is some space.

Ant. A space, whose ev'ry cubit

Seems to cry out, How shall that Claribel
Measure us back to Naples ?-Keep in Tunis,
And let Sebastian wake!-Say, this were death

291

That now hath seiz'd them; why, they were no

worse

Than now they are: There be that can rule Naples,
As well as he that sleeps; lords, that can prate
As amply, and unnecessarily,

As this Gonzalo; I myself could make
A chough of as deep chat. O, that you bore

The

The mind that I do! what a sleep were this

301

For your advancement! do you
Seb. Methinks, I do.

understand me?

Ant. And how does your content

Tender your own good fortune?

Seb. I remember

You did supplant your brother Prospero.

Ant. True:

And look, how well my garments sit upon me;
Much feater than before: My brother's servants 310
Were then my fellows, now they are my men.
Seb. But, for your conscience-

Ant. Ay, sir; where lies that? if it were a
kybe,

'Twould put me to my slipper: But I feel not
This deity in my bosom: twenty consciences,
That stand 'twixt me and Milan, candy'd be they,
And melt, e'er they molest. Here lies your brother,
No better than the earth he lies upon,

If he were that which now he's like, that's dead;
Whom I with this obedient steel, three inches of

it,

Can lay to bed for ever: whiles you, doing thus,
To the perpetual wink, for ay might put
This ancient morsel, this sir Prudence, who,

Should not upbraid our course. For all the rest,
They'll take suggestion, as a cat laps milk;

They'll tell the clock to

We say befits the hour.

any business that

320

Seb. Thy case, dear friend,

Shall be my precedent; as thou got'st Milan,

I'll come by Naples. Draw thy sword: one stroke Shall free thee from the tribute which thou pay'st;

And I the king shall love thee.

Ant. Draw together:

332

And when I rear my hand, do

you

the like

To fall it on Gonzalo.

Seb, O, but one word,

[They converse apart.

Enter ARIEL, with music and song.

Ari. My master through his art foresees the danger That you, his friend, are in; and sends me forth (For else his project dies) to keep them living.

[Sings in GONZALO's ear,

While you here do snoring lie,

Open-ey'd conspiracy

His time doth take:

If of life you keep a care,
Shake off slumber and beware :
Awake! Awake!

Ant. Then let us both be sudden.

Gon. Now, good angels, preserve the king!

340

[They wake,

Alon. Why, how now, ho! awake! Why are you

drawn?

Wherefore this ghastly looking?

Gon.