Ant.

Gon.

That there are unicorns, that in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix' throne, one phoenix
At this hour reigning there.

I'll believe both;
And what does else want credit, come to me,
And I'll be sworn 'tis true: travellers ne'er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn 'em.
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,

shall find

Their manners are more gentle-kind than of
Our human generation you
Many, nay, almost any.

Pros. [Aside.]

Alon.

Honest lord,

Thou hast said well; for some of
Are worse than devils.

30

you there present

I cannot too much muse

Such shapes, such gesture and such sound, ex

pressing,

Although they want the use of tongue, a kind

Of excellent dumb discourse.

Alon.

They have left their viands behind; for we have

stomachs.

Will 't please you taste of what is here?

Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear.

Not I.

When we were

boys,

Alon.

Who would believe that there were mountaineers Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men
Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now
we find

Each putter-out of five for one will bring us
Good warrant of.

Although my last

The best is past.

I will stand to and feed,

no matter, since I feel

Brother, my lord the duke,

Stand to and do as we.

50

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel, like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table; and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari.

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 you; and on this island
Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad ;
And even with such-like valour men hang and
drown

Their proper selves.

[Alon., Seb., &c., draw their swords. You fools! I and my fellows

61

Are ministers of Fate: the elements,
Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

One dowle that's in my plume: my fellow-ministers

70

Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths
And will not be uplifted. But remember-
For that's my business to you that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me
Lingering perdition, worse than any death
Can be at once, shall step by step attend
You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you
from--

Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls So
Upon your heads-is nothing but heart-sorrow
And a clear life ensuing.

He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance, with mocks and mows, and carrying out the table.

Pros. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life
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, while I visit

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Young Ferdinand, whom they suppose is drown'd, And his and mine loved darling. [Exit above. Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand

Alon.

Seb.

Ant.

Gon.

Adr.

you

In this strange stare?

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, pronounced
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.

I'll fight their legions o'er.

100

[Exit.

But one fiend at a time,

I'll be thy second. [Exeunt Seb. and Ant. 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 ecstasy
May now provoke them to.

Follow, I pray you.
[Exeunt.

Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.
Pros. If I have too austerely punish'd you,
Your compensation makes amends, for I
Have given you here a thrid of mine own life,
Or that for which I live; who once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou

Fer.

Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me that I boast her off,

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise IO
And make it halt behind her.

Against an oracle.

I do believe it

Pros. Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchased, take my daughter: but
If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minister'd,
No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall