Enter certain Reapers, properly habited; they join with the
Nymphs in a graceful Dance; towards the End whereof
Profpero ftarts fuddenly, and speaks; after which to a
ftrange, hollow and confufed Noife, they heavily vanish.

Pro. I had forgot that foul Confpiracy
Of the Beaft Caliban, and his Confederates,
Against my Life; the Minute of their Plot
Is almoft come. Well done, avoid; no more.
Fer. This is ftrange; your Father's in fome Paffion
That works him ftrongly.

Mira. Never 'till this Day

Saw I him touch'd with Anger, fo diftemper'd.
Pro. You do look, my Son, in a mov'd fort,
As if you were dismay'd; be chearful, Sir,
Our Revels now are ended: These our Actors,
As I foretold you, were all Spirits, and
Are melted into Air, into thin Air;
And like the baseless Fabrick of their Vifion,
The Cloud-capt Towers, the gorgeous Palaces,
The folemn Temples, the great Globe it felf,
Yea, all which it inherit, fhall diffolve,
And like this infubftantial Pageant faded,
Leave not a Rack behind; we are fuch Stuff
As Dreams are made on, and our little Life
Is rounded with a Sleep. Sir, I am vext;.
Bear with my Weakness, my old Brain is troubled:
Be not disturb'd with my Infirmity;

If you be pleas'd, retire into my Cell,

And there repofe; a Turn or two I'll walk

To still my beating Mind.

Fer. Mira. We wish you Peace.

[Exit.

Pro. Come with a Thought; I thank thee, Ariel: Come.

Enter Ariel.

Ari. Thy Thoughts I cleave to; what's thy Pleafure?
Pro Spirit, we must prepare to meet with Caliban.
Ari. Ay, my Commander, when I prefented Ceres
I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd
Left I might anger thee.

Pro. Say again, where didft thou leave these Varlets?

Ari. I told you, Sir, they were red hot with drinking; So full of Valour, that they fmote the Air For breathing in their Faces; beat the Ground For kiffing of their Feet; yet always bending "Towards their Project: Then I beat my Tabor, At which, like unbackt Colts, they prickt their Ears, Advanc'd their Eye-lids, lifted up their Nofes, As they smelt Mufick; fo I charm'd their Ears, That, Calf-like, they my Lowing follow'd through Tooth'd Briars, fharp Furzes, pricking Gofs and Thorns, Which enter'd their frail Shins: At laft I left them I'th' filthy mantled Pool beyond your Cell,

There dancing up to th' Chins, that the foul Lake

O'er-ftunk their Feet.

Pro. This was well done, my Bird;

Thy Shape invifible retain thou ftill;
The Trumpry in my House, go bring it hither,
For ftale to catch thefe Thieves.

Ari. I go, I

go, I go.

[Exit.

Pro. A Devil, a born Devil, on whofe Nature Nurture can never ftick; on whom my Pains, Humanly taken, all, all loft, quite loft; And as, with Age, his Body uglier grows, So his Mind cankers; I will plague them all, Even to roaring: Come, hang them on this Line. Enter Ariel loaden with glistering Apparel, &c. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.

Cal. Pray you tread foftly, that the blind Mole may not hear a Foot fall; we now are near his Cell.

Ste. Monster, your Fairy, which you fay is a harmless Fairy, Has done little better than plaid the Jack with us.

Trin. Monster, I do fmell all Horse-pifs, at which

My Nofe is in great Indignation.

Ste. So is mine: Do you hear, Monster? If I fhould Take a Displeasure against you; look you

Trin. Thou wert but a loft Monster.

Cal. Good my Lord, give me thy Favour still:

Be patient, for the Prize I'll bring thee to

Shall hood-wink this Mifchance; therefore fpeak foftly;
All's husht as Midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lofe our Bottles in the Pool.

VOL. I.

E

Ste.

Ste. There is not only Difgrace, and Difhonour in that, Monster, but an infinite Lofs.

Trin. That's more to me than my wetting: Yet this is your harmless Fairy, Monster.

Ste. I will fetch off

my Bottle, Tho' I be o'er Ears for my Labour.

Cal. Prethee, my King, be quiet: Seeft thou here
This is the Mouth o' th' Cell; no Noife, and enter;
Do that good Mischief which may make this Island
Thine own for ever; and I, thy Caliban,
For ay thy Foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy Hand;

I do begin to have bloody Thoughts.

Trin. O King Stephano! O Peer! O worthy Stephano ! Look what a Wardrobe here is for thee.

Cal. Let it alone, thou Fool, it is but Trash.

Trin. Oh, ho, Monster; we know what belongs to a Frippery, O King Stephano.

Ste. Put off that Gown, Trinculo, by this Hand I'll have that Gown.

Trin. Thy Grace fhall have it.

Cal. The Dropfie drown this Fool; what do you mean To doat thus on fuch Luggage? Let's alone,

And do the Murder firft: If he awake,

From Toe to Crown he'll fill our Skins with Pinches;
Make us ftrange Stuff.

Ste. Be you quiet, Monfter. Miftrefs Line, is not this my Jerkin? Now is the Jerkin under the Line: Now Jerkin you are like to lose your Hair, and prove a bald Jerkin.

Trin. Do, do; we fteal by Line and Level, and 't like your Grace.

Ste. I thank thee for that Jeft, here's a Garment for't; Wit fhall not go unrewarded while I am King of this Coun try: Steal by Line and Level, is an excellent Pass of Pate; there's another Garment for't.

Trin. Monster, come put fome Lime upon your Fingers, and away with the reft.

Cal. I will have none on't; we fhall lofe our Time,

And all be turn'd to Barnacles, or to Apes,

With Foreheads villanous low.

away,

Ste. Monster, lay to your Fingers; help to bear this where my Hogfhead of Wine is, or I'll turn you out of my Kingdom; go to, carry this.

Trin. And this.

Ste. Ay, and this.

A Noife of Hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits in shape of Hounds, hunting them about; Profpero and Ariel fetting them on.

Pro. Hey Mountain, hey.

Ari. Silver; there it goes, Silver.

Pro. Fury, Fury; there Tyrant, there; hark, hark;
Go, charge my Goblins that they grind their Joints
With dry Convulfions, fhorten up their Sinews
With aged Cramps, and more pinch-fpotted make them,
Than Pard, or Cat o' Mountain.

Ari. Hark, they roar.

Pro. Let them be hunted foundly. At this Hour
Lye at my Mercy all mine Enemies:

Shortly fhall all my Labours end, and thou
Shalt have the Air at Freedom; for a little
Follow, and do me Service.

A CT V.

SCENE I.

[Exeunt

Enter Profpero in his Magick Robes, and Ariel.

Pro. My charms crack not; my Spirits obey, and Time

WOW does my Project gather to a head:

Goes upright with his Carriage: How's the Day?
Ari. On the fixth Hour, at which time, my Lord,
You faid our Work fhould cease.

Pro. I did fay fo

When firft I rais'd the Tempeft; fay, my Spirit,
How fares the King and's Followers?

Ari. Confin'd together

In the fame Fashion as you gave in charge,
Juft as you left them, all Prifoners, Sir,

In the Lime-grove which weather-fends your Cell,
They cannot budge 'till you releafe. The King,
E &

His

His Brother, and yours, abide all three distracted;
And the remainder mourning over them,
Brim-full of Sorrow and Difmay; but chiefly

Him that you term'd, Sir, the good old Lord Gonzalo.
His Tears run down his Beard, like Winter Drops

From Eaves of Reeds; your Charm fo ftrongly works 'em,
That if you now beheld them, your Affections

Would become tender.

Pro. Do'st thou think fo, Spirit?

Ari. Mine would, Sir, were I human.

Pro. And mine fhall.

Haft thou, which art but Air, a Touch, a Feeling
Of their Afflictions, and fhall not my felf,
One of their Kind, that relish all as sharply
Paffion as they, be kindlier mov'd than thou art?
Tho' with their high Wrongs I am ftruck to th' quick,
Yet, with my nobler Reafon, against my Fury,
Do I take part; the rarer Action is

In Virtue than in Vengeance; they being penitent,
The fole Drift of my Purpose doth extend
Not a Frown further: Go release them, Ariel;
My Charms I'll break, their Senfes I'll restore,
And they shall be themselves.

Ari. I'll fetch them, Sir.

[Exit.

Pro. Ye Elves of Hills, Brooks, ftanding Lakes and Groves,

And ye that on the Sands with printless Foot

Do Chafe the ebbing Neptune, and do fly him
When he comes back; you Demy-puppets that
By Moon-fhine do the green four Ringlets make,
Whereof the Ewe not bites; and you whofe Paftime
Is to make Midnight Mushrooms, that rejoice
To hear the folemn Curfew, by whofe Aid,
Weak Masters tho' ye be, I have be-dimn'd
The Noon-tide Sun, call'd forth the mutinous Winds,
And 'twixt the green Sea and the azur'd Vault
Set roaring War: To the dread ratling Thunder
Have I given Fire, and rifted Jove's ftout Oak
With his own Bolt: The ftrong'd bas'd Promontory
Have I made shake, and by the Spurs pluckt up
The Pine and Cedar: Graves at my Command
Have wak'd their Sleepers, op'd, and let 'em forth

By