Seb.
Or docks, or mallows.
Gon. And were the king of it, what would I do?
Seb. 'Scape being drunk, for want of wine.
Gon. I' the commonwealth I would by contraries
Execute all things: for no kind of traffic
Would I admit, no name of magistrate;
Letters should not be known: riches, poverty.
And use of service, none; contract, succession,
Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none :
No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil:
No occupation; all men idle, all;

And women too; but innocent and pure :
No sovereignty:-

Seb. Yet he would be king on 't.

Ant. The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning.

Gon. All things in common nature should produce

Without sweat or endeavor: treason, felony, Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,1 Would I not have; but nature should bring forth, Of its own kind, all foizon, all abundance,

To feed my innocent people.

Seb. No marrying 'mong his subjects?

Ant. None, man: all idle; whores and knaves. Gon. I would with such perfection govern, sir, To excel the golden age.

Seb.

Save his majesty!

Ant. Long live Gonzalo !

Gon.

And, do you mark me, sir?--Alon. Pr'ythee, no more; thou dost talk nothing

to me.

Gon. I do well believe your highness; and did it to minister occasion to these gentlemen, who are of such sensible and nimble lungs, that they always use to laugh at nothing.

Ant. "Twas you we laughed at.

Gon. Who, in this kind of merry fooling, am nothing to you: so you may continue, and laugh at nothing still.

Ant. What a blow was there given!

Seb. An it had not fallen flat-long.

Gon. You are gentlemen of brave mettle; you would lift the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue in it five weeks without changing.

Enter ARIEL invisible, playing solemn music.

Seb. We would so, and then go a bat-fowling.1 Ant. Nay, good my lord, be not angry.

Gon. No, I warrant you; I will not adventure my discretion so weakly. Will you laugh me. asleep, for I am very heavy?

Ant. Go sleep, and hear us.

[all sleep but Alon. Seb. and Ant.

Alon. What, all so soon asleep! I wish mine eyes Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find

1 Bird-catching in the night time.

They are inclined to do so.

Seb.

Please you, sir,

Do not omit the heavy offer of it:

It seldom visits sorrow; when it doth,

It is a comforter.

Ant.
Will guard your person, while you
And watch your safety.

We two, my lord,

Alon.

Thank you: wondrous heavy.—

[Alonso sleeps. Exit Ariel.

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

Seb.

Why

Doth it not then our eyelids sink? I find not

Myself disposed to sleep.

Ant.

Nor I; my spirits are nimble.

They fell together all, as by consent;

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 occasion1 speaks thee; and

My strong imagination sees a crown

Dropping upon thy head.

Seb.

What, art thou waking?

I do; and, surely,

Ant. Do you not hear me speak?

Seb.

It is a sleepy language, and thou speak'st

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

1 Opportunity.

This is a strange repose, to be asleep

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,

Whiles thus you mock it! how, in stripping it,

You more invest it! 2 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.

If you bestow attention, it will in the end make you thrice what you are.

2 How, in stripping the words of their common meaning, and using them figuratively, you adapt them to your own situation!

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.

That he's undrown'd.

Ant.

I have no hope

O, out of that no hope,

What great hope have you! no hope, that way, is Another way so high a hope, that even

Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,

But doubts discovery there. Will you grant, with

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

1 At a greater distance than the life of man is long enough to reach. 2 Notice, information.