Gon. It is foul weather in us all, good sir,

When you are cloudy.

Seb.

Ant.

Foul weather?

Very foul.

Gon. Had I plantation of this isle, my lord, —
Ant. He 'ld sow 't with nettle-seed.

Seb.

Or docks, or mallows.

Gon. And were the king on 't, what would

I do?

Seb. 'Scape being drunk for want of wine.
Gon. I' the commonwealth I would by con-
traries

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 pro

duce

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

To feed my innocent people.

Seb. No marrying 'mong his subjects?

150

160

Ant.

None, man; all idle.

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. Prithee, no more: thou dost talk noth-170 ing 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. 'T was 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 our 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.
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 except Alon., Seb., and Ant. Alon. What, all so soon asleep! I wish mine

180

190

eyes

Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I

find

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.

We two, my lord,

Will guard your person while you take your rest,
And watch your safety.

Ant. It is the quality o' the climate.

Seb.

Why

200

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

more:

might? - No

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?

I do; and surely 210

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?
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

Trebles thee o'er.

Seb.

Well, I am standing water.

Ant. I'll teach you how to flow.
Seb.

Hereditary sloth instructs me.

Ant.

Do so: to ebb

If you but knew how you the purpose cherish
Whiles 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.

Prithee, 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

220

230

Professes to persuade,

'T is as impossible that he 's undrown'd As he that sleeps here swims.

Seb.

That he 's undrown'd.

Ant.

the king his son's alive,

I have no hope

O, out of that "no hope"

What great hope have you! no hope that way is 240 Another way so high a hope that even

Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,

But doubt 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

Be rough and razorable; she that

We all were sea-swallow'd, though some cast again,
And by that destiny to perform an act

Whereof what 's past is prologue, what to come
In yours 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 every cubit