 | The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island |  |
SCENE II.
The Wild Island.Enter Trincalo, Caliban, Sycorax.
Calib.
My Lord, I see 'em coming yonder.
Trinc.
Whom?
Calib.
The starv'd Prince, and his two thirsty Subjects,
That would have our Liquor.
Trinc.
If thou wert a Monster of parts, I would make thee
My Master of Ceremonies, to conduct 'em in.
Employment by not being a Linguist, and for want
Of behaviour.
Syc.
My Lord, shall I go meet 'em? I'll be kind to all of 'em,
Just as I am to thee.
Trinc.
No, that's against the fundamental Laws of my Dukedom:
you are in a high place, Spouse, and must give good Example.
Here they come, we'll put on the gravity of Statesmen,
and be very dull, that we may be held wise.
Enter Stephano, Ventoso, Mustacho.
Vent.
Duke Trincalo, we have consider'd.
Trinc.
Peace or War?
Must.
Peace, and the Butt.
Steph.
I come now as a private person, and promise to live
peaceably under your Government.
Trinc.
You shall enjoy the benefits of Peace; and the first
fruits of it, amongst all Civil Nations, is to be drunk for joy:
Caliban, skink about.
Steph.
I long to have a Rowse to her Graces health, and to
the Haunse in Kelder, or rather Haddock in Kelder, for I ghess
it will be half Fish.
[Aside.
Trinc.
Subject Stephano, here's to thee; and let old quarrels
be drown'd in this draught.
[Drinks.
Steph.
Great Magistrate, here's thy Sisters health to thee.
[Drinks to Caliban.
Syc.
He shall not drink of that immortal Liquor,
My Lord, let him drink Water.
Trinc.
O Sweet-heart, you must not shame your self to day.
Gentlemen Subjects, pray bear with her good Huswifry:
She wants a little breeding, but she's hearty.
Must.
Ventoso, here's to thee. Is it not better to pierce the
Butt, then to quarrel and pierce one another's bellies?
Vent.
Let it come, Boy.
Trinc.
Now wou'd I lay greatness aside, and shake my heels,
if I had but Musick.
Calib.
O my Lord! my Mother left us in her Will a hundred
Spirits to attend us, Devils of all sorts, some great roaring
Syc.
Shall we call? and thou shalt hear them in the air.
Trinc.
I accept the motion: let us have our Mother-in-law's
Legacy immediately.
Calib.
sings.
We want Musick, we want Mirth,
Up, Dam, and cleave the Earth:
We have now no Lords that wrong us,
Send thy merry Sprights among us.
Trinc.
What a merry Tyrant am I, to have my
Musick, and pay nothing for't?
[A Table rises, and four Spirits with Wine and Meat enter, placing it, as they dance, on the Table: The Dance ended, the Bottles vanish, and the Table sinks agen.
Vent.
The Bottle's drunk.
Must.
Then the Bottle's a weak shallow fellow, if it be drunk
first.
Trinc.
Stephano, give me thy hand,
Thou hast been a Rebel, but here's to thee:
[Drinks.
Prithee why should we quarrel? shall I swear
Two Oaths? By Bottle, and by Butt I love thee:
In witness whereof I drink soundly.
Steph.
Your Grace shall find there's no love lost,
For I will pledge you soundly.
Trinc.
Thou hast been a false Rebel, but that's all one;
Pledge my Grace faithfully.
Trinc.
Caliban,
Go to the Butt, and tell me how it sounds:
Peer Stephano, dost thou love me?
Steph.
I love your Grace, and all your Princely Family.
Trinc.
'Tis no matter if thou lov'st me; hang my Family:
Thou art my friend, prithee tell me what
Thou think'st of my Princess?
Steph.
I look on her, as on a very noble Princess.
Trinc.
Noble? indeed she had a Witch to her Mother, and
the Witches are of great Families in Lapland, but the Devil
France; but look on her beauty, is she a fit Wife for Duke
Trincalo? mark her behaviour too, shee's tipling yonder with
the Serving-men.
Steph.
An't please your Grace, she's somewhat homely, but
that's no blemish in a Princess. She is virtuous.
Trinc.
Umph! virtuous! I am loath to disparage her;
But thou art my friend, canst thou be close?
Steph.
As a stopt Bottle, an't please your Grace.
[Enter Caliban agen with a bottle.
Trinc.
Why then I'll tell thee, I found her an hour ago under
an Elder-tree, upon a sweet Bed of Nettles, singing Tory, Rory,
and Ranthum, Scantum, with her own Natural Brother.
Steph.
O Jew! make love in her own Tribe?
Trinc.
But 'tis no matter, to tell thee true, I marri'd her to be
a great man and so forth: but make no words on't, for I care
not who knows it, and so here's to thee agen, give me the Bottle,
Caliban! did you knock the Butt? how does it sound?
Calib.
It sounds as though it had a noise within.
Trinc.
I fear the Butt begins to rattle in the throat and is departing:
give me the Bottle.
[Drinks.
Must.
A short life and a merry, I say.
Steph. whispers Sycorax.
Syc.
But did he tell you so?
Steph.
He said you were as ugly as your Mother, and that he
Marri'd you onely to get possession of the Island.
Syc.
My Mothers Devils fetch him for't.
Steph.
And your Fathers too, hem! skink about his Graces
health agen. O if you will but cast an eye of pity upon me—
Syc.
I will cast two eyes of pity on thee, I love thee more then
Haws, or Black-berries, I have a hoard of Wildings in the
Moss, my Brother knows not of 'em; but I'll bring thee where
they are.
Steph.
Trincalo was but my Man when time was.
Syc.
Wert thou his God, and didst thou give him Liquor?
Steph.
I gave him Brandy, and drunk Sack my self; wilt thou
leave him, and thou shalt be my Princess?
Syc.
If thou canst make me glad with this Liquor.
I'll warrant thee we'll ride into the Countrey where it
grows.
Syc.
How wilt thou carry me thither?
Steph.
Upon a Hackney-Devil of thy Mothers.
Trinc.
What's that you will do? hah! I hope you have not
betray'd me? how does my Pigs-nye?
[To Sycorax.
Syc.
Be gone! thou shalt not be my Lord, thou say'st
I'm ugly.
Trinc.
Did you tell her so—hah! he's a Rogue, do not believe
him, Chuck.
Steph.
The foul words were yours: I will not eat 'em for you.
Trinc.
I see if once a Rebel, then ever a Rebel. Did I receive
thee into Grace for this? I will correct thee with my Royal Hand.
[Strikes Stephano.
Syc.
Dost thou hurt my Love?
[Flies at Trincalo.
Trinc.
Where are our Guards? Treason! Treason!
[Vent. Must. Calib. run betwixt.
Vent.
Who took up Arms first, the Prince or the People?
Trinc.
This false Traitor has corrupted the Wife of my bosom.
Mustacho, strike on my side, and thou shalt be my Vice-Roy.
Must.
I'm against Rebels! Ventoso, obey your Vice-Roy.
Vent.
You a Vice-Roy?
[They two fight off from the rest.
Steph.
Hah! Hector Monster! do you stand neuter?
Calib.
Thou would'st drink my Liquor, I will not help thee.
Syc.
'Twas his doing that I had such a Husband, but I'll
claw him.
[Syc. and Calib. fight, Syc. beating him off the Stage.
Trinc.
The whole Nation is up in arms, and shall I stand idle?
I'll not pursue too far,
For fear the Enemy should rally agen, and surprise my Butt in
the Cittadel; well, I must be rid of my Lady Trincalo, she will
be in the fashion else; first, Cuckold her Husband, and then
sue for a separation, to get Alimony.
[Exit.
| The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island | |