University of Virginia Library

SCENE V.

A naked Part of the Island.
Thunder, Wind, Rain.
Enter Caliban, bearing a Bundle of Wood.
Cal.
All the infections that the sun sucks up
From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him
By inchmeal a disease!
[Throws off his Load.
His spirits hear me,
And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,
Fright me with urchin shows, pitch me i'the mire,
Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid them; but
For every trifle they are set upon me;
Sometime like apes, that mow and chatter at me,
And after, bite me; then like hedge-hogs, which
Lie tumbling in my bare-foot way, and mount
Their pricks at my foot-fall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who, with cloven tongues,
Do hiss me into madness.

[Wind and Rain.
Trinculo.
[Without.]
O, O, O,—

Cal.
Lo, now! lo!
Here comes a spirit of his; and to torment me,
For bringing wood in slowly: I'll fall flat;
Perchance he will not mind me.

[Lies down.
Enter Trinculo.
Trin.

Here's neither bush nor shrub, to bear off
any weather at all, and another storm brewing; I
hear it sing i'the wind: if it should thunder, as it did
before, I know not where to hide my head: yond'

same cloud cannot chuse but fall by pailfuls,—What
have we here? a man or a fish?—Dead or alive?—
A fish: he smells like a fish; a very ancient, and fish-like
smell; a kind of, not the newest, poor John.—
A strange fish! Legg'd like a man! and his fins like
arms!—Warm, o'my troth!—I do now let loose my
opinion, hold it no longer; this is no fish, but an
islander, that has lately suffered by a thunderbolt.—
[Wind and Rain.]
—Alas! the storm is come again:
my best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there
is no other shelter hereabout: misery acquaints a
man with strange bedfellows: I will here shroud, till
the dregs of the storm be past.

[Lies down behind Caliban.
Enter Stephano, singing; a Keg in his Hand.
Step.

This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's funeral:
—Well, here's my comfort.

[Drinks,

This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort.

[Drinks.

Cal.

Do not torment me: O!

Step.

What's the matter? Have we devils here?
Do you put tricks upon us with savages, and men of
Inde?—Ha! I have not 'scap'd drowning, to be
afeard now of your four legs; for it hath been said,

as proper a man as ever went on four legs, cannot make
him give ground: and it shall be said so again, while
Stephano breathes at nostrils.

Cal.

This spirit torments me: O!—

Step.

This is some monster of the isle, with four
legs; who has got, as I take it, an ague. Where the
devil should he learn our language? I will give him
some relief, if it be but for that: if I can recover him,
and keep him tame, and get to Naples with him, he's
a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat's-leather.

Cal.
Do not torment me, 'pr'ythee;
I'll bring my wood home faster.—O, O, O!—

Step.

He's in his fit now; and does not talk after
the wisest: he shall taste of my bottle: if he have never
drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his
fit: if I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will
not take too much for him; he shall pay for him that
hath him, and that soundly.

Cal.
Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt
Anon, I know it by thy trembling:
Now Prosper works upon thee.

Step.
[Raising Caliban.]

Come on your ways;
open your mouth; here is that which will give language
to you, cat; open your mouth:— [Makes Caliban

drink.]
—This will shake your shaking, I can
tell you, and that soundly:— [Takes the Keg from his

Mouth.]
—You cannot tell who's your friend: open
your chaps again.

[Caliban takes the Keg, and drinks.
Trin.

I should know that voice: it should be—
but he is drown'd; and these are devils: O! defend
me!—

Step.

Four legs and two voices; a most delicate
monster! His forward voice now is to speak well of
his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches,
and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle will recover

him, I will help his ague.—Come, amen!—
[Takes the Keg from Caliban, who lies down again.]

—I will pour some in thy other mouth.

Trin.

Stephano,—

Step.

Doth thy other mouth call me! Mercy!
Mercy! This is a devil, and no monster.

Trin.

Stephano!—if thou be'st Stephano, touch
me, and speak to me; for I am Trinculo;—be not
afeard,—thy good friend Trinculo.

Step.

If thou be'st Trinculo, come forth; I'll pull
thee by the lesser legs.—Thou art very Trinculo, indeed:
How cam'st thou to be the siege of this moon-calf?
Can he vent Trinculos.

Trin.

I took him to be kill'd with a thunder-stroke.
—And art thou living, Stephano! O Stephano, two
Neapolitans 'scap'd!

[Runs and embraces him, turning him round.
Step.

'Pr'ythee, do not turn me about; my stomach
is not constant.

Cal.

These be fine things, and if they be not sprites.
That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor.

Step.

How did'st thou 'scape? How cam'st thou
hither? Swear by this bottle how thou cam'st hither!
— [Gives Trinculo the Keg,—he drinks.]
—I escaped
upon a butt of sack, which the sailors heaved over
board.—How escaped'st thou?

Trin.

Swam ashore, man, like a duck.—O, Stephano,
hast any more of this?

[Gives Stephano the Keg.
Step.

The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock
by the sea-side, where my wine is hid. How now,
moon-calf! How does thine ague?

Cal.

Hast thou not dropped from heaven?

Step.

Out o'the moon, I do assure thee: I was the
man in the moon, when time was.

Cal.

I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee:
My mistress showed me thee, thy dog, and bush.

Step.

Come, swear to that;— [Gives Caliban the

Keg.]
—kiss the book: I will furnish it anon with new
contents: swear.

[Caliban drinks greedily.
Trin.

By this good light, this is a very shallow
monster:—I afeard of him?—a very weak monster
—the man i'the moon!—A most poor, credulous
monster.

Step.

Well drawn, monster, in good sooth.

[Takes the Keg from Caliban.
Cal.
I'll show thee every fertile inch o' the island;
And I'll kiss thy foot: I pr'ythee, be my god.

Trin.

By this light, a most perfidious and drunken
monster; when his god's asleep, he'll rob his bottle.

Cal.
I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries;
I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough.
A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!
I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,
Thou wond'rous man.

Trin.

A most ridiculous monster: to make a wonder
of a poor drunkard.—Ah me!

Cal.
I pr'ythee, let me bring thee where crabs grow:
And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts;
Show thee a jay's nest, and instruct thee how
To snare the nimble marmozet; I'll bring thee
To clust'ring filberts, and sometimes I'll get thee
Young sea-mells from the rock: Wilt thou go with me?

Step.

I pr'ythee now, lead the way, without any
more talking.—What, Trinculo,—weeping?—You
spill your wine out of your eyes; you shall drink no
more.

Trin.

This will be a doleful day with my poor girl:
she gave me a gilt nutmeg at parting: that's lost too.
—But, come, sorrow is dry,— [Takes the Keg.]
Here's
to you, Stephano.

[Drinks.
Step.

Beshrew thy heart, for putting me in mind of
my wife: It's a good old jade;—she has but one eye
left, and she will weep out that too, when she

hears that I am drowned.— [Takes the Keg.]
But
here's my comfort.

[Drinks.
Trin.

A man had as good e'en be a fish as a man,
for any comfort is likely to be got in this island:—
We may lie at hull here till the wind blow north and
by south, ere we can cry—“A sail! a sail!”—at
sight of a white apron.

Step.

Trinculo, the king, and all our company, being
drowned, we will inherit here.—Here; bear my bottle,
[Gives the Keg to Caliban, who drinks it empty.]

—and lead the way, monster.—Fellow Trinculo,
we'll fill him by and by again.

Caliban
sings drunkenly.
No more dams I'll make for fish;
Nor fetch in firing,
At requiring,
Nor scrape trench'ring, nor wash dish;
'Ban, 'Ban, Ca—Caliban,
Has a new master;—Get a new man.

Trin. Step. and Cal.
'Ban, 'Ban, Ca—Caliban,
Has a new master;—Get a new man.

[Exeunt.