University of Virginia Library

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE I.

The Cell of Prospero.
Ariel and others Spirits, still invisible to Ferdinand, sing without.
Chorus of Spirits.
Sea nymphs hourly ring his knell;
Hark! now I hear them,—ding-dong, bell.

[While they are singing,
Enter Prospero and Miranda.
Pro.
The fringed curtains of thine eye advance,
And say, what thou see'st yond'.

Mir.
What is't, a spirit?
Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,
It carries a brave form:—But 'tis a spirit?

Pro.
No, wench; it eats, and sleeps, and hath such senses
As we have, such: This gallant, which thou seest,
Was in the wreck; and, but he's something stain'd
With grief, that's beauty's canker, thou might'st call him
A goodly person.

Enter Ariel, waving Ferdinand after him, followed by other Spirits.
Mir.
I might call him
A thing divine; for nothing natural
I ever saw so noble.

Pro.
It goes on,
As my soul prompts it:—Spirit, fine spirit! I'll free thee
Within two days for this.

Fer.
Most sure, the goddess,
On whom these airs attend!—Vouchsafe my prayer
May know, if you remain upon this island;
And that you will some good instruction give,
How I may bear me here: My prime request,
Which I do last pronounce, is,—O you wonder!—
If you be maid, or no?

Mir.
No wonder, sir;
But certainly a maid.

Fer.
My language!—Heavens!—
I am the best of them, that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.

Pro.
How! the best?
What wert thou, if the King of Naples heard thee?

Fer.
A single thing, as I am now, that wonders
To hear thee speak of Naples: He does hear me;
And, that he does, I weep: myself am Naples;
Who, with mine eyes, ne'er since at ebb, beheld
The king, my father, wreck'd.

Mir.
Alack, for mercy!

Fer.
Yes, faith, and all his lords.

Pro.
At the first sight
They have chang'd eyes:—Delicate Ariel,
I'll set thee free for this!—A word, good sir;
I fear, you have done yourself some wrong.—Attend—

[Prospero talks apart to Ariel.
Mir.
Why speaks my father so ungently? This
Is the third man that I e'er saw; the first
That e'er I sigh'd for: pity move my father
To be inclin'd my way!

Fer.
O, if a virgin,
And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you
The Queen of Naples.

Pro.
Soft, sir; one word more.—
They are both in either's power: but this swift business
I must uneasy make, lest too light winning
Make the prize light.—One word more—I charge thee,
That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp
Upon this island, as a spy, to win it
From me, the lord on't.

Fer.
No, as I am a man.

Mir.
There's nothing ill can dwell in such a temple:
If the ill spirit have so fair a house,
Good things will strive to dwell with't.

Pro.
Follow me,—
Speak not you for him; he's a traitor.—Come,
I'll manacle thy neck and feet together;
Sea water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be,
The fresh brook muscles, wither'd roots, and husks
Wherein the acorn cradled;—Follow.

Fer.
No;
I will resist such entertainment, till
Mine enemy has more power.

[He draws his Sword.
Pro.
Put thy sword up, traitor:
Who mak'st a show, but dar'st not strike, thy conscience
Is so possess'd with guilt: come from thy ward;
For I can here disarm thee with this stick,
And make thy weapon drop.

[Ferdinand drops his Point to the Ground.
Mir.
Beseech you, father!

Pro.
Hence; hang not on my garments.

Mir.
Sir, have pity;
I'll be his surety.

Pro.
Silence! one word more
Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What!
My foot my tutor?—Hush!—Come on, obey:
Thy nerves are in their infancy again,
And have no vigour in them.

Fer.
So they are:
My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.
My father's loss, the weakness which I feel,
The wreck of all my friends, or this man's threats,
To whom I am subdu'd, were but light to me
Might I but through my prison, once a day,
Behold this maid: all corners else o'the earth
Let liberty make use of; space enough
Have I in such a prison.

Pro.
It works:—Come on.—
Thou hast done well, fine Ariel!—Follow me.—
Hark, what thou else shalt do me.

[Prospero talks apart to Ariel.
Mir.
Be of comfort;
My father's of a better nature, sir,
Than he appears by speech: ne'er, till this day,
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.

Pro.
Thou shalt be as free
As mountain winds:—but then exactly do
All points of my command.

Ari.
To the syllable.

Pro.
Come, follow:—speak not for him.

[Exeunt Prospero, and Miranda supplicating him;—Ariel follows them, waving Ferdinand on.
SONG—BY ARIEL.
Kind fortune smiles, and she
Hath yet in store for thee,
Some strange felicity:
Follow me, follow me,
And thou shalt see.

Chorus of Spirits.
Follow me, follow me,
And thou shalt see.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

An open Part of the Island.
Enter Trinculo, Caliban, and Stephano, with a Keg.
Step.

Tell not me;—when the butt is out, we will
drink water; not a drop before: therefore, bear up,
and board 'em:—Servant Monster, drink to me:—
Why, thy eyes are almost set in thy head.

Trin.

Where should they be set else? he were a
brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.

Step.

My man-monster hath drown'd his tongue in
sack: Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my
standard.

Trin.

Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.

Step.

Mooncalf, speak once in thy life, if thou be'st
a good mooncalf.

Cal.

How does thy honour? let me lick thy shoe:
I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Trin.

Thou ly'st, most ignorant monster; why, thou
debosh'd fish thou, was there ever a man a coward
that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou
tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a
monster?

Cal.

Lo, how he mocks me!—Wilt thou let him,
my lord?

Trin.

Lord, quoth he!—O lord, O lord, that a
monster should be such a natural!

Cal.

Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee.

Step.

Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head,
if you prove a mutineer, the next tree—The poor
monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.

Cal.

I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased
to hearken once again to the suit I made thee?

Step.

Marry will I: kneel and repeat it: I will
stand, and so shall Trinculo.

[Caliban kneels.
Enter Ariel, invisible to them, with a Tabor and Pipe.
Cal.

As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant,
a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of
this island.

Ari.

Thou ly'st.

Cal.
Thou ly'st, thou jesting monkey, thou;—
[Rises.
I would, my valiant master would destroy thee;
I do not lie.

Step.

Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in
his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your
teeth.

Trin.

Why, I said nothing.

Step.

Mum then, and no more.—Proceed.

Cal.
I say, by sorcery he got this isle;
From me he got it. If thy greatness will
Revenge it on him,—for, I know, thou dar'st,—
I'll yield him thee asleep,
Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head.

Ari.
Thou ly'st, thou canst not.

Cal.
What a py'd ninny's this! Thou scurvy patch!
I do beseech thy greatness give him blows.

Step.

Trinculo, run into no further danger; interrupt
the monster one word further, and by this hand,
I'll turn my mercy out of doors, and make a stockfish
of thee.

Trin.

Why, what did I? I did nothing; I'll go
further off.

Step.

Did'st thou not say, he ly'd?

Ari.

Thou ly'st.

Step.
Do I so? take thou that.
[Strikes Trinculo.—Caliban laughs.
As you like this, give me the lie another time.

Trin.

You lie, I did not give you the lie:—Out
o'your wits, and hearing too?—A plague o'your
bottle! this can sack and drinking do.—A murrain
on your monster, and the devil take your fingers!

Cal.

Ha! ha! ha!

Step.

Now forward with your tale.—Pr'ythee, stand
further off.

Cal.
Beat him enough: After a little time,
I'll beat him too.

Step.
Stand further.—Come, proceed.

Cal.
Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him
I'the afternoon to sleep: there thou may'st brain him,
Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his weazand with thy knife: Remember,
First to possess his books; for, without them,
He's but a sot, as I am; nor hath not
One spirit to command: They all do hate him,
As rootedly as I.

Step.

Monster, I will kill this man, and be myself
king of the island. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo?

Trin.

Stephano, hear me: I will speak for the people,
because there are none in the island to speak for
themselves.—Know then, we are all content, that Stephano
shall be king, on condition I may be viceroy
over him. Speak, good people, are you agreed?
What, no man answer? Then, we may take their silence
for consent.

Step.

Give me thy hand.—I am sorry I beat thee:
but, while thou liv'st, keep a good tongue in thy
head.

Cal.
Within this half hour will he be asleep;
Wilt thou destroy him then?

Step.
Ay, on mine honour.

Ari.
This will I tell my master.
[Exit Ariel.

Cal.
Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of pleasure;
Let us be jocund: Will you troll the catch
You taught me but while-ere?

Step.

At thy request, monster, I will do reason,
any reason: Come on, Trinculo, let us sing.

They sing and dance.
Flout 'em, and skout 'em;
And skout 'em, and flout 'em;
Thought is free.

[Ariel plays on the Tabor and Pipe without.
Cal.

That's not the tune.

Step.

What is this same?

Trin.

This is the tune of our catch, played by the
picture of nobody.

Step.

If thou be'st a man, show thyself in thy likeness:
if thou be'st a devil, take't as thou list.

[Ariel plays again.
Trin.

O, forgive me my sins!

[Falls on his Knees.
Step.
He that dies, pays all debts:—I defy thee.
[Ariel plays again.
Mercy upon us!

[Falls on his Knees.
Cal.
Art thou afeard?

Step.
No, monster, not I.

Cal.
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
[Stephano and Trinculo rise.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds, methought, would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I wak'd,
I cry'd to dream again.

Step.
This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where
I shall have my music for nothing.

Cal.

When Prospero is destroy'd.

Step.

That shall be by and by: I remember the
story.

[Ariel plays again at some Distance; and continues to do so, retiring more and more, till the End of the Scene.
Trin.

The sound is going away: let's follow it, and
after do our work.

Step.

Lead, monster; we'll follow.—I would, I
could see this taborer: he lays it on.—Wilt come?

Trin.

I'll follow, Stephano.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A Grove behind the Cell of Prospero.
Enter Miranda and Prospero.
Pro.
Your suit has pity in't, and has prevail'd.
But yet take heed; let prudence be your guide:
You must not stay, your visit must be short.—
One thing I had forgot; insinuate into his mind
A kindness to that youth, whom first you saw;
I would have friendship grow between them.

Mir.
You shall be obey'd in all things.

Pro.
Be earnest to unite their very souls.

Mir.
I shall endeavour it.

Pro.
This may secure Hippolyto
From that dark danger which my heart forebodes;
For friendship does provide a double strength
To oppose the assaults of fortune. See, he comes:—
Remember.
[Exit Prospero.

Enter Ferdinand, bearing a Log.
Mir.
Alas, now! 'pray you,
Work not so hard; I would, the lightning had
Burnt up those logs, that you are enjoin'd to pile!
'Pray, set it down, and rest you: when this burns,
'Twill weep for having weary'd you: My father
Is gone to study; 'pray now, rest yourself.

Fer.
O, most dear mistress,
The sun will set, before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.

Mir.
If you'll sit down,
I'll bear your logs the while: 'Pray, give me that;
I'll carry it to the pile.

Fer.
No, precious creature:
I had rather crack my sinews,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,
While I sit lazy by.

Mir.
Why, I should do it
With much more ease; for my good will is to it,
And yours it is against.—You look wearily.

Fer.
No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me,
When you are by at night. I do beseech you,
(Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers,)
What is your name?

Mir.
Miranda:—O, my father,
I have broke your hest to say so!

Fer.
Admir'd Miranda!—
Indeed, the top of admiration; worth
What's dearest to the world!—Full many a lady
I've ey'd with best regard; and many a time
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues
Have I lik'd several women; never any
With so full soul, but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd,
And put it to the foil: But you, O you,
So perfect, and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best.

Mir.
I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you:—
I prattle wildly, and my father's precepts
Therein I do forget.

Fer.
Hear my soul speak;—
The very instant, that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service; there resides,
To make me slave to it; and for your sake
Am I this patient logman.

Mir.
Do you love me?

Fer.
O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,
And crown what I profess with kind event,
If I speak true; if hollowly, invert
What best is boded me, to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i'the world,
Do love, prize, honour you.

Mir.
I am a fool,
To weep at what I'm glad of.

Fer.
Wherefore weep you?

Mir.
At mine unworthiness.—Hence, bashful cunning!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.

Fer.
My mistress, dearest;
And I thus humble ever.

Mir.
My husband then?

Fer.
Ay, with a heart as willing
As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.

Mir.
And mine, with my heart in't.—
Now, I've a suit to you, and I shall make it
The only trial of your love to me.

Fer.
You've said enough, never to be deny'd,
Were it my life.

Mir.
For my sake to love one, sir,
Who, for his own, indeed, does well deserve
All the respect that you can ever pay him.

Fer.
Is there another whom I ought to love,
And love him for your sake?

Mir.
Yes; such a one,
As, for his sweetness, and his goodly shape,
(If I who am unskill'd in forms may judge,)
Can scarce be match'd: my sister thinks so too,
My dear Dorinda.

Fer.
Have you a sister?

Mir.
Yes; she loves him too:
Come, you must love him for my sake: you shall.

Fer.
Must I for yours, and cannot for my own?
Since you would have me love him, I must hate him.

Mir.
Have I so far offended you already,
That he offends you only for my sake?
Yet, sure, you would not hate him if you saw him
As I have done, so fresh in youth and beauty.

Fer.
O poison to my hopes!

Mir.
Alas! what mean you?—
Hark! hark! I hear my father's step:—farewell!—
Here comes the youth:—I fear, I've stay'd too long.
[Exit Miranda.

Fer.
Too long indeed; and yet not long enough.
Enter Hippolyto.
Sir, well encounter'd; you're the happy man;
You've got the hearts of both the beauteous women.

Hip.
How, sir, I pray you? Are you sure of that?

Fer.
You know, Dorinda loves you; and
Miranda charg'd me love you for her sake.

Hip.
Then I must have her.

Fer.
Not till I am dead.

Hip.
How dead? What's that? But whatsoe'er it be,
I long to have her.

Fer.
Wait a little while;
Time and my grief may make me shortly die.

Hip.
I beg that you'll make haste then; for, to tell you
A secret, sir, which I have lately found
Within myself,—they are all made for me.

Fer.
That's but a fond conceit: you're made for one,
And one for you.

Hip.
You cannot tell me, sir;
I know, I'm made for twenty hundred women,
(I mean, if there so many be i'the world,)
So that, if once I see her, I shall love her.

Fer.
I find, I must not let you see her then.

Hip.
How will you hinder me?

Fer.
By force of arms:
Provide yourself a sword; for we must fight.

Hip.
A sword,—what's that?

Fer.
A weapon such as this.

[Draws his Sword.
Hip.
What should I do with it?

Fer.
You must stand thus,
And aim at me, till one of us fall dead.

Hip.
But we have no swords growing in our world.

Fer.
What shall we do then to decide our quarrel?

Hip.
We'll take the sword by turns, and fight with it.

Fer.
Strange ignorance!—You must defend your life,
And so must I.—But, since you have no sword,
Take this; for in a corner of my cave
I now remember that I saw another.—
[Gives Hippolyto the Sword.
When next we meet, prepare yourself to fight.

Hip.
Make haste then; this shall ne'er be yours again:
I mean to fight with all the men I meet,
And when they're dead, their women shall be mine.

Fer.
I see you are unskilful; I desire not
To take your life; but, if you please, we'll fight
On these conditions;—he, who first draws blood,
Shall be acknowledg'd as the conqueror,
And both the women shall be his.

Hip.
Agreed:
And ev'ry day I'll fight for two more with you.

Fer.
But win these first.

Hip.
Make haste, and find your sword.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

A rocky, mountainous, Part of the Island.
Enter Antonio, Alonzo, and Gonzalo.
Gon.
'Beseech you, sir, be merry: you have cause,
So have we all, of joy; for our escape
Is much beyond our loss: then wisely weigh
Our sorrow with our comfort.

Alon.

Peace, Gonzalo.

Ant.

But the rarity of it is, (which is, indeed, almost
beyond credit,) our garments, being, as they were,
drenched in the sea, are, notwithstanding, as fresh as
when we put them on first in Afric, at the marriage
of your fair daughter Claribel to the King of Tunis.

Alon.
You cram these words into mine ears, against
The stomach of my sense. 'Would I had never
Marry'd my daughter there! for coming thence,
My Ferdinand is lost.

Gon.
Sir, he may live;
I saw him beat the surges under him,
And ride upon their backs; I do not doubt,
He came alive to land.

Alon.
No, no, he's gone:
And thou and I, Antonio,—thou and I!—
Have caus'd his death.

Ant.
How could we help it, sir?

Alon.
How help it? Then we should have help'd it, then,
When thou betray'dst thy brother Prospero,
And gav'st the infant sovereign of Mantua
Into my power; then lost we Ferdinand,
Then forfeited our navy to this tempest.—
E'en here do I put off all hope: he's drown'd,
Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land.
[Music.
What harmony is this? My good friends, hark!

Gon.
Marvellous sweet music!

Enter Ariel and Three other Spirits: while Ariel sings the following Song, a Banquet presents itself, and the other Spirits, having danced about it with gentle Actions of Salutation, and invited the King and his Followers to eat, are led away by Ariel.
SONG—BY ARIEL.
Dry those eyes, which are o'erflowing;
All your storms are overblowing:
While you in this isle are biding,
You shall feast without providing;
Every dainty you can think of,
Every juice which you would drink of,
Shall be yours,—all want shall shun you,
Ceres' blessing so is on you.

[Exeunt Ariel and the other Spirits, dancing fantastically.
Alon,
Give us kind keepers, Heav'ns!—What were these?

Ant.
They vanish'd strangely.

Gon.
No matter, since
They've left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.
Will't please you taste of what is here?

Alon.
Not I.

Gon.
Well, sir, I will; for I am hungry:
The devil may fright me, but he shall not starve me.

Alon.
I will stand to, and feed, although my last:
No matter, since I feel the best is past.

[Sounds of discordant Instruments.—Three Spirits, in the Shape of Harpies, descend on the Table, and vanish with it, amidst Flames and Groans.
A Voice
from below.
You men of sin, whom destiny hath caus'd
The never-surfeited sea to cast up,
And on this isle, where man doth not inhabit,—
You amongst men being most unfit to live,
Remember Prospero.

[Thunder and Lightning.
Alon.
'Tis monstrous! monstrous!
Methought, the billows spoke, and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder
Pronounc'd the name of Prospero.

Ant.
This isle's enchanted ground; for I have heard
Swift voices flying by my ear, and groans
Of ghosts lamenting.

Alon.
Good Heaven deliver me from this dire place,
And all the after actions of my life
Shall mark my penitence!—Lead from this spot.

[It suddenly grows dark.—Thunder and Lightning. —Several Furies rise.
The Furies sing.
1 Fury.
Where does the black fiend Ambition reside,
With the mischievous devil of Pride?

2 Fury.
In the lowest and darkest cavern of hell,
Both Pride and Ambition do dwell.

1 Fury.
Who are the chief leaders of the damn'd host?

2 Fury.
Proud monarchs who tyrannize most.

Four Furies.
In hell, in hell, in flames they shall reign,
And for ever and ever shall suffer the pain.

Chorus of Furies, while others surround Alonzo and his Followers.
In hell, in hell, in flames they shall reign,
And for ever and ever shall suffer the pain.

[Thunder and Lightning.—Exeunt, pursued by the Furies.