ACT I. Miranda, daughter to Prospero. Ariel, an airy spirit. Iris, Ceres, Juno, spirits. Nymphs, Reapers, Other spirits attending on Prospero. Scene, the sea, with a ship; afterwards an uninhabited island. fate, to his hanging! make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage! If he SCENE I-On a ship at sea. A storm, with be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable. thunder and lightning. Enter a Ship-master and a Boatswain. Boats. Heigh, my hearts; cheerly, cheerly, my hearts; yare, yare: take in the top-sail: tend to the master's whistle.-Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough! Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Alon. Good boatswain, have a care. Where's the master? Play the men. Boats. I pray now, keep below. Ant. Where is the master, boastwain? Boats. When the sea is. Hence! What care these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence: trouble us not. Gon. Good; yet remember whom thou hast aboard. Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a counsellor; if you can command these ele Re-enter Boatswain. [Exeunt. ments to silence, and work the peace of the present,2 This wide-chapped rascal ;-Would, thou might'st we will not hand a rope more; use your authority. lie drowning, If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, The washing of ten tides! and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mis- Gon. He'll be hanged yet; chance of the hour, if it so hap.-Cheerly, good Though every drop of water swear against it, nearts.-Out of our way, I say. [Exit. And gape at wid'st to glut him. Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow: me- [A confused noise within.] Mercy on us!-We thinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his split, we split! Farewell, my wife and children!complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Farewell, brother!—We split, we split, we split.— (1) Readily. (2) Present instant. (3) Incontinent. (4) Absolutely. Mira. But that I do not. Ant. Let's all sink with the king. [Exit. In the dark backward and abysm' of time? Seb. Let's take leave of him. Exit. If thou remember'st aught, ere thou cam'st here, Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of How thou cam'st here, thou may'st. sea for an acre of barren ground; long heath, brown furze, any thing: the wills above be done! but I would fain die a dry death. [Exit. SCENE II.-The island: before the cell of Prospero. Enter Prospero and Miranda. Mir. If by your art, my dearest father, you have Mira. Pro. O, wo the day! No harm. I have done nothing but in care of thee, Mira. More to know 'Tis time Did never meddle with my thoughts. I should inform thee further. Lend thy hand, The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink. For thou must now know further. Mira. Pro. The hour's now come; I do not think thou canst; for then thou wast not Certainly, sir, I can. That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else (1) Before. 2) Quite. Pro. Twelve years since, Pro. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and O, the heavens! Both, both, my girl. Mira. Pro. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Antonio,- Mira. Sir, most heedfully. Or else new form'd them: having both the key not: I pray thee, mark me. Mira. Mira. Your tale, sir, would cure deal.os And him he play'd it for, he needs will be Was dukedom large enough; of temporal royalties Mira. Pro. Now I arise : Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. Pro. Mark his condition, and the event; then Than other princes can, that have more time tell me, If this might be a brother. I should sin Mira. Pro. Miri. Alack, for pity! I, not rememb'ring how I cried out then, Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint,' That wrings mine eyes. Pro. Hear a little further, And then I'll bring thee to the present business Which now's upon us; without the which, this story Were most impertinent. Mira That hour destroy us? Pro. Wherefore did they not Well demanded, wench; My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not; (So dear the love my people bore me) nor set Mira. Alack! what trouble O! a cherubim Thou wast, that did preserve me? Thou didst smile, Infused with a fortitude from heaven, When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt; Under my burden groan'd; which rais'd in me How came we ashore? Pro. By Providence divine. Some food we had, and some fresh water, that A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, Out of his charity (who being then appointed Master of this design,) did give us, with Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries, Which since have steaded much; so, of his ness, Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me, Pro. But are they, Ariel, safe? Not a hair perish'd; 1) Thirsty. (2) Consideration. (3) Suggestion. 4) Sprinkled. (5) Stubborn resolution. Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs, In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting, His arms in this sad knot. Pro. Of the king's ship, The mariners, say, how thou hast dispos'd, And all the rest o' the fleet? Ari. Safely in harbour I have left asleep and for the rest o' the fleet, Supposing that they saw the king's ship wreck'd, Pro. Ariel, thy charge Ari. Must by us both be spent most preciously. Ari. Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains, Let me remember thee what thou hast promis'd, What is't thou canst demand? How now? moody? My liberty. Pro. Before the time be out? no more. Ari. I pray thee Remember, I have done thee worthy service; Told thee no lies, made no mistakings, serv'd Without or grudge or grumblings: thou didst promise To bate me a full year. Pro. Dost thou forget From what a torment I did free thee? Ari. Pro. Thou dost; and think'st No. It much, to tread the ooze of the salt deep; To run upon the sharp wind of the north; To do me business in the veins o' the earth, When it is bak'd with frost. I do not, sir. Ari. Pro. Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou forgot The foul witch Sycorax, who, with age, and envy, Was grown into a hoop? hast thou forgot her? Ari. No, sir. Pro. Thou hast: where was she born? speak; tell me. Ari. Sir, in Argier.' Pro. O, was she so? I must, Once in a month, recount what thou hast been, Which thou forget'st. This damn'd witch, Sycorax, For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries terrible To enter human hearing, from Argier, Thou know'st, was banished; for one thing she did, They would not take her life. Is not this true? Pro. This blue-ey'd hag was hither brought| To act ner earthly and abhorr'd commands, As fast as mill-wheels strike: then was this island Pro. Dull thing, I say so; he, that Caliban, Whom now I keep in service. Thou best know'st What torment I did find thee in: thy groans Did make wolves howl, and penetrate the breasts Of ever angry bears: it was a torment To lay upon the damn'd, which Sycorax Could not again undo; it was mine art, When I arriv'd, and heard thee, that made gape The pine, and let thee out. Ari. I thank thee, master. Pro. If thou more murmur'st, I will rend an oak, And peg thee in his knotty entrails, till Thou hast howl'd away twelve winters. I (2) Wave. (3) Algiers. | will be correspondent to command, And do my spiriting gently. Pro. I will discharge thee. Do so; and after two days Ari. That's my noble master! What shall I do? say what: what shall I do? Pro. Go make thyself like a nymph o' the sea, Be subject to no sight but mine; invisible To every eye-ball else. Go, take this shape, And hither come in't: hence, with diligence. [Exit Ariel. Awake, dear heart, awake! thou hast slept well; Awake! Mira. The strangeness of your story put Heaviness in me. Pro. We'll visit Caliban, my Yields us kind answer. Mira. Shake it off; come on; slave, who never 'Tis a villain, sir, But, as 'tis, I do not love to look on. Cal. [Within.] There's wood enough within. Pro. Come forth, I say; there's other business for thee; Come forth, thou tortoise! when? Re-enter Ariel, like a water-nymph. Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel, Cal. I must eat my dinner. This island's mine, by Sycorax, my mother, Which thou tak'st from me. When thou camest first, Thou 'strok'dst me, and mad'st much of me; would'st give me Water with berries in't; and teach me how Cursed be I that did so!-All the charms Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you! us'd thee, Filth as thou art, with human care; and lodg'd thee In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child. Cal. O ho, O ho!-'would it had been done! Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else This isle with Calibans. Pro. Abhorred slave; Which any print of goodness will not take, Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour One thing or other: when thou didst not, savage, Know thine own meaning, but would'st gabble like A thing most brutish, I endow'd thy purposes With words that made them known: But thy vile Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou Cal. You taught me language; and my profit on't Cal. No, 'pray thee!- I must obey: his art is of such power, Pro. [Aside. So, slave; hence! [Exit Caliban. Re-enter Ariel, invisible, playing and singing; Ferdinand following him. ARIEL'S SONG. Come unto these yellow sands, And then take hands: Court'sied when you have, and kiss'd (The wild waves whist3) Foot it featly here and there; Bur. Bowgh, wowgh. Hark, hark! fhear [dispersedly. [dispersedly. The strain of strutting chanticlere, Fer. Where should this music be? i' the air, o' the earth? It sounds no more :-and sure, it waits upon Ariel sings. Full fathom five thy father lies; Fer. The ditty does remember my drown'd father: 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 A goodly person: he hath lost his fellows, Fer. It goes on, 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? Mira. But, certainly a maid. Fer. No wonder, sir; My language? heavens How! the best? I am the best of them that speak this speech, Were I but where 'tis spoken. Pro. What wert thou, if the king of Naples heard thee? (1) Fairies. (2) Destroy. (3) Still, silent. (4) Owns. |