He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes, and carry out the table.

Pro. [Aside.] Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
Perform❜d, my Áriel; a grace it had, devouring:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing 'bated,
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life,
And observation strange, my meaner ministers

Their several kinds have done: my high charms work,
And these, mine enemies, are all knit up

In their distractions: they now are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, whilst I visit

Young Ferdinand, (whom they suppose is drown'd,)
And his and my loved darling.

[Exit PROSPERO from above. Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you In this strange stare?

Alon.
O, it is monstrous! monstrous!
Methought, the billows spoke, and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd
The name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded; and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded.

Seb.

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant. I'll be thy second.

[Exu

But one fiend at a time,

[Exeunt SEB and ANT

Gon. All three of them are desperate; their great guilt.

Like poison given to work a great time after,

Now 'gins to bite the spirits :-I do beseech you

That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,
And hinder them from what this ecstasy
May now provoke them to.

Ådr. Follow, I pray you.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-Before Prospero's Cell.

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA

Pro. If I have too austerely punish'd you,
Your compensation makes amends; for I
Have given you here a thread of mine own life,
Or that for which I live; whom once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou

Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven,

[Exeunt

ratify this my rich gift. O, Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me, that I boast her off,

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer.

Against an oracle.

I do believe it,

Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: But not
Till sanctimonious ceremonies may

With full and holy rite be minister'd:
Then Hymen's lamps shall light you.
Fer.

For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,

As I hope

With such love as 'tis now; the strong'st suggestion
Our worser Genius can, shall never taint

Sit then, and talk with her, she is thine own.-
What, Ariel: my industrious servant Ariel!

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.

Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service

Did worthily perform; and I must use you

In such another trick: go, bring the rabble,

O'er whom I give thee power, here, to this place:
Incite them to quick motion; for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
Some vanity of mine art; it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

Ari.

Pro. Aye, with a twink.

Presently?

Ari. Before you can say, Come, and go,

And breathe twice; and cry, so, so;

Each one, tripping on his toe,

Will be here with mop and mowe:

Do you love me, master? no?

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel: Do not approach,

Till thou dost hear me call.

Now come, my Ariel: bring a corollary,

Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly.—

No tongue; all eyes: be silent.

A Masque. Enter IRIS.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and pease;

[Soft music

Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with peonied and lilied brims,

With spongy April at thy hest* betrims,

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves,
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,

Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard ;
And thy sea-marge, steril, and rocky-hard,
Where thou thyself dost air: The queen o' the sky,
Whose watery arch, and messenger, am I,

Bids thee leave these; and with her sovereign grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain;
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter CERES.

Cer. Hail many-color❜d messenger, that ne’er
Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter.

Who, with thy saffron wing, upon my flowers
Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers;
And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
My bosky acres, and my unshrubb'd down,

Rich scarf to my proud earth; Why hath thy queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?
Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate;

And some donation freely to estate

On the bless'd lovers.

Cer.

Tell me, heavenly bow,

If Venus, or her son, as thou dost know,

Do now attend the queen ? since they did plot
The means, that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company'
I have forsworn.

Iris.

Of her society

Be not afraid; I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos; and her son

Dove-drawn with her.

Cer.

Highest queen of state,

Great Juno comes: I know her by her gait.

Enter JUNO.

Jun. How does my bounteous sister?

Go with me,

To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be

And honor'd in their issue.

SONG.

Jun. Honor, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,

* Command.

Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.
Cer. Earth's increase, and foison* plenty,
Barns and garners never empty;

Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing ·
Plants, with goodly burden bowing;
Spring come to you, at the farthest,
In the very end of harvest!
Scarcity and want shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you.

Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly: May I-be bold
To think these spirits?

Pro.

Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines called to enact

My present fancies.

Fer.

Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd father, and a wife,

Make this place Paradise.

Pro.

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. Sweet now, silence;

Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;

There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,

Or else our spell is marr'd

Iris. You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the wand'ring brocks,
With your sedg'd crowns, and ever harmless looks,

Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land
Answer your summons: Juno does command;
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You sun-burn'd sicklemen of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;
Make holiday your rye-straw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

Enter certain Reapers, properly habited; they join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof PROSPERO starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.

Pro. [Aside.] I had forgot that foul conspiracy

Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates,

Against my life; the minute of their plot

Is almost come.— -[To the Spirits.] Well done;-avoid ;-no more. Fer. This is most strange: your father's in some passion

That works him strongly.

Abundance.

Mira.

Never till this day,
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
Pro. You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort
As if you were dismay'd be cheerful, sir:
Our revels now are ended: these our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind: We are such stuff
As dreams are made of, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.-Sir, I am vex'd;

Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:

If

you be pleas'd, retire into my cell,

And there repose; a turn or two I'll walk,

To still my beating mind.

Fer. Mira.

We wish your peace.

[Exeuni.

Prospero defeats the Plot laid by Caliban, and punishes the Conspirators through the agency of his attendant spirits.

ACT V.

SCENE I.-Before the Cell of Prospero.

Enter PROSPERO in his magic robes; ana ARIEL.
Pro. Now does my project gather to a head:
My charms crack not; my spirits obey; and time
Goes upright with his carriage. How's the day?
Ari. On the sixth hour; at which time, my lord,
You said our work should cease.

Pro.

When first I rais'd the tempest.

How fares the king and his?

I did say so,
Say, my spirit,

Confin'd together

Ari.
In the same fashion as you gave in charge;
Just as you left them, sir; all prisoners
In the line-grove which weather-fends your cell;
They cannot budge, till your release. The king,
His brother, and yours, abide all three distracted;
And the remainder mourning over them,
Brim-full of sorrow and dismay; but chiefly
Him you term'd, sir, The good old lord, Gonzalo ;
His tears run down his beard, like winter's drops

From eaves of reeds: your charm so strongly works them,
That if you now beheld them, your affections
Would become tender.