If I have too austerely punish’d you,Your compensation makes amends: for IHave given you here a third of mine own life,Or that for which I live; who once againI tender to thy hand: all thy vexationsWere but my trials of thy love, and thouHast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven,I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,Do not smile at me that I boast her offto dismiss or drive away with boastful words.,For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,And make it halt behind her.
FERDINAND
I do believe itAgainst an oracle.
PROSPERO
Then, as my gift and thine own acquisitionWorthily purchas’d, take my daughter: butIf thou dost break her virgin knotThe bond of chastity preserved by an unmarried woman. beforeAll sanctimonious ceremonies mayWith full and holy rite be minister’d,No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fallTo make this contract grow; but barren hate,Sour-ey’d disdain, and discord shall bestrewThe union of your bed with weeds so loathlyThat you shall hate it both: therefore take heed,As Hymen’s lamps shall light you.
FERDINAND
As I hopeFor quiet days, fair issue, and long life,With such love as ’tis now, the murkiest den,The most opportune place, the strong’st suggestionOur worser genius can, shall never meltMine honour into lust, to take awayThe edge of that day’s celebration,When I shall think, or Phoebus’ steeds are founder’d,Or Night kept chain’d below.
PROSPERO
Fairly spoke:Sit, then, and talk with her, she is thine own.What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!
Enter Ariel.
ARIEL
What would my potent master? here I am.
PROSPERO
Thou and thy meaner fellows your last serviceDid worthily perform; and I must use youIn 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 mustBestow upon the eyes of this young coupleSome vanity of mine art: it is my promise,And they expect it from me.
ARIEL
Presently?
PROSPERO
Ay, with a twink.
ARIEL
Before you can say “Come” and “Go,”And breathe twice, and cry “so, so,”Each one, tripping on his toe,Will be here with mopA grimace or contorted facial expression. and mowA grimace or contorted facial expression..Do you love me, master? no?
PROSPERO
Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approachTill thou dost hear me call.
ARIEL
Well, I conceive.
Exit.
PROSPERO
Look thou be true; do not give dallianceToo much the rein: the strongest oaths are strawTo th’ fire i’ the blood: be more abstemious,Or else good night your vow!
FERDINAND
I warrant you, sir;The white cold virgin snow upon my heartAbates the ardour of my liver.
PROSPERO
Well.Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly.No tongue! all eyes! be silent.
Soft music.
A Masque. Enter IrisIris, the classical goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods, who appears in the masque..
IRIS
Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leasOf wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas;Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,And flat meads thatch’d with stoverfodder for cattle, especially dried stalks and leaves., them to keep;Thy banks with pionedDug or trenched, especially to form the banks of a watercourse. and twilled brims,Which 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-cliptPruned or trimmed around supporting poles. vineyard;And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,Where thou thyself dost air: the Queen o’ th’ sky,Whose wat’ry 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.
CERES
Hail, many-colour’d messenger, that ne’erDost disobey the wife of Jupiter;Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowersDiffusest honey drops, refreshing showers;And with each end of thy blue bow dost crownMy bosky acres and my unshrubb’d down,Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queenSummon’d me hither to this short-grass’d green?
IRIS
A contract of true love to celebrate,And some donation freely to estateOn the blest lovers.
CERES
Tell me, heavenly bow,If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,Do now attend the queen? Since they did plotThe means that dusky DisDis, the Roman god of the underworld and ruler of the dead. my daughter got,Her and her blind boy’s scandal’d companyI have forsworn.
IRIS
Of her societyBe not afraid. I met her deityCutting the clouds towards PaphosA city on Cyprus sacred to Venus and celebrated as a centre of her worship., and her sonDove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have doneSome wanton charm upon this man and maid,Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paidTill Hymen’s torch be lighted; but in vain.Mars’s hot minion is return’d again;Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows,And be a boy right out.
CERES
Highest queen of State,Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.
Enter Juno.
JUNO
How does my bounteous sister? Go with meTo bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,And honour’d in their issue.
They sing.
JUNO
Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,Long continuance, and increasing,Hourly joys be still upon you!Juno sings her blessings on you.
CERES
Earth’s increase, foison plenty,Barns and garners never empty;Vines with clust’ring bunches growing;Plants with goodly burden bowing;Spring come to you at the farthestIn the very end of harvest!Scarcity and want shall shun you;Ceres’ blessing so is on you.
FERDINAND
This is a most majestic vision, andHarmonious charmingly. May I be boldTo think these spirits?
PROSPERO
Spirits, which by mine artI have from their confines call’d to enactMy present fancies.
FERDINAND
Let me live here ever.So rare a wonder’d father and a wise,Makes this place Paradise.
Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment.
PROSPERO
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 windringwinding or following a twisting course. brooks,With your sedg’d crowns and ever-harmless looks,Leave your crisp channels, and on this green landAnswer your summons; Juno does command.Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrateA contract of true love. Be not too late.
Enter certain Nymphs.
IRIS
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 oneIn 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.
PROSPERO
I had forgot that foul conspiracyOf the beast Caliban and his confederatesAgainst my life: the minute of their plotIs almost come. Well done! avoid; nomore!
FERDINAND
This is strange: your father’s in some passionThat works him strongly.
MIRANDA
Never till this daySaw I him touch’d with anger so distemper’d.
PROSPERO
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 andAre 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 racka drifting mass of cloud. behind. We are such stuffAs dreams are made on, and our little lifeIs 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 cellAnd there repose: a turn or two I’ll walk,To still my beating mind.
FERDINAND, MIRANDA
We wish your peace.
Exeunta stage direction meaning that two or more characters leave the stage..
PROSPERO
Come, with a thought. I thank thee, Ariel. Come!
Enter Ariel.
ARIEL
Thy thoughts I cleave to. What’s thy pleasure?
PROSPERO
Spirit,We must prepare to meet with Caliban.
ARIEL
Ay, my commander. When I presented Ceres,I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear’dLest I might anger thee.
PROSPERO
Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
ARIEL
I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;So full of valour that they smote the airFor breathing in their faces; beat the groundFor kissing of their feet; yet always bendingTowards their project. Then I beat my tabor;At which, like unback’d colts, they prick’d their ears,Advanc’d their eyelids, lifted up their nosesAs they smelt music: so I charm’d their ears,That calf-like they my lowing follow’d throughTooth’d briers, sharp furzes, pricking gossGorse, a thorny evergreen shrub with yellow flowers., and thorns,Which enter’d their frail shins: at last I left themI’ th’ filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,There dancing up to th’ chins, that the foul lakeO’erstunk their feet.
PROSPERO
This was well done, my bird.Thy shape invisible retain thou still:The trumpery in my house, go bring it hitherFor stalea decoy or person used as a pretence to entrap another. to catch these thieves.
ARIEL
I go, I go.
Exit.
PROSPERO
A devil, a born devil, on whose natureNurture can never stick; on whom my pains,Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;And as with age his body uglier grows,So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,Even to roaring.
Re-enter Ariel, loaden with glistering apparel, &c.
PROSPERO
Come, hang them on this line.
Prospero and Ariel remain invisible. Enter Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo all wet.
CALIBAN
Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may notHear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.
STEPHANO
Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has done little better than played the JackTo behave like an impudent rogue or mischievous knave. with us.
TRINCULO
Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at which my nose is in great indignation.
STEPHANO
So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you, look you,—
TRINCULO
Thou wert but a lost monster.
CALIBAN
Good my lord, give me thy favour still.Be patient, for the prize I’ll bring thee toShall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.All’s hush’d as midnight yet.
TRINCULO
Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool!
STEPHANO
There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster, but an infinite loss.
TRINCULO
That’s more to me than my wetting: yet this is your harmless fairy, monster.
STEPHANO
I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o’er ears for my labour.
CALIBAN
Prithee, my King, be quiet. Seest thou here,This is the mouth o’ th’ cell: no noise, and enter.Do that good mischief which may make this islandThine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,For aye thy foot-licker.
STEPHANO
Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.
TRINCULO
O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano!Look what a wardrobe here is for thee!
CALIBAN
Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.
TRINCULO
O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a fripperyA shop or market selling second-hand clothes.. O King Stephano!
STEPHANO
Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I’ll have that gown.
TRINCULO
Thy Grace shall have it.
CALIBAN
The dropsy drown this fool! What do you meanTo dote thus on such luggage? Let’t alone,And do the murder first. If he awake,From toe to crown he’ll fill our skins with pinches,Make us strange stuff.
STEPHANO
Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair, and prove a bald jerkin.
TRINCULO
Do, do: we steal by line and level, an’t like your Grace.
STEPHANO
I thank thee for that jest.Here’s a garment for ’t: wit shall not go unrewarded while I am King of this country.“Steal by line and level,” is an excellent pass of pateA sally or stroke of wit..There’s another garment for ’t.
TRINCULO
Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest.
CALIBAN
I will have none on’t. We shall lose our time,And all be turn’d to barnaclesa nose-clamp used to restrain a horse., or to apesWith foreheads villainous low.
STEPHANO
Monster, lay-to your fingers: help to bear this away where my hogsheada large cask or a liquid measure varying according to its contents. of wine is, or I’ll turn you out of my kingdom. Go to, carry this.
TRINCULO
And this.
STEPHANO
Ay, and this.
A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits, in shape of dogs and hounds, and hunt them about; Prospero and Ariel setting them on.
PROSPERO
Hey, Mountain, hey!
ARIEL
Silver! there it goes, Silver!
PROSPERO
Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! hark, hark!
Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo are driven out.
PROSPERO
Go, charge my goblins that they grind their jointsWith dry convulsions; shorten up their sinewsWith aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make themThan pardA leopard or panther., or cat o’ mountain.
ARIEL
Hark, they roar.
PROSPERO
Let them be hunted soundly. At this hourLies at my mercy all mine enemies.Shortly shall all my labours end, and thouShalt have the air at freedom. For a littleFollow, and do me service.