Now 'gins to bite the spirits: I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,
And hinder them from what this ecstasy1

May now provoke them to.

Adr.

Follow, I pray you

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-Before Prospero's Cell.

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA.

Pro. If I have too austerely punished 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,
I 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 purchased, take my daughter: But

If thou dost break her virgin knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be ministered,
No sweet aspersion 2 shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain, and discord, shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathely,
That you shall hate it both: therefore, take heed,

1

Shakspeare uses ecstasy for any temporary alienation of mind, a fit, or madness.

2 Aspersion is here used in its primitive sense of sprinkling.

VOL. I.

8

As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Fer.

As I hope

For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,

With such love as 'tis now; the murkiest den,

The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion1 Our worser Genius can, shall never melt

Mine honor into lust; to take away

The edge of that day's celebration,

When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are foundered, Or night kept chained below.

Pro.

Fairly spoke;

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. Ay, with a twink.

Presently?

Ari. Before you can say, Come, and

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.

go,

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel: Do not approach, Till thou dost hear me call.

Ari. Well I conceive. [Exit Pro. Look, thou be true; do not give dalliance Too much the rein; the strongest oaths are straw To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious, Or else, good night, your vow!

1 Temptation or wicked prompting.

2 "Some vanity of mine art" is some illusion.

Fer.

I warrant you, sir;

The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart

Abates the ardor of my liver.

Pro.

Well.

Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary,1

Rather than want a spirit; appear, and pertly.-
No tongue; all eyes; be silent.

A Masque. Enter IRIS.

[Soft music.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, And flat meads thatched with stover,2 them to keep; Thy banks with peonied and lilied brims,3 Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,

3

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, sterile, 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-colored messenger, that ne'er
Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;

Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers
Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers:

And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
My bosky acres, and my unshrubbed down.

5

1 That is, bring more than are sufficient. "Corollary, the addition or vantage above measure, an overplus or surplusage."-Blount.

2 Stover is fodder for cattle, as hay, straw, and the like: estovers is the

old law term: it is from estouvier, old French.

3 The old editions read Pioned and Twilled brims.

4 Forsaken by his lass.

5 Bosky acres are woody acres, fields intersected by luxuriant hedgerows and copses.

Rich scarf to my proud earth: Why hath thy queen Summoned me hither, to this short-grassed green? Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate;

And some donation freely to estate

On the blessed 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 scandaled 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: here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
Whose vows are, that no bed rite shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but in vain;
Mars's hot minion is returned 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.

Cer.

Highest queen of state,

Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.

Enter JUNO.

Juno. How does my bounteous sister? Go with

me,

To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
And honored in their issue.

SONG.

Jun. Honor, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you

Cer. Earth's increase, and foison1 plenty;
Barns and garners never empty;

1 Foison is abundance, particularly of harvest corn.

Vines, with clustering 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.

I have from their confines called to enact

My_present fancies.

Spirits, which by mine art

Let me live here ever;

Fer.

So rare a wondered 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 marred.

Iris. You nymphs, called Naiads, of the wandering brooks,

With your sedged crowns, and ever harmless looks,
Leave your crisp 3 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-burned sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;
Make holy-day: your rye-straw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

1 For charmingly harmonious.

2 "So rare a wondered father," is a father able to produce such wonders. 3 Crisp channels; i. e. curled, from the curl raised by a breeze on the surface of the water. So in 1 K. Hen. IV. Act. i. Sc. 3.

"-Hid his crisp head in the hollow bank."