Fer.

O most dear mistress,

If you'll sit down

The sun will set before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.

Mira.

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, break my back, Than you should such dishonour undergo,

While I sit lazy by.

Fer. No, noble mistress; 't is fresh morning with me, When you are by at night. I do beseech you,

(Chiefly, that I may set it in my prayers,)

What is your name?

Mira.

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 have eyed 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.

I do not know

Mira.
One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men, than you, good friend,
And my dear father: how features are abroad,

I am skill-less of; but, by my modesty,

(The jewel in my dower,) I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you ;
Nor can imagination form a shape,
Beside yourself, to like of: But I prattle
Something too wildly, and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.

Fer.

I am, in my condition,

A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;

(I would not so!) and would no more endure

This wooden slavery, than to suffer

The flesh-fly blow my mouth.-Hear my soul speak:

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 log-man.

Mira.

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.

Mira.

To weep at what I am glad of.
Pro.

Of two most rare affections !

I am a fool,

Fair encounter
Heavens rain grace

On that which breeds between them?

Fer.

Wherefore weep you?

Mira. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer
What I desire to give; and much less take
What I shall die to want: But this is trifling;
And all the more it seeks to hide itself,

The bigger bulk it shows. 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.

And I thus humble ever.
Mira.

My mistress, dearest,

My husband then?

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing

As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.

Mira. And mine, with my heart in 't: And now farewell,

Till half an hour hence.

Ste. 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.

Trin. Servant-monster? the folly of this island! They say there's but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if the other two be brained like us, the state totters.

VOL. I.

C

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee; 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.

Ste. My man-monster hath drowned his tongue in sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me: I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty leagues, off and on. By this light, thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard. Trin. Your lieutenant, if you he's no standard. Ste. We'll not run, monsieur monster.

list;

Trin. Nor go neither; but you'll lie, like dogs; and yet say nothing neither.

Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.

Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe :

I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster; I am in case to justle a constable: why, thou deboshed fish thou, was there ever 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!-that a monster should be such a natural!
Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I prithee.

Ste. 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 pleas'd

To hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?

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

Enter ARIEL, invisible.

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

Ari. Thou liest.

Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou; I would my valiant master would destroy thee: I do not lie.

Ste. 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.

Ste. Mum then, and no more.-[To CALIBAN.] 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;

But this thing dare not.

Ste. That's most certain.

Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it, and I 'll serve thee.

Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me

to the party?

Cal. Yea, yea, my lord; I 'll yield him thee Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head. Ari. Thou liest, thou canst not.

Cal. What a pied ninny's this! Thou scurvy patch !—

I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows,

And take his bottle from him: when that 's gone,

He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not show him

Where the quick freshes are.

Ste. 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.

Ste. Do I so? take thou that. [Strikes him.] As you like this, give me the lie another time.

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

Cal.

Ha, ha, ha!

Ste. Now, forward with your tale.

Cal.

Prithee stand further off.

Beat him enough: after a little time,

I'll beat him too.

Ste. Stand further.-Come, proceed.

Cal. Why, as I told thee, 't is 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 wezand 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: Burn but his books;

He has brave utensils, (for so he calls them,)
Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal.
And that most deeply to consider, is

The beauty of his daughter; he himself

Calls her a nonpareil: I ne'er saw woman,

But only Sycorax my dam, and she;

But she as far surpasseth Sycorax,

As greatest does least.

Cal. Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant, And bring thee forth brave brood.

Ste. Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen; (save our graces!) and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys :-) -Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo?

Trin.

Excellent.

Ste. Give me thy hand; I am sorry I beat thee: but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.

Cal. Within this half-hour will he be asleep;

Wilt thou destroy him then?

Ste.

Ay, on mine honour.

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?

Ste.

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

[Sings.

Flout 'em, and skout'em; and skout 'em, and flout'em ;
Thought is free.

Cal. That's not the tune.

[ARIEL plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.

Ste. What is this same?

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

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

Trin. O, forgive me my sins!

Ste.

He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee:-Mercy upon us! Cal. Art thou afeard?

Ste. No, monster, not I.

Cal. Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,

Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.

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 cried to dream again.

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

Cal.

When Prospero is destroyed.

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

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

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

Trin. Wilt come? I'll follow Stephano.

SCENE III.-Another part of the Island.

[Exeunt.

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN,
FRANCISCO, and others.

Gon. By 'r lakin, I can go no further, sir;

My old bones ache; here's a maze trod, indeed,

Through forth-rights and meanders! by your patience,

I needs must rest me.

Alon.
Old lord, I cannot blame thee,
Who am myself attach'd with weariness,
To the dulling of my spirits: sit down and rest.
Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it
No longer for my flatterer: he is drown'd
Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land: Well, let him go.