Cal.

[Within] There's wood enough within. Pros. Come forth, I say! there's other business for thee: Come, thou tortoise! when?

Ari.

Re-enter Ariel like a water-nymph.

Hark in thine ear.

Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel,

My lord, it shall be done.

Pros. Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself

Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!

Enter Caliban.

Cal. As wicked dew as e'er my mother brush'd
With raven's feather from unwholesome fen
Drop on you both! a south-west blow on ye
And blister you all o'er !

[Exit.

320

Pros. For this, be sure, to-night thou shalt have cramps,
Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up; urchins
Shall, for that vast of night that they may work,
All exercise on thee; thou shalt be pinch'd
As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more stinging
Than bees that made 'em.

Cal.

I must eat my dinner. 330
This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother,
Which thou takest from me. When thou camest first,
Thou strokst me, and made much of me; wouldst
give me

Water with berries in't; and teach me how
To name the bigger light, and how the less,
That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee,
And show'd thee all the qualities o' th' isle,

The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile :

Pros.

340

Cursed be I that did so! All the charms
Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!
For I am all the subjects that you have,
Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me
In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me
The rest o' th' island.

Thou most lying slave,

Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee,
Filth as thou art, with human care; and lodged thee
In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate

The honour of my child.

Cal. O ho, O ho! would't had been done!

Pros.

Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else
This isle with Calibans.

Abhorred slave,

Which any print of goodness wilt not take,
Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee,

350

Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour
One thing or other: when thou didst not, savage,
Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like
A thing most brutish, I endow'd thy purposes
With words that made them known. But thy vile race,
Though thou didst learn, had that in't which good natures
Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou 360
Deservedly confined into this rock,

Who hadst deserved more than a prison.

Cal. You taught me language; and my profit on't

Pros.

The red plague rid you

Is, I know how to curse.
For learning me your language!

Hag-seed, hence!

Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou'rt best,
To answer other business. Shrug'st thou, malice?

Cal.

Pros.

If thou neglect'st, or dost unwillingly
What I command, I'll rack thee with old cramps,
Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar,

That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

370

No, pray thee.

[Aside] I must obey: his art is of such power,

It would control my dam's god, Setebos,

And make a vassal of him.

So, slave; hence! [Exit Caliban.

Re-enter Ariel, invisible, playing and singing;
Ferdinand following.

Fer. Where should this music be? i' th' air or th' earth?
It sounds no more: and, sure, it waits upon
Some god o' th' island. Sitting on a bank,
Weeping again the king my father's wreck,
This music crept by me upon the waters,
Allaying both their fury and my passion

390

With its sweet air: thence I have follow'd it,
Or it hath drawn me rather. But 'tis gone.
No, it begins again.

Ariel sings.

Full fathom five thy father lies;

Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes :
Nothing of him that doth fade,

But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell :

Burthen: Ding-dong.

Ari. Hark! now I hear them, -Ding-dong, bell.

Fer. The ditty does remember my drown'd father.
This is no mortal business, nor no sound
That the earth owes: - I hear it now above me.

Pros. The fringed curtains of thine eye advance,
And say what thou seest yond.

Mir.

What is't? a spirit?

Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,
It carries a brave form. But 'tis a spirit.

400

410

Pros. No, wench; it eats and sleeps and hath such senses As we have, such. This gallant which thou seest Was in the wreck; and, but he's something stain'd With grief, that's beauty's canker, thou mightst call him A goodly person: he hath lost his fellows,

Mir.

And strays about to find 'em.

I might call him

A thing divine; for nothing natural
I ever saw so noble.

Pros.

Fer.

Mir.

Fer.

[Aside] It goes on, I see,

419

As my soul prompts it. Spirit, fine spirit! I'll free thee
Within two days for this.

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?

But certainly a maid.

No wonder, sir;

My language! heavens!
I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.

Pros.

How? the best?

430

What wert thou, if the King of Naples heard thee?

Fer. A single thing, as I am now, that wonders

To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear me ;
And that he does I weep: myself am Naples,
Who with mine eyes, never since at ebb, beheld

The king my father wrecked.

Mir.
Alack, for mercy!
Fer. Yes, faith, and all his lords; the Duke of Milan
And his brave son being twain.
Pros.
[Aside] The Duke of Milan
And his more braver daughter could control thee,
If now 'twere fit to do't. At the first sight
They have changed eyes. Delicate Ariel,
I'll set thee free for this. [To Fer.] A word,
good sir;

440

I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word.