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?

Pros.

Fer.

Pros.

Spirits, which by mine art 120

I have from their confines call'd to enact
My present fancies.

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.

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 windring brooks,

With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land 130
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 sunburn'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.

Pros. [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 strange : your father's in some passion
That works him strongly.

Mir.

Never till this day
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
Pros. You do look, my son, in a moved 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 on;

Is rounded with a sleep.

and our little life
Sir, I am vex'd;

Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled :

Be not disturb'd with my infirmity :

If you be pleased, retire into my cell,

And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,
To still my beating mind.

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150

160

Fer. Mir.

We wish your peace.

[Exeunt.

Pros. Come with a thought. I thank thee, Ariel: come.

Enter Ariel.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to.

What's thy pleasure?
Spirit,

Pros.

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.
Ari. Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,
I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd
Lest I might anger thee.

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Pros. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
Ari. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking ;
So full of valour that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor;
At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses

Pros.

As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through 179
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail shins: at last I left them
I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.

This was well done, my bird.
Thy shape invisible retain thou still:

The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
For stale to catch these thieves.

I go, I go.

[Exit.

Ari.
Pros. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture 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.

Come, hang them on this line.

Prospero and Ariel remain, invisible.

Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet. Cal. Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless

190

fairy, has done little better than played the Jack with us. Trin. Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at which my nose is in great indignation.

Ste. So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you, look you,—

Trin. Thou wert but a lost monster.

Cal. Good my lord, give me thy favour still.
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to

200

Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.
All's hush'd as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,-
Ste. There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,

monster, but an infinite loss.

Trin. That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is

your harmless fairy, monster.

Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears

for my labour.

Cal. Prithee, my king, be quiet. See'st thou here,

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This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter.
Do that good mischief which may make this island
Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,

For aye thy foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Trin. O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano! look what a wardrobe here is for thee!

Cal. Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.

Trin. O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery. O King Stephano!

Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Trin. Thy grace shall have it.

Cal. The dropsy drown this fool! what do you mean
To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone,
And do the murder first: if he awake,

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231

From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,
Make us strange stuff.

Ste. 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.

Trin. Do, do we steal by line and level, an 't like

your grace. 240 Ste. 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 pate; there's another garment for 't.

Trin. Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest.