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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 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,
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 suggestion
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 go, 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.

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

Well I conceive.

Ari.
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!

Fer.

[Exit.

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,

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, them to keep;
Thy banks with peonied and lilied 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-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.

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 foison plenty;
Barns and garners never empty;
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.

Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines called to enact

My present fancies.

Fer.

Let me live here ever;

So rare a wondered father, and a wife,

Make this place Paradise.

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. Pro. 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 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-straws 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.

Pro. [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 ;

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no more.

Fer. This is strange: your father's in some passion That works him strongly.

Mira.
Never till this day,
Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.
Pro. You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismayed: 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-capped 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 of, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. - Sir, I am vexed;
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled
Be not disturbed 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.

Fer. Mira.

We wish you peace. [Exeunt. Pro. Come with a thought :-I thank you :-Ariel, come.

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to: What's thy pleasure? Pro. Spirit,

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 feared, Lest I might anger thee.

Pro. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets? Ari. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking; So full of valor, 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 unbacked colts, they pricked their ears,
Advanced their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt music; so I charmed their ears
That, calf-like, they my lowing followed, through
Toothed briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,
Which entered 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'er-stunk their feet.

Pro. 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.

Ari.
I go,
Pro. 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,

[Exit

Re-enter ARIEL loaden with glistering apparel, &c. Even to roaring:- Come, hang them on this line.

E

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