PRO. Dull thing, I say so; he, that Caliban, Whom now I keep in service. Thou best know'st What torment I did find thee in; thy groans Did make wolves howl, and penetrate the breasts Of ever-angry bears: it was a torment To lay upon the damn'd, which Sycorax Could not again undo: it was mine art, When I arriv'd, and heard thee, that made gape The pine, and let thee out. ARI. I thank thee, master. PRO. If thou more murmur'st, I will rend an oak, And peg thee in his knotty entrails, till Thou hast howl'd away twelve winters. ARI. Pardon, master : I will be correspondent to command, Do so; and after two days I will discharge thee. Heaviness in me. a MIRA. (Waking.)] Mr. Collier claims for his annotator the merit of having first added this not very important stage direction. b We cannot miss him:] We cannot do without him. e When?] See note (f), p. 449, Vol. I. d4s wicked dew-] Wicked here implies baneful, pernicious; as in opposition we hear of the virtuous properties of "herbs, plants, stones," &c. e Urchins-] Hedgehogs were formerly so called. it is doubtful, however, whether urchins in this place does not signify some fairy 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! (6) PRO. 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. This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou tak'st from me. When thou camest first, Thou strok'dst me, and mad'st much of me; wouldst give me Water with berries in 't; and teach me how Cursed be I that did so!-All the charms beings; as in "The Merry Wives of Windsor," Act IV. Sc. 4,44 -we'll dress Like urchins, ouphes, and fairies," &c. f Vast of night-] By "vast of night" the poet may have meant the chasm or vacuity of night, as in "Hamlet," Act I. Sc. 2,"In the dead vast and middle of the night." But some critics have conjectured we should read," urchins Shall for that, fast of night." Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me PRO. Filth as thou art, with human care; and lodg'd thee. In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate CAL. O ho, O ho!-would it had been done! PRO.a Abhorred slave, Which any print of goodness will not take, Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour One thing or other: when thou didst not, savage, a PRO.] This speech, in the folios, has the prefix "Mira," but it plainly belongs to Prospero, to whom Theobald assigned it, and who has retained it ever since. b Which any print of goodness will not take, Here, as in many other places, capable signifies impressible, susceptible. e Race,-] That is, Nature, essence. d The red plague rid you,-] See note (a), p. 447, Vol. II. e Fill all thy bones with aches,-] Mr. Collier remarks that "this word, of old, was used either as a monosyllable or as a dissyllable, as the case might require." This may be questioned. "Ake," says Baret in his " Alvearie," "is the Verbe of the substantive Ach, ch being turned into k." As a substantive, then, 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 Deservedly confin'd into this rock, Who hadst deserv'd more than a prison. CAL. You taught me language; and my profit on't Is, I know how to curse. The red plague ridd you, For learning me your language! PRO. Hag-seed, hence ! Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou 'rt best, To answer other business. Shrugg'st thou, malice? 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. e [Aside.] I must obey: his art is of such power, It would control my dam's god, Setebos, (7) And make a vassal of him. PRO. Re-enter ARIEL, invisible, playing and singing; FERDINAND following. So, slave; hence! [Exit CAL. BURDEN. Bough, wowgh. The watch-dogs bark: BURDEN. Bough, wowgh. ARI. [Dispersedly. [Dispersedly. Hark, hark! I hear FER. Where should this music be? i' the air, or the earth? It sounds no more :-and sure it waits upon (*) Old text, cock-a-didle-dowe. should be read parenthetically, in the sense of, the wild waves being hushed. The original punctuation, however,"Court'sied when you have, and kiss'd, The wild waves whist: " (when you have curtsied, and kissed the waves to peace) affords an intelligible and poetic meaning. FER. The ditty does remember my drown'd This is no mortal business, nor no sound MIRA. As we have, such. This gallant which thou seest A goodly person: he hath lost his fellows, MIRA. I might call him A thing divine; for nothing natural I ever saw so noble. PRO. [Aside.] It goes on, I see, As my soul prompts it.-Spirit, fine spirit! I'll free thee And his brave son, being twain. Is the third man that e'er I saw; the first FER. PRO. Soft, sir! one word more.[Aside.] They are both in either's powers; but this swift business I must uneasy make, lest too light winning thee If the ill spirit have so fair a house, Good things will strive to dwell with 't. Speak not you for him; he's a traitor.-Come, FER. I will resist such entertainment, till Mine enemy has more power. MIRA. No, [Draws, and is charmed from moving. O dear father, Make not too rash a trial of him, for PRO. Is so possess'd with guilt: come from thy ward; "Make not too rash a trial of him," &c. we believe that Smollett's interpretation is the true one,- he's of a lofty spirit and not to be intimidated. |