Enter MIRANDA, and PROSPERO following. MIRA. Alas, now! pray you, Work not so hard; I would the lightning had Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile! Pray, set it down, and rest you: when this burns, "T will weep for having wearied you. My father Is hard at study; pray, now, rest yourself; He's safe for these three hours. FER. O most dear mistress, The sun will set before I shall discharge What I must strive to do. If you'll sit down 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. MIRA. It would become me So perfect and so peerless, are created I do not know Of every creature's best! I am, in my condition, [speak : I would not so!-and would no more endure My heart fly to your service; there resides, MIRA. Do you love me? FER. O heaven! O earth! bear witness to this I am a fool, Fair encounter Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace On that which breeds between 'em! Wherefore weep you? FER. 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 b You may deny me; but I'll be your servant, Whether you will or no. FER. And I thus humble ever. My mistress, dearest ! (*) Old text, labours. when I do it; " Mr. Holt White suggests, "Most busiest when I do it;" and Mr. Collier's annotator, "Most busy,-blest when I do it." Whatever may have been the word for which "lest" was misprinted, "Most busy" and that word bore reference, unquestionably, not to Ferdinand's task, but to the sweet thoughts by which it was relieved. We have substituted felt as a likely word to have been mis-set "lest;" but are in doubt whether still, in its old sense of ever, always, is not preferable, "Most busy still, when I do it." b Fellow-] That is, companion, pheer. 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. 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-andthirty leagues, off and on. By this light thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard. TRIN. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard. STE. We'll not run, monsieur Monster. 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 a 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? —— a pied ninny's this!] An allusion to the pied, or party coloured dress which Trinculo, as a jester, wore. 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 pr'ythee. STR. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head; if you prove a mutineer, the next treethe poor monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity. CAL. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased 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. I' the afternoon to sleep: there thou mayst brain him, Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log Is it so brave a lass? STE. 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. Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch STE. At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason:-Come on, Trinculo, let us sing. * [Sings. Flout 'em, and scout 'em; and scout '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.(1) STE. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness if thou beest a devil, take't as thou list. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments 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. a 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! (2) he lays it on. TRIN. Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano. [Exeunt. ALON. Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose SEB. [Aside to ANT.] The next advantage Will we take throughly. (*) Old tert, coul. a By and by:] By and by, as well as presently, now implies some brief delay; but in old language they usually meant immediately. b By'r lakin,-] A contraction of By our ladykin, or, little lady. It occurs in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." See note (b), p. 357, Vol. I. c Ache;] This word is now invariably spelt thus; but formerly, when used as a verb, it took the form of "ake," and, as a substantive, of "ache." See note (e), p. 14. d Through forth-rights and meanders!] "Mazes were of two kinds, rectangular and curvilinear; Mr. Knight gives a figure of one of the former."-SINGER. |