Seb. A living drollery: Now I will believe, That there are unicorns; that in Arabia There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix At this hour reigning there.

Ant.

I'll believe both: And what does else want credit, come to me, And I'll be sworn 'tis true: Travellers ne'er did lie, Though fools at home condemn them. If in Naples I should report this now, would they believe me? If I should say I saw such islanders

Gon.

(For, certes,2 these are people of the island,) Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note, Their manners are more gentle-kind, than of Our human generation you shall find Many, nay, almost any. Pro.

Honest lord, Thou hast said well; for some of you there present, Are worse than devils. [Aside. I cannot too much muse,3 Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing

Alon.

(Although they want the use of tongue,) a kind Of excellent dumb discourse.

Pro.

Praise in departing.
Aside.

Fran. They vanish'd strangely.
Seb.

No matter, since

They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.

Will't please you taste of what is here?

Alon.

Not I. Gon. Faith, Sir, you need not fear: When we were boys,

Who would believe that there were mountaineers, Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging

at them

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men, (3) Wonder.

(1) Show.

(2) Certainly.

Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we

find,

Each putter-out on five for one, will bring us
Good warrant of.

Alon.
I will stand to, and feed,
Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past:-Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand too, and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy: claps his wings upon the table, and with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom destiny (That hath to instrument this lower world, And what is in't,) the never-surfeited sea Hath caused to belch up; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; [Seeing Alon. Seb. &c. draw their swords. And even with such like valour, men hang and

drown

Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows Are ministers of fate; the elements

Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

One dowle1 that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers
Are like invulnerable: if you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted: But, remember
(For that's my business to you,) that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him, and his innocent child; for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace: Thee, of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,

(1) Down.

Lingering perdition (worse than any death
Can be at once) shall step by step attend
You, and your ways; whose wrath to guard you
from

(Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads,) is nothing, but heart's sorrow, And a clear life ensuing.

He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes, and carry out the table.

Pro. [Aside.] Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou

Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing 'bated,
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life,
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
Their several kinds have done: my high charms

work,

And these, mine enemies, are all knit up

In their distractions: they now are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, whilst I visit
Young Ferdinand (whom they suppose is drown'd,)
And his and my lov'd darling.

[Exit Prospero from above. Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you In this strange stare?

Alon. O, it is monstrous! monstrous ! Methought, the billows spoke, and told me of it; The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder, That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd The name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass. Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded; and I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded. [Exit. But one fiend at a time,

Seb.

(1) Pure, blameless.

I'll fight their legions o'er.
Ant.

I'll be thy second. [Exeunt Seb. and Ant. Gon. All three of them are desperate; their great guilt,

Like poison given to work a great time after,
Now 'gins to bite the spirits :-I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,
And hinder them from what this ecstasy!
May now provoke them to.
Adr.

Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-Before Prospero's cell. Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.

Pro. If I have toc austerely punish'd you, Your compensation makes amends; for I Have given you here a thread of mine own life, Or that for which I live; whom once again I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations 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.

I do believe it,

Fer.

Against an oracle.

Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: But If thou dost break her virgin knot before All sanctimonious ceremonies may With full and holy rite be minister'd,

(1) Alienation of mind.

No sweet aspersion! shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-ey'd disdain, and discord, shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly,
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 strongest suggestion
Our worser Genius can, shall never melt
Mine honour into lust; to take away
The edge of that day's celebration,
When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,
Or night kept chain'd 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.

Presently?

Pro. Ay, with a twink.

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.

(1) Sprinkling.