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

Ari.

Well I conceive.

[Exit.

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. I warrant you, sir; The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pro. Well.Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary,1 Rather than want a spirit; appear, and pertly.No tongue; all eyes; be silent. [Soft music.

A Masque. Enter Iris.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and pease; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep; Thy banks with peonied and lilied brims, Which spongy April at thy hest2 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, steril, 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-colour'd messenger, that ne'er (2) Command.

(1) Surplus.

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 bosky1 acres, and my unshrubb'd down,
Rich scarf to my proud earth; Why hath thy queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?
Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate;
And some donation freely to estate

On the bless'd 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 Dis2 my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd 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 yain;
Mars's hot minion is return'd again;
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
Swears he will shoot no more, but play with spar-

rows, 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 honour'd in their issue.

(1) Woody.

Pluto.

SONG.

Juno. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.

Cer.

Earth's increase, and foizon1 plenty;
Barns, and garners never empty;
Vines, with clust'ring 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 call'd to enact

My present fancies.
Fer.
So rare a wonder'd2 father, and a wife,
Make this place Paradise.

Let me live here ever;

[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 marr'd.

Iris. You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the wand'ring brooks,

With your sedg'd crowns, and ever harmless looks, Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land Answer your summons; Juno does command:

(1) Abundance. (2) Able to produce such wonders

Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You sun-burn'd sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;
Make holy-day: 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.

Pro. [Aside.] I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates, life; the minute of their plot

Against my Is almost come.-[To the Spirits.] Well done;avoid-no more.

Fer. This is most strange: your father's in some passion

That works him strongly.

Mira.

Never till this day, Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd. Pro. You do look, my son, in a mov'd 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,!

(1) Vanished.

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 vex'd;
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:

If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell,
And there repose; a turn or two I'll walk,
To still my beating mind.
Fer. Mira.

We wish your 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 fear'd,
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 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,

Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt music; so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd, through

(1) A body of clouds in motion; but it is most probable that the author wrote track.