120 Ste. What is this same?
Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody.
Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, take’t as thou list.
III. 2. 125 Trin. O, forgive me my sins!
Ste. He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee. Mercy upon us!
Cal. Art thou afeard?
Ste. No, monster, not I.
130 Cal. Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices, That, if I then had waked after long sleep, 135 Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open, and show riches Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked, I cried to dream again.
Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I 140 shall have my
music for nothing.
Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.
Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember the story.
Trin. The sound is going away; let’s follow it, and after do our work.
145 Ste. Lead, monster; we’ll follow. I would I could see this taborer; he lays it on.
Trin. Wilt come? I’ll follow, Stephano. [Exeunt.
III. 3 S III. Another part of the island.
Enter A ,S ,A ,G ,A ,F ,
and others.
Gon. By’r lakin, I can go no further, sir; My old bones ache: here’s a maze trod, indeed, Through forth-rights and meanders! By your patience, I needs must rest me.
Alon. Old lord, I cannot blame thee, 5 Who am myself attach’d with weariness, To the dulling of my spirits: sit down, and rest.
Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it No longer for my flatterer: he is drown’d Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks 10 Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.
Ant. [Aside to Seb.] I am right glad that he’s so out of hope.
Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose That you resolved to effect.
Seb. [Aside to Ant.] The next advantage Will we take throughly.
Ant. [Aside to Seb.] Let it be to-night; 15 For, now they are oppress’d with travel, they Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance As when they are fresh.
Seb. [Aside to Ant.] I say, to-night: no more.
[Solemn and strange music.
Alon. What harmony is this?—My good friends, hark!
Gon. Marvellous sweet music!
Enter P above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes,
bringing in a banquet: they dance about it with gentle actions
of salutation; and, inviting the King, &c. to eat, they depart.
20 Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens!—What were these?
Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe That there are unicorns; that in Arabia There is one tree, the phœnix’ throne; one phœnix At this hour reigning there.
Ant. I’ll believe both; III. 3. 25 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 ’em.
Gon. If in Naples I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say, I saw such islanders,— 30 For, certes, 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.
Pros. [Aside] Honest lord, 35 Thou hast said well; for some of you there present Are worse than devils.
Alon. I cannot too much muse Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing— Although they want the use of tongue—a kind Of excellent dumb discourse.
Pros. [Aside] Praise in departing.
Fran. They vanish’d strangely.
Seb. 40 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 45 Dew-lapp’d like bulls, whose throats had hanging at ’em
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find Each putter-out of five for one will bring us Good warrant of.
Alon. I will stand to, and feed, III. 3. 50 Although my last: no matter, since I feel The best is past. Brother, my lord the duke, Stand to, and do as we.
Thunder and lightning. Enter A , 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 55 And what is in’t,—the never-surfeited sea Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island, Where man doth not inhabit,—you ’mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; And even with such-like valour men hang and drown Their proper selves. [Alon., Seb. &c. draw their swords.
60 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 65 One dowle 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 70 From Milan did supplant good Prospero; Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it, Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures, III. 3. 75 Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me: Lingering perdition—worse than any death Can be at once—shall step by step attend You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from,— 80 Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads,—is nothing but heart-sorrow And a clear life ensuing.
He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music, enter the Shapes
again, and dance, with mocks and mows, and carrying out the
table.
Pros. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou Perform’d, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: 85 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 90 In their distractions: they now are in my power; And in these fits I leave them, while I visit Young Ferdinand,—whom they suppose is drown’d,— And his and mine loved darling. [Exit above.
Gon. I’ the name of something holy, sir, why stand you In this strange stare?
Alon. 95 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, pronounced The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.
III. 3. 100 Therefore my son i’ th’ ooze is bedded; and I’ll seek him deeper than e’er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded. [Exit.
Seb. But one fiend at a time, I’ll fight their legions o’er.
