You fools! I and my fellows
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Are ministers of fate. The elements
Of whom your swords are tempered may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemocked-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
One dowl that’s in my plume. My fellow ministers
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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,
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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 –
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
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They have bereft, and do pronounce by me
Ling’ring perdition, worse than any death
Can be at once, shall step by step attend
You and your ways, whose wraths to guard you from –
Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls
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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 mocks and mows, and carry out the table.
PROSPERO Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
Performed, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring.
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated
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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;
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And in these fits I leave them while I visit
Young Ferdinand (whom they suppose is drowned)
And his, and mine, loved darling. Exit.
GONZALO
I’th’ name of something holy, sir, why stand you
In this strange stare?
ALONSO O, it is monstrous, monstrous!
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Methought the billows spoke and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me, and the thunder –
That deep and dreadful organpipe – pronounced
The name of Prosper. It did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i’th’ ooze is bedded, and
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I’ll seek him deeper than e’er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded. Exit.
SEBASTIAN But one fiend at a time,
I’ll fight their legions o’er.
ANTONIO I’ll be thy second.
Exeunt Sebastian and Antonio.
GONZALO
All three of them are desperate: their great guilt,
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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.
ADRIAN Follow, I pray you.
Exeunt omnes.
4.1 Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND and MIRANDA.
PROSPERO [to Ferdinand]
If I have too austerely punished you,
Your compensation makes amends, for I
Have given you here a third of mine own life,
Or that for which I live, who once again
I tender to thy hand. All thy vexations
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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
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And make it halt behind her.
FERDINAND I do believe it
Against an oracle.
PROSPERO Then as my gift and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchased, take my daughter. But
If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
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All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be ministered,
No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew
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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.
FERDINAND As I hope
For quiet days, fair issue and long life,
With such love as ’tis now, the murkiest den,
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The most opportune place, the strong’st 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 foundered
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Or night kept chained below.
PROSPERO Fairly spoke.
Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.
What, Ariel! My industrious servant Ariel!
Enter ARIEL.
ARIEL What would my potent master? Here I am.
PROSPERO
Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
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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
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Some vanity of mine art. It is my promise,
And they expect it from me.
ARIEL Presently?
PROSPERO Ay, with a twink.
ARIEL Before you can say ‘come’ and ‘go’,
And breathe twice and cry ‘so, so’,
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Each one tripping on his toe,
Will be here with mop and mow.
Do you love me, master? No?
PROSPERO Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
Till thou dost hear me call.
ARIEL Well, I conceive. Exit.
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PROSPERO [to Ferdinand]
Look thou be true. Do not give dalliance
Too much the rein. The strongest oaths are straw
To th’ fire i’th’ blood. Be more abstemious
Or else good night your vow!
FERDINAND I warrant you, sir,
The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
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Abates the ardour of my liver.
PROSPERO Well! –
Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary
Rather than want a spirit. Appear, and pertly.
[Soft music.]
No tongue, all eyes. Be silent!
Enter IRIS.
IRIS Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
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Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and peas;
Thy turfy mountains where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatched with stover them to keep;
Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
Which spongy April at thy hest betrims
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To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy
broomgroves
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipped vineyard,
And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
Where thou thyself dost air – the queen o’th’ sky,
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Whose watery arch and messenger am I,
Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace,
JUNO descends.
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport. Her peacocks fly amain.
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
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Enter CERES.
CERES Hail, many-coloured messenger, that ne’er
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
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My bosky acres and my unshrubbed down,
Rich scarf to my proud earth. Why hath thy queen
Summoned me hither to this short-grassed green?
IRIS A contract of true love to celebrate,
And some donation freely to estate
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On the blessed lovers.
CERES 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 Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy’s scandaled company
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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,
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Whose vows are that no bed-right shall be paid
Till Hymen’s torch be lighted, but in vain.
Mars’s hot minion is returned again;
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows
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And be a boy right out.
CERES Highest queen of state,
Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.
JUNO How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
To bless this twain that they may prosperous be,
And honoured in their issue.
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[They sing.]
JUNO Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you;
Juno sings her blessings on you.
CERES Earth’s increase, foison plenty,
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Barns and garners never empty.
Vines with clustering bunches growing,
Plants with goodly burden bowing;
Spring come to you at the farthest,
In the very end of harvest.
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Scarcity and want shall shun you,
Ceres’ blessing so is on you.
FERDINAND This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
To think these spirits?
PROSPERO Spirits, which by mine art
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I have from their confines called to enact
My present fancies.
FERDINAND Let me live here ever!
So rare a wondered father and a wise
Makes this place paradise.
[Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment.]
PROSPERO Sweet now, silence!
Juno and Ceres whisper seriously.
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There’s something else to do. Hush and be mute,
Or else our spell is marred.
IRIS
You nymphs, called naiads, of the windring brooks,
With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land
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Answer your summons; Juno does command.
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love. Be not too late.
Enter certain nymphs.
You sunburned sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow and be merry;
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Make holiday! 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.
PROSPERO [aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy
Of the beast Caliban and his confederates
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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 477