The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

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The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 398

by William Shakespeare

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 of her,

  For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,

  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

  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

  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,

  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

  Or night kept chained below.

  PROSPERO

  Fairly spoke.

  Sit, then, and talk with her. She is thine own.

  Ferdinand and Miranda sit and talk together

  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

  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.

  ARIEL

  Presently?

  PROSPERO Ay, with a twink.

  ARIEL

  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 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

  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

  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

  (To Ferdinand and Miranda) No tongue, all eyes! Be silent.

  Enter Iris

  IRIS

  Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas

  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 peonied and twillèd brims

  Which spongy April at thy hest betrims

  To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom-groves,

  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,

  Whose wat’ry arch and messenger am I,

  Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace

  Juno ⌈appears in the air⌉

  Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,

  To come and sport.—Her peacocks fly amain.

  Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

  Enter ⌈Ariel as⌉ 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

  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

  On the blest 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 scandalled 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-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,

  And be a boy right out.

  ⌈Music. Juno descends to the stage⌉

  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.

  ⌈Ceres joins Juno, and⌉ they sing

  FERDINAND

  This is a most majestic vision, and

  Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold

  To think these spirits?

  PROSPERO

  Spirits, which by mine art

  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.

  There’s something else to do. Hush, and be mute,

  Or else our spell is marred.

  IRIS

  You nymphs called naiads of the wind’ring brooks,

  With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,

  Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land

  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;

  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 i
n a graceful dance; towards the end whereof Prospero starts suddenly, and speaks

  PROSPERO (aside)

  I had forgot that foul conspiracy

  Of the beast Caliban and his confederates

  Against my life. The minute of their plot

  Is almost come. (To the spirits) Well done! Avoid; no

  more!

  To a strange, hollow, and confused noise, the spirits in the pageant heavily vanish. ⌈Ferdinand and Miranda rise⌉

  FERDINAND (to Miranda)

  This is strange. Your father’s in some passion

  That works him strongly.

  MIRANDA

  Never till this day

  Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.

  PROSPERO

  You do look, my son, in a moved sort,

  As if you were dismayed. 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-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,

  The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

  Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;

  And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

  Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

  As dreams are made on, and our little life

  Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed.

  Bear with my weakness. My old brain is troubled.

  Be not disturbed with my infirmity.

  If you be pleased, retire into my cell,

  And there repose. A turn or two I’ll walk

  To still my beating mind.

  FERDINAND and MIRANDA

  We wish your peace.

  Exeunt Ferdinand and Miranda

  PROSPERO

  Come with a thought! I thank thee, Ariel. Come!

  Enter Ariel

  ARIEL

  Thy thoughts I cleave to. What’s thy pleasure?

  PROSPERO

  Spirit,

  We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

  ARIEL

  Ay, my commander. When I presented Ceres

  I thought to have told thee of it, but I feared

  Lest I might anger thee.

  PROSPERO

  Say again: where didst thou leave these varlets?

  ARIEL

  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 unbacked colts they pricked their ears,

  Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses

  As they smelt music. So I charmed their ears

  That calf-like they my lowing followed, through

  Toothed briars, sharp furzes, pricking gorse, and

  thorns,

  Which entered their frail shins. At last I left them

  I’th’ filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,

  There dancing up to th’ chins, that the foul lake

  O’er-stunk their feet.

  PROSPERO

  This was well done, my bird.

  Thy shape invisible retain thou still.

  The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither

  For stale to catch these thieves.

  ARIEL

  I go, I go.

  Exit

  PROSPERO

  A devil, a born devil, on whose nature

  Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,

  Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost,

  And, as with age his body uglier grows,

  So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,

  Even to roaring.

  Enter Ariel, laden with glistening apparel, etc.

  Come, hang them on this lime.

  Ariel hangs up the apparel. ⌈Exeunt Prospero and

  Ariel.⌉

  Enter Caliban, Stefano, and Trinculo, all wet

  CALIBAN

  Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may

  Not hear a foot fall. We now are near his cell.

  STEFANO Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has done little better than played the Jack with us.

  TRINCULO Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which my nose is in great indignation.

  STEFANO So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you, look you—

  TRINCULO Thou wert but a lost monster.

  CALIBAN

  Good my lord, give me thy favour still.

  Be patient, for the prize I’ll bring thee to

  Shall hoodwink this mischance. Therefore speak softly.

  All’s hushed as midnight yet.

  TRINCULO Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool!

  STEFANO There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster, but an infinite loss.

  TRINCULO That’s more to me than my wetting. Yet this is your harmless fairy, monster.

  STEFANO I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o’er ears for my labour.

  CALIBAN

  Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here;

  This is the mouth o’th’ cell. No noise, and enter.

  Do that good mischief which may make this island

  Thine own for ever, and I thy Caliban

  For aye thy foot-licker.

  STEFANO

  Give me thy hand.

  I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

  TRINCULO (seeing the apparel) O King Stefano, O peer! O worthy Stefano, look what a wardrobe here is for thee!

  CALIBAN

  Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash.

  TRINCULO (putting on a gown) O ho, monster, we know what belongs to a frippery! O King Stefano!

  STEFANO Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I’ll have that gown.

  TRINCULO Thy grace shall have it.

  CALIBAN

  The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean

  To dote thus on such luggage? Let’t alone,

  And do the murder first. If he awake,

  From toe to crown he’ll fill our skins with pinches,

  Make us strange stuff.

  STEFANO Be you quiet, monster.—Mistress lime, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line. Now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald jerkin.

  Stefano and Trinculo take garments

  TRINCULO Do, do! We steal by line and level, an’t like your grace.

  STEFANO I thank thee for that jest. Here’s a garment for’t. Wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this country. ‘Steal by line and level’ is an excellent pass of pate. There’s another garment for’t.

  TRINCULO Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest.

  CALIBAN

  I will have none on’t. We shall lose our time,

  And all be turned to barnacles, or to apes

  With foreheads villainous low.

  STEFANO Monster, lay to your fingers. Help to bear this away where my hogshead of wine is, or I’ll turn you out of my kingdom. Go to, carry this.

  TRINCULO And this.

  STEFANO Ay, and this.

  They load Caliban with apparel. A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers spirits in shape of dogs and hounds, hunting them about; Prospero and Ariel setting them on

  PROSPERO

  Hey, Mountain, hey!

  ARIEL

  Silver! There it goes, Silver!

  PROSPERO

  Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark!

  Exeunt Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban, pursued by spirits

  (To Ariel) Go, charge my goblins that they grind their

  joints

  With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews

  With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make

  them
/>
  Than pard or cat o’mountain.

  Cries within

  ARIEL

  Hark, they roar!

  PROSPERO

  Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour

  Lies at my mercy all mine enemies.

  Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou

  Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little,

  Follow, and do me service.

  Exeunt

  5.1 Enter Prospero, in his magic robes, and Ariel

  PROSPERO

  Now does my project gather to a head.

  My charms crack not, my spirits obey, and time

  Goes upright with his carriage. How’s the day?

  ARIEL

  On the sixth hour; at which time, my lord,

  You said our work should cease.

  PROSPERO

  I did say so

  When first I raised the tempest. Say, my spirit,

  How fares the King and’s followers?

  ARIEL

  Confined together

  In the same fashion as you gave in charge,

  Just as you left them; all prisoners, sir,

  In the lime-grove which weather-fends your cell.

  They cannot budge till your release. The King,

  His brother, and yours, abide all three distracted,

  And the remainder mourning over them,

  Brimful of sorrow and dismay; but chiefly

  Him that you termed, sir, the good old lord Gonzalo:

  His tears run down his beard like winter’s drops

  From eaves of reeds. Your charm so strongly works ’em

  That if you now beheld them your affections

  Would become tender.

  PROSPERO

  Dost thou think so, spirit?

  ARIEL

  Mine would, sir, were I human.

  PROSPERO

  And mine shall.

  Hast thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling

  Of their afflictions, and shall not myself,

  One of their kind, that relish all as sharply

  Passion as they, be kindlier moved than thou art?

  Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th’

  quick,

  Yet with my nobler reason ’gainst my fury

  Do I take part. The rarer action is

  In virtue than in vengeance. They being penitent,

  The sole drift of my purpose doth extend

  Not a frown further. Go release them, Ariel.

  My charms I’ll break, their senses I’ll restore,

 

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