Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

Juno and Ceres whisper, and fend Iris on employment.
Iris. You nymphs call'd Nayads of the winding brooks,
With your sedg'd crowns, and ever-harmless looks,
Leave your crisp channels, and on this green-land
Answer your fummons; Juno does command:
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain nymphs.

You fun-burnt ficklemen, of Auguft 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.

SCENE IV.

Enter certain reapers, properly habited; they join with the nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof Profpero starts Suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow and confused noise, they vanish.

Pro. I had forgot that foul confpiracy
Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates,
Against my life; the minute of their plot
Is almost come. Well done; avoid; no more.

Fer. This is most strange; your father's in some paffion

That works him strongly.

Mira. Never 'till this day

Saw I him touch'd with anger, so distemper'd.

Pro. Why, you do look, my fon, in a mov'd fort;

As if you were dismay'd; be chearful, fir:

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 fabrick of their vifion,

The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,

VOL. I.

H

:

The

The folemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a track behind. We are fuch stuff

As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a fleep. Sir, I am vext;

Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled:

Be not difturb'd with my infirmity;

If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell,

And there repose; a turn or two I'll walk

To ftill my beating mind.

Fer. Mira. We wish you peace.

[Exeunt.

Pro. Come with a thought; I thank thee, 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

Left I might anger thee.

Pro. But, say again, where didst thou leave these varlets? Ari. I told you, fir, 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 unbackt colts, they prickt their ears,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt musick; so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briars, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,
Which enter'd 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.

Pro.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Ariel loaden with glistering apparel, &c. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.

Cal. Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not Hear a foot fall; we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your Fairy, which you say is a harmless Fairy, has done little better than plaid the Jack with us.

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

Ste. So is mine: do you hear, monster? if I should take a

difpleafure against you; look you

Trin. Thou wert but a loft monster.

Cal. Good, 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 husht as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to

lofe our

bottles in the pool

Ste. There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, mon-

ster, but an infinite lofs.

Trin. That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your

harmless Fairy, monfter..

Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er head and

ears for my labour.

[blocks in formation]

Cal. Pr'ythee, 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 ifsland Thine own for ever; and I, thy Caliban,

For aye thy foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy hand; I do begin to have bloody thoughts. Trin. O king Stephano! o peer! o worthy Stephano!

Look, what a wardrobe here is for thee!

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

Trin. Oh, oh, monster; we know what belongs to a frippery: o king Stephano.

Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Trin. Thy grace shall have it.

Cal. The dropsy drown this fool! what do you mean

To dote thus on such luggage? let it alone,

And do the murder first: if he awake,

From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches ;
Make us strange stuff.

Ste. Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, 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.

Trin. Do, do; westeal by line and level, and't like your grace. Ste. I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't: wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this country: teal by line and level, is an excellent pass of pate; there's another garment for't.

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

Cal. I will have none on't; we shall lose our time,

And all be turn'd to barnacles, or apes,

With foreheads villainous low.

Ste. Monster, lay to your fingers; help to bear this away where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my king

dom; go to, carry this. Trin. And this.

Ste. Ay, and this.

A

A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers spirits in shape of hounds, hunting them about; Profpero and Ariel fetting them on.

Pro. Hey, Mountain, hey!

Ari. Silver! there it goes, Silver !

Pro. Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark, hark!

Go, charge my goblins that they grind their joints

With dry convulfions, shorten up their finews

With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them

Than pard, or cat o' mountain.

Ari. Hark, they roar.

Pro. Let them be hunted foundly. At this hour

Lye 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.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Enter Prospero in his magick robes, and Ariel.

PROSPERO.

OW does my project gather to a head;

NOW

My charms crack not; my spirits obey; and time

Goes upright with his carriage: how's the day?

Ari. On the fixth hour; at which time, my lord,

You faid our work should ceafe.

Pro. I did say so,

When first I rais'd the tempeft; say, my spirit,

How fares the king, and's followers?

Ari. Confin'd

In the same fashion as you gave in charge,

Just as you left them, all your prifoners, fir,

In the Lime-Grove which weather-fends your cell.

They

« IndietroContinua »