Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid 'em: but
For every trifle are they set upon me;

Sometime like apes, that mow and chatter at me,
And after bite me; then like hedgehogs, which
Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount
Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do hiss me into madness.

Enter Trinculo.

Lo, now, lo!

Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me
For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat;
Perchance he will not mind me.

10

Trin. Here's neither bush nor shrub, to bear off any weather at all, and another storm brewing; I hear it sing i' the wind: yond same black cloud, 20 yond huge one, looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor. If it should thunder as it did before, I know not where to hide my head: yond same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls. What have we here? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fish-like smell; a kind of not of the newest Poor-John. A strange fish! Were I in England now, as once I was, and had but this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give 30 a piece of silver: there would this monster make a man; any strange beast there makes a man: when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian.

Ste.

Legged like a man! and his fins like arms! Warm
o' my troth! I do now let loose my opinion; hold
it no longer: this is no fish, but an islander, that
hath lately suffered by a thunderbolt. [Thunder.]
Alas, the storm is come again! my best way is to
creep under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter 40
hereabout: misery acquaints a man with strange
bed-fellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of
the storm be past.

Enter Stephano, singing: a bottle in his hand.
I shall no more to sea, to sea,

Here shall I die a-shore,一

This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's

funeral: well, here's my comfort.

[Sings.

[Drinks.

The master, the swabber, the boatswain, and I,

The gunner, and his mate,
Loved Moll, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,
But none of us cared for Kate;
For she had a tongue with a tang,

Would cry to a sailor, Go hang!

She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch;
Yet a tailor might scratch her where'er she did itch.

Then, to sea, boys, and let her go hang!
This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort.

Cal. Do not torment me:-O!

50

[Drinks.

Ste. What's the matter? Have we devils here? Do

you put tricks upon's with salvages and men of 60 Ind, ha? I have not scaped drowning, to be afeard now of your four legs; for it hath been

said, As proper a man as ever went on four legs
cannot make him give ground; and it shall be
said so again, while Stephano breathes at nostrils.

Cal. The spirit torments me.-О!

Ste. This is some monster of the isle with four legs, who hath got, as I take it, an ague. Where the devil should he learn our language? I will give him some relief, if it be but for that. If I can recover him, and keep him tame, and get to Naples with him, he's a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat's-leather.

70

Cal. Do not torment me, prithee; I'll bring my wood home faster.

Ste. He's in his fit now, and does not talk after the wisest. He shall taste of my bottle: if he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit. If I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much for him; he shall 80 pay for him that hath him, and that soundly.

Cal. Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon, I know it by thy trembling: now Prosper works upon thee.

Ste. Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is that which will give language to you, cat: open your mouth; this will shake your shaking, I can tell you, and that soundly: you cannot tell who's your friend: open your chaps again.

Trin. I should know that voice: it should be-but 90 he is drowned; and these are devils :-O defend me!

Ste. Four legs and two voices, -a most delicate monster! His forward voice, now, is to speak

well of his friend; his backward voice is to utter
foul speeches and to detract. If all the wine in
my bottle will recover him, I will help his ague.
Come:-Amen! I will pour some in thy other
mouth.

Trin. Stephano!

Ste. Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy, mercy ! This is a devil, and no monster: I will leave him; I have no long spoon.

Trin. Stephano! If thou beest Stephano, touch me, and speak to me; for I am Trinculo, -be not afeard,-thy good friend Trinculo.

100

Ste. If thou beest Trinculo, come forth: I'll pull thee by the lesser legs: if any be Trinculo's legs, these are they. Thou art very Trinculo indeed! How camest thou to be the siege of this moon-calf? 110 can he vent Trinculos?

Trin. I took him to be killed with a thunder-stroke. But art thou not drowned, Stephano? I hope, now, thou art not drowned. Is the storm overblown? I hid me under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine for fear of the storm. And art thou living, Stephano? O Stephano, two Neapolitans scaped!

Ste. Prithee, do not turn me about; my stomach is

not constant.

Cal. [Aside] These be fine things, an if they be not

sprites.

That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor :
I will kneel to him.

Ste. How didst thou scape? How camest thou
hither? swear, by this bottle, how thou camest
hither. I escaped upon a butt of sack, which the

121

sailors heaved o'erboard, by this bottle! which I
made of the bark of a tree with mine own hands,
since I was cast ashore.

Cal. I'll swear, upon that bottle, to be thy true subject; for the liquor is not earthly.

130

Ste. Here; swear, then, how thou escapedst.
Trin. Swum ashore, man, like a duck: I can swim

like a duck, I'll be sworn.

Ste. Here, kiss the book. Though thou canst swim

like a duck, thou art made like a goose.

Trin. O Stephano, hast any more of this?

Ste. The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock by
the sea-side, where my wine is hid. How now,
moon-calf! how does thine ague ?

Cal. Hast thou not dropp'd from heaven?
Ste. Out o' the moon, I do assure thee: I was the
man i' the moon when time was.

Cal. I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee: my
mistress show'd me thee, and thy dog, and thy
bush.

Ste. Come, swear to that; kiss the book: I will furnish it anon with new contents: swear.

140

Trin. By this good light, this is a very shallow monster! I afeard of him! A very weak monster! The man i' the moon! A most poor credulous monster! Well drawn, monster, 150 in good sooth!

Cal. I'll show thee every fertile inch o' th' island; and I will kiss thy foot: I prithee, be my god. Trin. By this light, a most perfidious and drunken monster! when's god's asleep, he'll rob his bottle.