The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

Home > Fiction > The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works > Page 474
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 474

by William Shakespeare


  When he is earthed – hath here almost persuaded

  235

  (For he’s a spirit of persuasion, only

  Professes to persuade) the King his son’s alive,

  ’Tis as impossible that he’s undrowned

  As he that sleeps here swims.

  SEBASTIAN I have no hope

  That he’s undrowned.

  ANTONIO O, out of that ‘no hope’,

  240

  What great hope have you! No hope that way is

  Another way so high a hope that even

  Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,

  But doubt discovery there. Will you grant with me

  That Ferdinand is drowned?

  SEBASTIAN He’s gone.

  ANTONIO Then tell me,

  245

  Who’s the next heir of Naples?

  SEBASTIAN Claribel.

  ANTONIO She that is Queen of Tunis; she that dwells

  Ten leagues beyond man’s life; she that from Naples

  Can have no note unless the sun were post –

  The man i’th’ moon’s too slow – till newborn chins

  250

  Be rough and razorable; she that from whom

  We all were sea-swallowed, though some cast again,

  And by that destiny to perform an act

  Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come

  In yours and my discharge!

  255

  SEBASTIAN What stuff is this? How say you?

  ’Tis true my brother’s daughter’s Queen of Tunis,

  So is she heir of Naples, ’twixt which regions

  There is some space.

  ANTONIO A space whose every cubit

  Seems to cry out, ‘How shall that Claribel

  260

  Measure us back to Naples? Keep in Tunis,

  And let Sebastian wake.’ Say this were death

  That now hath seized them; why, they were no worse

  Than now they are. There be that can rule Naples

  As well as he that sleeps; lords that can prate

  265

  As amply and unnecessarily

  As this Gonzalo. I myself could make

  A chough of as deep chat. O that you bore

  The mind that I do! What a sleep were this

  For your advancement! Do you understand me?

  270

  SEBASTIAN Methinks I do.

  ANTONIO And how does your content

  Tender your own good fortune?

  SEBASTIAN I remember

  You did supplant your brother Prospero.

  ANTONIO True:

  And look how well my garments sit upon me

  Much feater than before. My brother’s servants

  275

  Were then my fellows; now they are my men.

  SEBASTIAN But for your conscience?

  ANTONIO Ay, sir, where lies that? If ’twere a kibe

  ’Twould put me to my slipper, but I feel not

  This deity in my bosom. Twenty consciences

  280

  That stand ’twixt me and Milan, candied be they

  And melt ere they molest! Here lies your brother,

  No better than the earth he lies upon.

  If he were that which now he’s like (that’s dead)

  Whom I with this obedient steel – three inches of it –

  285

  Can lay to bed forever (whiles you, doing thus,

  To the perpetual wink for aye might put

  This ancient morsel, this Sir Prudence, who

  Should not upbraid our course) – for all the rest

  They’ll take suggestion as a cat laps milk;

  290

  They’ll tell the clock to any business that

  We say befits the hour.

  SEBASTIAN Thy case, dear friend,

  Shall be my precedent. As thou got’st Milan,

  I’ll come by Naples. Draw thy sword! One stroke

  Shall free thee from the tribute which thou payest,

  295

  And I the king shall love thee.

  ANTONIO Draw together,

  And when I rear my hand, do you the like

  To fall it on Gonzalo.

  SEBASTIAN O, but one word –

  Enter ARIEL with music and song.

  ARIEL

  My master through his art foresees the danger

  That you, his friend, are in, and sends me forth

  300

  (For else his project dies) to keep them living.

  [Sings in Gonzalo’s ear.]

  While you here do snoring lie,

  Open-eyed conspiracy

  His time doth take.

  If of life you keep a care,

  Shake off slumber and beware.

  305

  Awake, awake!

  ANTONIO Then let us both be sudden.

  GONZALO [Wakes.]

  Now, good angels preserve the King!

  ALONSO [Wakes.]

  Why, how now, ho! Awake! Why are you drawn?

  Wherefore this ghastly looking?

  310

  GONZALO What’s the matter?

  SEBASTIAN Whiles we stood here securing your repose,

  Even now we heard a hollow burst of bellowing,

  Like bulls, or rather lions. Did’t not wake you?

  It struck mine ear most terribly.

  ALONSO I heard nothing.

  315

  ANTONIO O, ’twas a din to fright a monster’s ear –

  To make an earthquake! Sure it was the roar

  Of a whole herd of lions.

  ALONSO Heard you this, Gonzalo?

  GONZALO Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming,

  And that a strange one too, which did awake me.

  320

  I shaked you, sir, and cried. As mine eyes opened,

  I saw their weapons drawn. There was a noise,

  That’s verily. ’Tis best we stand upon our guard,

  Or that we quit this place. Let’s draw our weapons.

  ALONSO

  Lead off this ground, and let’s make further search

  325

  For my poor son.

  GONZALO Heavens keep him from these beasts,

  For he is, sure, i’th’ island.

  ALONSO Lead away.

  ARIEL Prospero, my lord, shall know what I have done;

  So, King, go safely on to seek thy son. Exeunt.

  2.2 Enter CALIBAN, with a burden of wood; a noise of thunder heard.

  CALIBAN All the infections that the sun sucks up

  From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him

  By inchmeal a disease! His spirits hear me,

  And yet I needs must curse. But they’ll nor pinch,

  Fright me with urchin-shows, pitch me i’th’ mire,

  5

  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

  10

  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. Lo now, lo,

  Enter TRINCULO

  Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me

  15

  For bringing wood in slowly. I’ll fall flat;

  Perchance he will not mind me.

  TRINCULO Here’s neither bush nor shrub to bear off any

  weather at all, and another storm brewing; I hear it sing

  i’th’ wind. Yond same black cloud, yond huge one,

  20

  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

&nbs
p; by pailfuls. [Sees Caliban.] What have we here, a man

  or a fish? Dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish, a

  25

  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 a piece of silver.

  There would this monster make a man; any strange

  30

  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. 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

  35

  islander that hath lately suffered by a thunderbolt.

  Alas, the storm is come again. My best way is to creep

  under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter

  hereabout. Misery acquaints a man with strange

  bedfellows! I will here shroud till the dregs of the

  40

  storm be past.

  Enter STEPHANO singing.

  STEPHANO I shall no more to sea, to sea,

  Here shall I die ashore.

  This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man’s funeral.

  Well, here’s my comfort. [Drinks and then sings.]

  45

  The master, the swabber, the boatswain and I;

  The gunner and his mate,

  Loved Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,

  But none of us cared for Kate.

  For she had a tongue with a tang,

  50

  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.

  55

  [Drinks.]

  CALIBAN Do not torment me! O!

  STEPHANO What’s the matter? Have we devils here? Do

  you put tricks upon’s with savages and men of Ind?

  Ha! I have not ’scaped drowning to be afeard now of

  your four legs; for it hath been said, ‘As proper a man

  60

  as ever went on four legs cannot make him give

  ground’. And it shall be said so again while Stephano

  breathes at’ nostrils.

  CALIBAN The spirit torments me! O!

  STEPHANO This is some monster of the isle, with four

  65

  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

  CALIBAN Do not torment me, prithee. I’ll bring my

  wood home faster.

  STEPHANO 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

  75

  can recover him and keep him tame, I will not take too

  much for him! He shall pay for him that hath him, and

  that soundly.

  CALIBAN Thou dost me yet but little hurt. Thou wilt

  anon, I know it by thy trembling. Now Prosper works

  80

  upon thee.

  STEPHANO 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. [Pours into Caliban’s mouth.] You

  85

  cannot tell who’s your friend. Open your chaps again.

  TRINCULO I should know that voice. It should be – but

  he is drowned, and these are devils. O, defend me!

  STEPHANO Four legs and two voices – a most delicate

  monster! His forward voice now is to speak well of his

  90

  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.

  TRINCULO Stephano!

  95

  STEPHANO Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy,

  mercy! This is a devil and no monster. I will leave him;

  I have no long spoon.

  TRINCULO Stephano? If thou be’st Stephano, touch me

  and speak to me, for I am Trinculo! Be not afeard – thy

  100

  good friend Trinculo.

 

‹ Prev