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,
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 398
