Trinculo; Caliban following with a bottle.
Ste.
Tell not me;—when the butt is out, we
will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear
up, and board 'em5 note: Servant-monster, drink to
me.
Trin.
Servant-monster? the folly of this island!
They say, there's but five upon this isle: we are
three of them; if the other two be brained like us,
the state totters6 note.
Ste.
Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee;
thy eyes are almost set in thy head.
Trin.
Where should they be set else? he were
a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his
tail7 note.
-- 113 --
Ste.
My man-monster hath drowned his tongue
in sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me:
I swam8 note
, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty
leagues, off and on, by this light.—Thou
shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard.
Trin.
Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no
standard9 note
.
Ste.
We'll not run, monsieur monster.
Trin.
Nor go neither: but you'll lie, like dogs;
and yet say nothing neither.
Ste.
Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou
beest a good moon-calf.
Cal.
How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe:
I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.
Trin.
Thou liest, most ignorant monster; I am
in case to justle a constable: Why, thou deboshed
fish thou1 note
, was there ever man a coward, that hath
-- 114 --
drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell
a monstrous lie, being but half a fish, and half a
monster?
Cal.
Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him,
my lord?
Trin.
Lord, quoth he!—that a monster should
be such a natural!
Cal.
Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee.
Ste.
Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head;
if you prove a mutineer, the next tree—The poor
monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.
Cal.
I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be
pleas'd to hearken once again to the suit I made
thee2 note
?
Ste.
Marry will I: kneel and repeat it; I will
stand, and so shall Trinculo.
Enter Ariel, invisible.
Cal.
As I told thee before, I am subject to a
-- 115 --
tyrant3 note
a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath
cheated me of this island.
Ari.
Thou liest.
Cal.
Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou;
I would, my valiant master would destroy thee:
I do not lie.
Ste.
Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in
his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your
teeth.
Trin.
Why, I said nothing.
Ste.
Mum then, and no more.—
[To Caliban.]
Proceed.
Cal.
I say by sorcery he got this isle;
From me he got it. If thy greatness will
Revenge it on him—for, I know, thou dar'st;
But this thing dare not.
Ste.
That's most certain.
Cal.
Thou shalt be lord of it, and I'll serve
thee.
Ste.
How now shall this be compassed? Can'st
thou bring me to the party?
Cal.
Yea, yea, my lord; I'll yield him thee asleep,
Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head4 note
.
Ari.
Thou liest, thou canst not.
-- 116 --
Cal.
What a pied ninny's this5 note
? Thou scurvy patch!—
I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows,
And take his bottle from him: when that's gone,
He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not shew him
Where the quick freshes are.
Ste.
Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt
the monster one word further, and, by this
hand, I'll turn my mercy out of doors, and make
a stock-fish of thee.
Trin.
Why, what did I? I did nothing; I'll go
further off.
Ste.
Didst thou not say, he lied?
Ari.
Thou liest.
Ste.
Do I so? take thou that. [Strikes him.] As
you like this, give me the lie another time.
Trin.
I did not give the lie:—Out o' your wits,
and hearing too?—A pox o' your bottle! this
can sack, and drinking do.—A murrain on your
monster, and the devil take your fingers!
Cal.
Ha, ha, ha!
Ste.
Now, forward with your tale. Pr'ythee stand
further off.
-- 117 --
Cal.
Beat him enough: after a little time,
I'll beat him too.
Ste.
Stand further.—Come, proceed.
Cal.
Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him
I' the afternoon to sleep: there thou may'st brain him,
Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his wezand with thy knife: Remember,
First to possess his books; for without them
He's but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
One spirit to command6 note
: They all do hate him,
-- 118 --
As rootedly as I: Burn but his books;
He has brave utensils, (for so he calls them,)
Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal.
And that most deeply to consider, is
The beauty of his daughter; he himself
Calls her a non-pareil: I never saw a woman7 note
,
But only Sycorax my dam, and she;
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax,
As great'st does least.
Ste.
Is it so brave a lass?
Cal.
Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant,
And bring thee forth brave brood.
Ste.
Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter
and I will be king and queen; (save our graces!)
and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys:—Dost
thou like the plot, Trinculo?
Trin.
Excellent.
Ste.
Give me thy hand; I am sorry I beat thee:
but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy
head.
Cal.
Within this half hour will he be asleep;
Wilt thou destroy him then?
-- 119 --
Ste.
Ay, on mine honour.
Ari.
This will I tell my master.
Cal.
Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of pleasure;
Let us be jocund: Will you troll the catch8 note
You taught me but while-ere?
Ste.
At thy request, monster, I will do reason,
any reason: Come on, Trinculo, let us sing.
[Sings.
Flout 'em, and skout 'em; and skout 'em, and flout 'em;
Thought is free.
Cal.
That's not the tune.
[Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.
Ste.
What is this same?
Trin.
This is the tune of our catch, played by
the picture of No-body9 note
.
Ste.
If thou beest a man, shew thyself in thy
likeness: if thou beest a devil, take't as thou list.
Trin.
O, forgive me my sins!
Ste.
He that dies, pays all debts: I defy thee:—
Mercy upon us!
-- 120 --
Cal.
Art thou afeard1 note
?
Ste.
No, monster, not I.
Cal.
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds, methought, would open, and shew riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I wak'd,
I cry'd to dream again.
Ste.
This will prove a brave kingdom to me,
where I shall have my music for nothing.
Cal.
When Prospero is destroyed.
Ste.
That shall be by and by: I remember the
story.
Trin.
The sound is going away: let's follow it,
and after, do our work.
Ste.
Lead, monster; we'll follow.—I would, I
could see this taborer2 note
: he lays it on.
Trin.
Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano3 note
.
[Exeunt.
-- 121 --
SCENE III.
Another part of the Island.
Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others.
Gon.
By'r lakin4 note, I can go no further, sir;
My old bones ake: here's a maze trod, indeed,
Through forth-rights, and meanders! by your patience,
I needs must rest me.
Alon.
Old lord, I cannot blame thee,
Who am myself attach'd with weariness,
To the dulling of my spirits; sit down, and rest.
Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it
No longer for my flatterer: he is drown'd,
-- 122 --
Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search5 note
on land: Well let him go.
Ant.
I am right glad that he's so out of hope.
[Aside to Sebastian.
Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose
That you resolv'd to effect.
Seb.
The next advantage
Will we take thoroughly.
Ant.
Let it be to-night;
For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance,
As when they are fresh.
Seb.
I say, to-night: no more.
Solemn and strange musick; and Prospero above,
invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing
in a banquet; they dance about it with gentle
actions of salutation; and, inviting the King, &c.
to eat, they depart.
Alon.
What harmony is this? my good friends, hark!
Gon.
Marvellous sweet musick!
Alon.
Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these?
Seb.
A living drollery6 note
: Now I will believe,
That there are unicorns; that, in Arabia
-- 123 --
There is one tree, the phœnix' throne7 note
; one phœnix
At this hour reigning there.
Ant.
I'll believe both;
And what does else want credit, come to me,
And I'll be sworn 'tis true: Travellers ne'er did lie8 note
,
Though fools at home condemn them.
Gon.
If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say, I saw such islanders9 note,
(For, certes1 note
, these are people of the island,)
Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,
-- 124 --
Their manners are more gentle, kind2 note, than of
Our human generation you shall find
Many, nay, almost any.
Pro.
Honest lord,
Thou hast said well; for some of you there present,
Are worse than devils.
[Aside.
Alon.
I cannot too much muse3 note
,
Such shapes, such gestures, and such sound, expressing
(Although they want the use of tongue,) a kind
Of excellent dumb discourse.
Pro.
Praise in departing4 note
.
[Aside.
Fran.
They vanish'd strangely.
Seb.
No matter, since
They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.—
Will't please you taste of what is here?
Alon.
Not I.
-- 125 --
Gon.
Faith, sir, you need not fear: When we were boys,
Who would believe that there were mountaineers5 note
,
Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men,
Whose heads stood in their breasts6 note
? which now we find,
Each putter-out of one for five7 note
, will bring us
Good warrant of.
-- 126 --
Alon.
I will stand to, and feed,
Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past8 note
:—Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand too, and do as we.
Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy9 note
;
claps his wings upon the table, and, with a quaint
device, the banquet vanishes1 note.
Ari.
You are three men of sin, whom destiny
-- 127 --
(That hath to instrument this lower world2 note,
And what is in't,) the never-surfeited sea
Hath caused to belch up; and on this island
Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;
[Seeing Alon. Seb. &c. draw their swords.
And even with such like valour, men hang and drown
Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows
Are ministers of fate; the elements
Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
One dowle that's in my plume3 note
; my fellow-ministers
-- 128 --
Are like invulnerable4 note
: if you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted: But, remember,
(For that's my business to you,) that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him, and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
-- 129 --
Against your peace: Thee, of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
Ling'ring perdition (worse than any death
Can be at once,) shall step by step attend
You, and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from
(Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls
Upon your heads,) is nothing, but heart's sorrow,
And a clear life5 note
ensuing6 note
.
He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft musick, enter
the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes7 note
,
and carry out the table.
Pro. [Aside.]
Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing 'bated,
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life8 note
,
-- 130 --
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
Their several kinds have done9 note: my high charms work,
And these, mine enemies, are all knit up
In their distractions: they now are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, whilst I visit
Young Ferdinand, (whom they suppose is drown'd,)
And his and my loved darling.
[Exit Prospero from above.
Gon.
I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you
In this strange stare?
-- 131 --
Alon.
O, it is monstrous! monstrous!
Methought, the billows spoke, and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd
The name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass1 note
.
Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded; and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded2 note
.
[Exit.
Seb.
But one fiend at a time,
I'll fight their legions o'er.
Ant.
I'll be thy second.
[Exeunt Seb. and Ant.
Gon.
All three of them are desperate; their great guilt,
Like poison given3 note to work a great time after,
Now 'gins to bite the spirits:—I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,
-- 132 --
And hinder them from what this ecstacy4 note
May now provoke them to.
Adr.
Follow, I pray you.
[Exeunt.
James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
