SCENE I.
A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard: Enter a Ship-master, and a Boatswain1 note.
Master.
Boatswain,—
Boats.
Here, Master: what cheer?
Mast.
Good, speak to th' mariners.—Fall to't
yarely, or we run ourselves aground; bestir, bestir.
[Exit.
-- 4 --
Enter Mariners.
Boats.
Hey, my hearts; cheerly, my hearts; yare,
yare; take in the top-sail; tend to th' master's whistle;
2 note—blow, 'till thou burst thy wind, if room
enough.
Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Anthonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and others.
Alon.
Good Boatswain, have care: where's the master?
play the men.
Boats.
I pray now, keep below.
Ant.
Where is the master, Boatswain?
Boats.
Do you not hear him? you mar our labour;
keep your cabins: you do assist the storm.
Gon.
Nay, good, be patient.
Boats.
When the sea is. Hence! what care these
Roarers for the Name of King? to cabin; silence,
trouble us not.
Gon.
Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.
Boats.
None, that I more love than myself. You
are a counsellor; if you can command these elements
to silence, and work the peace o'the present, we will not
handle a rope more; use your authority. If you cannot,
give thanks you have lived so long, and make
yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the
hour, if it so hap.—Cheerly, good hearts.—Out
of our way, I say.
[Exit.
3 noteGon.
I have great comfort from this fellow; methinks,
he hath no drowning mark upon him; his
complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good fate,
to his hanging; make the rope of his destiny our cable,
-- 5 --
for our own doth little advantage; if he be not
born to be hanged, our case is miserable.
[Exeunt.
Re-enter Boatswain.
Boats.
Down with the top-mast: yare, lower, lower;
bring her to try with main-course. A cry within. A
plague upon this howling!—
Re-enter Sebastian, Anthonio, and Gonzalo.
they are louder than the weather, or our office. Yet
again? what do you here? shall we give o'er, and
drown? have you a mind to sink?
Sebas.
A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous,
uncharitable dog.
Boats.
Work you then.
Ant.
Hang, cur, hang; you whoreson, insolent,
noisemaker; we are less afraid to be drown'd, than
thou art.
Gon.
I'll warrant him from drowning, tho' the ship
were no stronger than a nut-shell, and as leaky as an
unstanched wench.
Boats.
Lay her a-hold, a-hold; set her two 4 note courses
off to sea again, lay her off.
Enter Mariners wet.
Mar.
All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
[Exeunt.
Boats.
What, must our mouths be cold?
Gon.
The King and Prince at prayers! let us assist
'em.
For our case is as theirs.
Seb.
I'm out of patience.
Ant.
We're merely cheated of our lives by drunkards.
This wide-chopt rascal—'Would, thou might'st lye drowning,
-- 6 --
The washing of ten tides!
Gon.
He'll be hang'd yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gap at wid'st to5 note
glut him.
[A confused noise within.]
Mercy on us!
We split, we split! Farewel, my Wife and Children!
6 noteBrother, farewel! we split, we split, we split!
Ant.
Let's all sink with the King.
[Exit.
Seb.
Let's take leave of him.
[Exit.
Gon.
Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea
for an acre of barren ground, 7 note long heath, brown
furze, any thing. The wills above be done, but I
would fain die a dry death!
[Exit.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
