SCENE I.
On a ship at sea.
A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard.
Enter a Ship-master and a Boatswain2 note.
Master.
Boatswain,—
Boats.
Here, master: What cheer?
-- 4 --
Mast.
Good: Speak to the mariners:—3 note
fall to't
yarely, or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir.
Exit.]
Enter Mariners.
Boats.
Heigh, my hearts; cheerly, cheerly, my
hearts; yare, yare: Take in the top-sail; Tend to
-- 5 --
the master's whistle;—4 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 men5 note
.
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.
-- 6 --
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 of the present6 note, we will
not handle a rope more; use your authority. If you
cannot, give thanks you have liv'd 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.
7 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, for our own doth little advantage: If he be
not born to be hang'd, 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! they are louder than
the weather, or our office.—
Re-enter Sebastian, Anthonio, and Gonzalo.
Yet again? What do you here? Shall we give o'er,
and drown? Have you a mind to sink?
Seb.
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; though the
-- 7 --
ship were no stronger than a nut-shell, and as leaky
as an unstanch'd8 note wench.
Boats.
9 noteLay her a-hold, a-hold; 1 note
set her two
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 them,
For our case is as theirs.
Seb.
I am out of patience.
Ant.
We're 2 note
merely cheated of our lives by drunkards.—
This wide-chopp'd rascal;—Would, thou might'st lie drowning,
The washing of ten tides!
Gon.
He'll be hang'd yet;
-- 8 --
Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gape at wid'st 3 note
to glut him.
[A confused noise within.]
Mercy on us!—
We split, we split!—Farewell, my wife and children!
—4 note
Farewell, brother!—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; 5 note
long heath, brown
-- 9 --
furze, any thing: The wills above be done, but I
would fain die a dry death!
[Exit.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
