SCENE II.
Another part of the island.
Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, 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 'em* 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 brain'd like us, the state
totters.
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 tail2 note.
-- 69 --
Ste.
My man-monster hath drown'd his tongue in
sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me: 3 note
I
swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty
leagues, off and on, by this light.—Thou shalt be
my lieutenant, monster, 4 note
or my standard.
Trin.
Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.
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 ly'st, most ignorant monster; I am in
case to justle a constable: Why, 5 note
thou debosh'd fish
-- 70 --
thou, was there ever a man a coward, that hath 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 to thee?
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 tyrant;
a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated
me of the island.
Ari.
Thou ly'st.
Cal.
Thou ly'st, 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.
-- 71 --
Cal.
Thou shalt be lord of it, and I'll serve thee.
Ste.
How now shall this be compass'd? Canst 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 head.
Ari.
Thou ly'st, thou canst not.
Cal.
6 note
What a py'd ninny's this? 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 stockfish
of thee.
Trin.
Why, what did I? I did nothing; I'll go
further off.
Ste.
Didst thou not say, he ly'd?
Ari.
Thou ly'st.
Ste.
Do I so? take thou that.
[Beats him.
As you like this, give me the lie another time.
-- 72 --
Trin.
I did not give thee the lie:—Out o' your
wits, and hearing too?—A pox of 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.
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: 7 note
Remember,
First to possess his books: for without them
He's but a sot, as I am; nor hath not
One spirit to command: They all do hate him,
As rootedly as I: Burn but his books;
He has brave utensils (for so he calls them)
Which, when he has an 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 woman,
But only Sycorax my dam, and she;
But she as far surpasses Sycorax,
As greatest 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 vice-roys:—Dost thou
like the plot, Trinculo?
-- 73 --
Trin.
Excellent.
Ste.
Give me thy hand; I am sorry I beat thee:
but, while thou liv'st, keep a good tongue in thy head.
Cal.
Within this half hour will he be asleep;
Wilt thou destroy him then?
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: 8 note
Will you troul the catch,
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, play'd by the
picture of no-body.9Q0065
Ste.
If thou be'st a man, shew thyself in thy likeness:
if thou be'st 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!
Cal.
Art thou affeard9 note
?
-- 74 --
Ste.
No, monster, not I.
Cal.
Be not affeard; 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 sometimes 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 destroy'd.
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 wou'd, I
could see this taborer: he lays it on.
Trin.
Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano.
[Exeunt.
SCENE III.
Changes to another part of the island.
Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Anthonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, &c.
Gon.
1 noteBy'r lakin, I can go no further, Sir;
My old bones ache: 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,
-- 75 --
Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land: Well, let him go.
Ant. [Aside to Sebastian.]
I am right glad that he's so out of hope.
Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose
That you resolv'd to effect.
Seb.
The next advantage
Will we take throughly.
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 on the top, 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.
2 note
A living drollery: Now I will believe,
That there are unicorns; that, in Arabia
There is one tree, the phœnix' throne3 note; one phœnix
At this hour reigning there.
-- 76 --
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 lie,
Though fools at home condemn 'em.
Gon.
If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say, I saw such islanders,
(For, certes4 note
, these are people of the island)
Who though they are of monstrous shape,9Q0066 yet, note,
Their manners are more gentle, kind, 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 muse5 note
,
Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing
(Although they want the use of tongue) a kind
Of excellent dumb discourse.
Pro.
6 note
Praise in departing.
[Aside.
Fran.
They vanish'd strangely.
Seb.
No matter, since
-- 77 --
They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.—
Will't please you taste of what is here?
Alon.
Not I.
Gon.
Faith, sir, you need not fear: When we were boys,
Who would believe 7 note
that there were mountaineers,
Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men,
Whose heads stood in their breasts8 note
? which now, we find,
9 note
Each putter out on five for one,9Q0067 will bring us
Good warrant of.9Q0068
-- 78 --
Alon.
I will stand to, and feed,
Although my last; no matter, since I feel
The best is past:—Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand to, and do as we.
Thunder and lightning. 1 note
Enter Ariel like a harpy; claps
his wings upon the table, and, with a quaint device, the
banquet vanishes.
Ari.
You are three men of sin, whom destiny,
(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;
And even with such like valour men hang and drown
Their proper selves.
[Alonso, Sebastian, and the rest draw their swords.
Ye 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't-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
-- 79 --
3 note
One dowle that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers
Are like invulnerable: if you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be up-lifted: 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,
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 from9Q0070
(Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls
-- 80 --
Upon your heads) is nothing, but heart's sorrow,
And a 4 note
clear life ensuing.
He vanishes in thunder: then to soft musick, enter the
shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes5 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, 6 note
with good life,
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
-- 81 --
Their several kinds have done: 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 lov'd darling.
[Exit Prospero from above.
Gon.
I'the name of something holy, sir, why stand you
In this strange stare?
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 7 note
bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i'the ooze is bedded; and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded.
[Exit.
Seb.
But one fiend at a time,
I'll fight their legions o'er.
Ant.
I'll be thy second.
[Exeunt.
Gon.
All three of them are desperate; their great guilt,
8 noteLike poison given to work a great time after,
Now 'gins to bite the spirits:—I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly,
And hinder them from what this ecstasy9 note
May now provoke them to.
Adri.
Follow, I pray you.
[Exeunt.
-- 82 --
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].
