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Anon. [1780], The shipwreck, altered from Shakespeare and Dryden, with the original music by Smith, as performed at the Patagonian Theatre, Exeter-'change (Printed for W. Thompson, Exeter-'change [etc.], London) [word count] [S35200].
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Scene 1 SCENE. A Wood. Enter Stephano, Mustacho, and Ventoso.

Ven.

The runlet of brandy was a loving runlet, and floated after us out of pity.

Mus.

And this kind bottle, like an old acquaintance, swam after it.

-- 16 --

Ven.

Your'e wrong in your simile; an old acquaintance never follows a friend in distress.

Mus.

Well, it is prize brandy, and we can drink in spight of the excisemen,—nay more, we can vend our brandy without writing, Dealer in Foreign Spirits over our doors,

Steph.

Look Mustacho weeps, he sheds his brandy out of his eyes: he shall drink no more.

Mus.

I weep for my wife.

Ven.

Beshrew thy heart for putting me in mind of my wife; but nature will out,—I must melt. I pr'ythee fill again, my wife is a good old jade, she has but one eye left, and she'll weep that out too when she hears I am dead. She has drank one eye, out and the other's upon the stoop.

Steph.

Hang wives and mistresses—drink about.

AIR.



Here's to thee Tom; this whining love despise;
Pledge me, my friend, and drink till thou art wise.
  It sparkles brighter far than she;
  'Tis pure and bright, without deceit,
  And such no woman e'er will be;
  No, they are all sophisticate;
  Follies they have, so numberless in store,
  That only he who loves them can have more.
  Neither their sighs, nor tears are true,
  Those idly blow, those idly fall;
  Nothing like to ours at all,
  But sighs and tears have sexes too.

Ven.

Now let us have a government; and pray that heaven may drive shipwrecks ashore, to make us all rich.

-- 17 --

Steph.

As I was master at sea I will be king at land, you Mustacho shall be my prime minister, and rule the people by virtue of my prerogative.

Mus.

Bad policy that, every thing must go by vote, and we will rule the animals of this island by the power of majority.

Ven.

When you are king, master Stephano, you may chuse your prime minister, but we'll have no ruler without an election.

Steph.

Ventoso be silent—here's a piece of money to buy thy voice.

Mus.

Stephano hear me—I will speak for the people, because there is none to speak for themselves.

Enter Trinculo, with a great bottle.


Sings)
I shall no more to sea, to sea
  Here I shall die ashore—

This is a scurvy tune to sing at a man's funeral— but here's my comfort.


AIR.
The master, the swabber, the gunner and I,
  The surgeon and his mate,
Lov'd Moll, Meg, Marian, and Margery,
  But none of us car'd for Kate.
For she had a tongue with a twang,
Would cry to a sailor go hang:
She lov'd not the favour of pitch,
And a taylor might scratch her where e'er she did itch.

Here's my comfort. (drinks.)

Ven.

How got you on shore?

Trin.

On a butt of sack—here's my comfort.

(drinks.)

-- 18 --

Mus.

Kiss Stephano's hand, he's appointed Duke in full assembly.

Ven.

We two are vice-roys of the isle.

Trin.

What, were matters carried thus against me in my absence? I oppose it all. I will have no governors, no laws.

Steph.

Then civil war begins.


DUET. Trin.
Whilst blood doth flow within these veins,
Or any spark of life remains,
  My right I will maintain. Mus.
Whilst I this temper'd steel can wield,
I'll ne'er to thee, thou braggard yield,
  Thy threats are all in vain. Trin.
I defy thee. Mus.
I'll not fly thee. Trin.
Braggard come. Mus.
Braggard?
Thy boasted courage now I'll try;
I see thou art afraid to die. Trin.
Not I. Mus.
That's a lie. Trin.
Lie, Sir! Mus.
Aye, Sir— Both.
Behold I conquer or I die.
(Exeunt fighting.

Enter Caliban, with Wood on his Back. (Land Storm Scene.)
All the infections that the sun sucks up,
From bogs, fens, flats, on Prospero fall, and make him
By inch-meal a disease: his spirits hear me,
And yet I needs must curse.

-- 19 --


For every trifle they are set upon me;
Sometimes like apes, that mew and chatter at me,
And after bite me; then like hedge-hogs, which
Lye tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount,
Their prickles at my foot fall; sometimes am I
All crown'd with adders, that with cloven tongues
Do hiss me into madness.
Here comes a spirit of his now to torment me,
I'll fall flat, perchance he will not mind me. (lies down. (Mustacho, Ventoso within.)

Steph.

I'll have no civil wars in this our reign, so hold, loving subjects.


AIR.
Then since no state's compleatly blest,
  Let's learn the bitter to allay,
Inspir'd by this, let's dance and play,
  Enjoy at least the present day,
And leave to fate the rest. Enter Stephano.

Steph.

Yon same cloud cannot chuse but fall by pailfulls.—What have we here, a man or a fish? dead or alive? a fish,—he smells like a fish. Were I in England now, and had but this fish painted, not a holiday fool but would give six-pence for the sight of him. There would this strange beast make a man of me. It is not a fish neither, but an islander that has suffered by a thunder-bolt—the storm is coming again, so I will creep under his gaberdine for shelter. (lies down.)

Cal.

Do not torment me: Oh!

Trin.

What have we got here?—a monster with

-- 20 --

four legs!—but where the Devil should he learn our language?—I'll give him some relief, if it be but for that; could I but bring him tame to Naples he'd be a present for an emperor.

Cal.

Do not torment me, prithee; I'll bring my wood home faster.

Trin.

Open your mouth and drink, this will cure your shaking.

Steph.

This is a devil, Oh defend me!

Trin.

Four legs and two voices, a most delicate monster! his forward voice now is to speak of his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches and detract—he should perish, if I thought him given to calumny.

Steph

Trinculo.

Trin.

Doth thy other mouth call me? mercy— this is the Devil and no monster.—

Steph.

Why zounds! I'm no devil.

Trin.

If thou beest Trinculo, come forth. (Trinculo rises.) Thou art very Trinculo indeed. Can this moon-calf vent Trinculo's?

Steph.

I hid me under the moon-calf's gaberdine for fear of the storm.

(Caliban rises.)

Cal.

This is a brave god, and bears celestial liquor, —I'll kneel to him.

Trin.

He is a very hopeful monster. Monster, what say'st thou, art thou content to turn civil and sober, as I am?

Cal.

I'll swear upon that bottle to be true; for the liquor is not earthly: did'st thou not drop from heaven?

Trin.

Out of the moon, I was the Man in the Moon. By this light, a very shallow monster.

-- 21 --

Cal.

I'll shew thee every fertile inch of the isle, and kiss thy foot; I pr'ythee be my God, and let me drink. I'll shew thee the best springs, I'll pluck thee berries, I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough. —A curse upon the tyrant whom I serve—I'll follow thee.

Trin.

The poor monster is loving in his drink.

Cal.

I pr'ythee let me bring thee where crabs grow, and I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts, shew thee a jay's nest, and instruct thee how to snate the nimble marmazer; I'll bring thee to clustered filberts; wilt thou go with me?

Step.

Trinculo—this monster comes of a good-natured race; is there no more of thy kin in this island?

Cal.

There are only myself, my dam, my grand dam, my cousin and my lovely sister, beautiful and bright as the full moon.

Step.

There are five subjects got already, the monster, and his family. From this worshipful monster, and miss monster his sister, I'll lay claim to this island by alliance. Monster, I say, thy sister shall be my spouse. Where is she?

Cal.

I left her clamb'ring up a hollow oak, and plucking thence the dropping honey-combs. Say, my King, shall I call her to thee?

Trin.

She shall swear upon the bottle too. If she proves handsome, she is mine: here, monster, drink again for thy good news. Thou shalt speak a good word for me.

Cal.

Farewell, old master, farewell, farewell. I swear to serve thee.

Trin.

Here, kiss the book.

(holds out the bottle.

-- 22 --


AIR. Caliban.
No more dams I'll make for fish,
  Nor fetch firing at requiring;
Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish,
  Ban, Ban, Cacaliban
Has got a new master, get a new man.
(Exeunt.

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Anon. [1780], The shipwreck, altered from Shakespeare and Dryden, with the original music by Smith, as performed at the Patagonian Theatre, Exeter-'change (Printed for W. Thompson, Exeter-'change [etc.], London) [word count] [S35200].
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