Lads, you shall enjoy the benefits of peace, and the first fruits of it, among all civilized nations, is to get drunk. Caliban, drink about.

Sycor.
He shall not drink of that immortal liquor,
My Lord, let him drink water.

Steph.

Gentlemen, pray bear with her good housewifery; she wants a little breeding, but she is hearty. Now would I lay greatness aside, aud shake my heels if I had a little music.

Sycor.

O, my Lord, I've power from my mother to raise a hundred devils and sprites. Shall I call, and thou shalt hear them in the air.

Trin.

What a merry tenant wilt thou be, Stephano; to have music, and pay nothing for it.

Trin.

This will be most delicious, where we can all dance, and no one pays the piper.

Steph.

Now, as we are in court, suppose, Duke Trinculo, we have a ball. I long for a spice of grandeur. A Court is nothing, damn me, nothing but a slam, without a hop.

Trin.

Then let Miss Monster, as she finds the music, bid her fidlers strike up—I, I, my boy, have got the negus; here it is.

Sycor.
I will, my Lord. [Musick strikes up
Listen to the tune,—now begin.

Steph.

The Princess and I will lead off; as she is the first Lady in the company, she must be preferred.

Trin.

And the Prince and I will be second couple; where's Mustacho and Ventoso for the third?

Steph.

They're in our antichamber, a hole in yonder rock, loosing their money at te-tum to-tum.

Trin.

Then we are all in the mode; dancing in one room, and gambling in another; not two hours upon the Isle, but here's drinking, dancing, and gambling; I must make a law against this, or the dissipation of my subjects will be the ruin of my kingdom, but come, let's begin. Stephano.

Step.

Here I am.

Trin

Begin.

Step.

My sublime Princess, the honour of your paw.

Trin.

Caliban.

Cal.

Here, my Lord.

Trin

Give me thy fore claw.

Cal.

Yes, my Lord.

Trin.

Now stand still; don't move or budge, 'till I bid you.

Cal.

No, my Lord.

Trin.

Come, Stephano, set a-going.

Trin.

What, what, what the devil's all this; damn me, if there's either form or method in it; why, stop the music; you trip about, Stephano, with your doxy, just like a little cock-boat in a storm.

Step.

Begin again, I say: and mind the tune, damn me, you have got no more ears than a beetle; try again.

Trin.

That's worse than t'other. Stop your infernal fiddling; you make such a damn'd noise, we can't hear our ears.

Step.

It's all your fault.

Trin.

That's a damn'd lie, with your leave; for I neither mov'd hand or foot; did we Ban?

Cal.

No, my Lord, he's a liar, and my sister there is an owl.

Sycor.

Beat him, my Lord Stephano, he says, I'm an owl.

Step.

Never mind him, Sweet-face.

Trin.

Ban and I will shew you;—time, Ban,— now, don't be boisterous;—but let your hoof beat the bar. Madam Monster, order your cat-gut scrapers to stir their elbows.

Sycor.

They do, my Lord.

Trin.

Now stay; stop; mind me; do what I do; dance back, then forwards, after round and round, and so round and round—till you get to the bottom.

Step.

That will never do, Trinculo, you must first dance forwards, and then backwards, and after go square and square, and so square and square again till you get to the top.

Trin.

What should you know of the matter, you drunken swab, I tell you, it's no such thing; I'll have it my own way. Damn me—begin.

Step.

He,—he,—he,—this is rare fun, I shall dance for ever.

Trin.

I must stop—I can bear it no longer, my stomach is rather foul, I must sit down.

Step.

Then my Princess and I will move a minuet, and you, Trinculo, beat time.

Trin.

Aye, watch me; I shall drink the bars, and you may foot it by the motion of my gullet.

Step.

Order the musicians to strike up the most fashionable tune at Court.

Trin.

Now am I as great as any European Prince, whose subjects dance before him on his birth-day.—

Come, that's enough.—I see the supper—no dancing now till after supper. Come, let's fall too.

Sycor.

Prospero's spirits torment us.

Step.

Since our meat is gone, Caliban, go to the butt, and tell me how it sounds—

Cal.

Your Grace, I obey—

Step.

Trinculo, give me thy hand, why should we quarrel? Shall I swear by two oaths; by bottle, and by my butt, I love thee.

Trin.

Your Grace shall find, there's no love lost; for I will pledge thy love, from bottle or from butt. I love your Grace, and all your princely family.

Step.

O damn my family—but tell me, what thou think'st of my Princess?

Trin.

I look on her as a very noble Princess.

Step.

Noble! Indeed she has a witch to her mother, and the witches are of great families in Lapland. But look on her beauty, is she not a fit wife for Duke Stephano—mark her behaviour too But I grow thirsty, let us follow Caliban to our wine-store.

TERZETTO. Steph.
The thirsty earth soaks up the rain
And drinks, and gapes for drink again. Trin.
The plants suck in the earth, and are,
With constant drinking, fresh and fair. Ven.
The sea itself, which one would think
Should have but little need of drink;
Drinks ten thousand rivers up,
So fill'd, that they o'erflow the cup. Steph.
The busy sun (and one would guess
By's drunken fiery face no less)
Drinks up the sea, and when he's done,
The moon, and stars, drink up the sun. All.
Earth, seas, sun moon and stars do give
Examples, how we ought to live. (Exeunt.

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