Pro.
If I have too austerely punish'd you,
Your compensation makes amends; for I
Have given you here a thread of mine own life,
Or that for which I live; all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Hast strangely stood the test:^{1 note} here, afore Heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,
Do not smile at me, that I boast her off,
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer.
I do believe it,
Against an oracle.

Pro.
Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: So
Sit then, and talk with her, she is thine own.—
What, Ariel; my industrious servant, Ariel! [Ariel appears.

Ari.
What would my potent master? here I am.

Pro.
Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
Did worthily perform; and I must use you
In such another trick: go, bring the rabble,^{2 note}
O'er whom I give thee power, here, to this place:
Incite them to quick motion; for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple

Some vanity of mine art;^{3 note} it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

Ari.
Presently?^{4 note}

Pro.
Ay, with a twink.

Ari.
Before you can say, Come, and go,
And breathe twice; and cry, so, so;
Each one, tripping on his toe,
Will be here with mop and mowe:^{5 note}
Do you love me, master? no.

Pro.
Dearly, my delicate Ariel: Do not approach,
Till thou dost hear me call.

Ari.
Well I conceive. [Disappears.

Pro.
No tongue;^{6 note} all eyes; be silent. [Soft music. A MASQUE.(A)8Q0211 Iris(B)8Q0212 appears floating in mid-air, and is passed by Venus(C)8Q0213 and Cupid,(D)8Q0214 “cutting the clouds towards Paphos” in a dove-drawn car. VIEW OF ELEUSIS(E)8Q0215 AND ITS TEMPLE, DEDICATED TO THE GODDESS CERES.

Iri.
Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas;
Thy banks with pioned and till'd^{7 note} brims,
Which spungy April at thy hest betrims,
To make cold nymphs chaste crowns.
The Queen o' the sky,
Whose watery arch, and messenger am I,
Bids thee leave these; and with her sovereign grace,

Here on this grass plot, in this very place.
To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain;
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain. Enter Ceres.(F)8Q0216

Cer.
Hail, many colour'd messenger, that ne'er
Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers
Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers;
And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
My bosky acres,^{8 note} and my unshrubb'd down,
Rich scarf to my proud earth: Why hath thy queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?

Iri.
A contract of true love to celebrate;
And some donation freely to bestow
On the bless'd lovers.

Cer.
Tell me, heavenly bow,
If Venus, or her son, as thou dost know,
Do now attend the queen? since they did plot^{9 note}

The means, that dusky Dis^{10 note} my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
I have forsworn.

Iri.
Of her society
Be not afraid, I met her deity
Cutting the clouds towards Paphos; and her son
Dove-drawn with her.

Cer.
Highest queen of state,
Great Juno comes: I know her by her gait. JUNO DESCENDS,(G)8Q0217 ACCOMPANIED BY THE GRACES(H)8Q0218, THE SEASONS(I)8Q0219 AND HYMEN(K)8Q0220 WITH OTHER SPIRITS.

Fer.
This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly: May I be bold
To think these spirits?

Pro.
Spirits, which by mine art
I have from their confines call'd to enact
My present fancies.

Fer.
Let me live here ever;
So rare a wonder'd father,^{11 note} and a wife,
Make this place Paradise.

Pro.
Sweet now, silence:
There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,
Or else our spell is marr'd.

Jun.
You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the wand'ring brooks,
With your sedg'd crowns, and ever-harmless looks,
Leave your crisp channels,^{12 note} and on this green land
Answer your summons; Juno does command. Enter certain Nymphs.(L)8Q0221
You sun-burn'd sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow and be merry;
Make holy-day: your rye straw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

SONG.

Jun.
Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessing on you.

Cer.
Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing:
Plants, with goodly burden bowing;
Rain come to you, at the farthest,
In the very end of harvest!
Earth's increase, and foison plenty;^{13 note}
Barns and garners never empty.

Scarcity, and want, shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you. CHORUS. The Reapers join with the Nymphs in a dance. At end of chorus, Prospero starts suddenly, and speaks.

Pro.—[To the Spirits.]
Well done;—avoid:—no more. [Spirits vanish. [Aside.]
I had forgot that foul conspiracy
Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates,
Against my life; the minute of their plot
Is almost come.

Fer.
This is most strange: your father's in some passion
That works him strongly.

Mir.
Never till this day,
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.

Pro.
You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort,
As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir:
Our revels now are ended: these our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air—into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit,^{14 note} shall dissolve;
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,^{15 note}
Leave not a rack behind:^{16 note} We are such stuff
As dreams are made of, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.—Sir, I am vex'd;
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity:
If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell,

And there repose; a turn or two I'll walk,
To still my beating mind.

Fer. Mir.
We wish you peace. [Exeunt.

Pro.
Come with a thought:—I thank you:—Ariel, come. [Ariel appears.

Ari.
Thy thoughts I cleave to:^{17 note} What's thy pleasure?

Pro.
Spirit,
We must prepare to meet with Caliban.^{18 note}

Ari.
Ay, my commander!

Pro.
Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?

Ari.
I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
So full of valour, that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kissing of their feet: yet always bending
Towards their project: so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd, through
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,
Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them
I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to their chins in the foul lake.

Pro.
This was well done, my bird;
Thy shape invisible retain thou still.
The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,
For stale^{19 note} to catch these thieves.

Ari.
I go, I go. [Disappears.

Pro.
A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture^{20 note} can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, are all lost, quite lost;
And as, with age, his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers: I will plague them all, [Ariel re-appears, loaded with glittering apparel, &c.

Even to roaring:—Come, place them on this seat.
Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints
With dry convulsions; shorten up their sinews
With aged cramps; and more pinch-spotted make them,
Than pard,^{21 note} or cat o' mountain.

Ari.
They shall roar.

Pro.
Let them be hunted soundly: at this hour
Lie at my mercy all mine enemies;
Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou
Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little,
Follow, and do me service. [Exeunt. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, wet and muddy.

Cal.
Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not
Hear a foot fall:^{22 note} we now are near his cell.

Ste.

Monster, your fairy, which, you say, is a harmless fairy, has done little better than play'd the Jack with us.^{23 note}

Tri

Monster, I do smell all horse-pond, at which my nose is in great indignation.

Ste.

So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you; look you,—

Tri.

Thou wert but a lost monster.

Cal.
Good, my lord, give me thy favour still:
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to
Shall hood-wink this mischance: therefore, speak softly;
All hush'd as midnight yet.

Tri.

Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool—

Ste.

There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster, but an infinite loss.

Tri.

That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your harmless fairy, monster.

Ste.

I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears for my labour.

Cal.
Pr'ythee, my king, be quiet. See'st thou here,
This is the inner cell: no noise, and enter:
Do that good mischief, which may make this island
Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,
For aye thy foot licker.

Ste.

Give me thy hand: I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Tri.

O, King Stephano! O, peer! O, worthy Stephano! look, what a wardrobe here is for thee!

Cal.

Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.

Tri.

O, ho! monster; we know what belongs to a frippery.^{24 note} O, King Stephano!

Ste.

Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Tri.

Thy grace shall have it.

Cal.
The dropsy drown this fool! what do you mean,
To doat thus on such luggage? Let's along,
And do the murder first: if he awake,
From toe to crown, he'll fill our skin with pinches;
Make us strange stuff.

Ste.
Be you quiet, monster

Cal.
We shall lose our time,
And all be turn'd to barnacles,^{25 note} or to apes
With foreheads villainous low.^{26 note}

Ste.

Monster, lay-to your fingers; help to bear this

away, where my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my kingdom: go to, carry this.

Tri.

And this.

Ste.

Ay, and this.