him with a large premium at his return. If he should not return, the money advanced was to be forfeited to the insurer. The premium varied according to the supposed risk, often amounting to five times the principal.

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. 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 world

And what is in 't, the never-surfeited sea

Hath caused to belch up you; 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.

(Alon., Seb., etc., draw their swords. You 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'd-at stabs Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

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 uplifted. But remember-
For that's my business to you that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me :
Lingering perdition, worse than any death

Can be at once, shall step by step attend
You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you
from-

Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls
Upon your heads-is nothing but heart-sorrow
And a clear life ensuing.

He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance, with mocks and mows, and carrying out the table.

Pros. 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, with good life And observation strange, my meaner ministers 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, while I visit

Young Ferdinand, whom they suppose is drown'd,
And his and mine loved darling.

(Exit 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, pronounced The name of Prosper: it did 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.

Seb.

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant.

(Exit.

But one field at a time,

I'll be thy second.

(Exeunt Seb. and Ant.

Gon. All three of them are desperate: their great

guilt,

Like 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 ecstasy

May now provoke them to.

MIRANDA.

Pros. If I have too austerely punish'd you,
Your compensation makes amends, for I
Have given you here a third of mine own life,
Or that for which I live; who once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou

Hast strangely stood the test: 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.

Against an oracle.

I do believe it

Pros. Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition Worthily purchased, take my daughter: but

If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may

With full and holy rite be minister'd,

No sweet aspersion* shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

*From Lat. aspergere, to besprinkle, as with reports, good or bad.

†Cf. Genesis: "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it."-II., 16-17.

Fer.

As I hope For quiet days, fair issue and long life,

With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,

The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion Our worser genius can, shall never melt

Mine honour into lust, to take away

The edge of that day's celebration

When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd, Or Night kept chain'd below.

Pros.

Fairly spoke.

Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.
What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel!

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. What would my potent master? here I am. Pros. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service

Did worthily perform; and I must use you

In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
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: it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

Pros. 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 mow.
Do you love me, master? no?

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

Ari.

Well, I conceive, (Exit.