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, tonight: no more.

Solemn and strange musick; and PROSPERO above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a banquet; they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the King, etc. 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. A living drollery: Now I will believe, That there are unicorns; that, in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; on phoenix At this hour reigning there...

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 them.

Gon. If in Naples

I should report this now, would they believe me? If I should say, I saw such islanders,

(For, certes, these are people of the island,) Who, though they are of monstrous shape, 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 muse,

Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing

(Although they want the use of tongue,) a kind
Of excellent dumb discourse.
Pro. Praise in departing.

Fran. They vanish'd strangely.
Seb. No matter, since

They have left their viands behind; for we have

stomachs.

Will't please your taste of what is here?

Alon. Not I.

Gon. Faith, Sir, you need not fear: When we were boys,

Who would believe that there were mountaineers, Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging

at them

Wallets of flesh or that there were such men, Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find,

Each putter out on five for one, will bring us Good warrant of.

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 100, 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. Ariel. 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; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; [Seeing ALON. SEB. etc. draw their swords.

And even with such like valour, men hang and drown

Their proper selves. 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 busines 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
from

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

He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft musick, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes and carry out the table.

Pro. [Aside,] Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou

Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: thou nothing 'bated, say: so, with good life,

Of my instruction hast
In what thou hadst to

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, 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 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, But one fiend at a time,

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant. I'll be thy second.

[Exit.

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 ecstacy

May now provoke them to.

Adri. Follow, I pray you.

[Exeunt.

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA.

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; whom 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. I do believe it,

Against an oracle.

Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acqui

sition

Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: But
If thou dost break her virgin knot before.
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy right be minister'd,
No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour ey'd 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.

Fer. As I hope

For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,