What best is boded me to mischief! I
Beyond all limit of what else i' the world
Do love, prize, honour you.

Mir.

I am a fool

Fair encounter

To weep at what I am glad of.
Pros.
Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between 'em!

Wherefore weep you?

Fer. Mir. At mine unworthiness that dare not offer What I desire to give, and much less take What I shall die to want. But this is trifling; And all the more it seeks to hide itself,

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The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.

Fer.

And I thus humble ever.

Mir.

My mistress, dearest;

My husband, then?

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing

As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.

Mir. And mine, with my heart in't: and now

farewell

Till half an hour hence.

Fer.

Pros.

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A thousand thousand! [Exeunt Fer. and Mir. severally. So glad of this as they I cannot be, Who are surprised withal; but my rejoicing At nothing can be more. I'll to my book, For yet ere supper-time must I perform Much business appertaining.

[Exit.

SCENE II. Another part of the island. Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO. Ste. Tell not me; when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and board 'em. Servant-monster, drink to me.

Trin. Servant-monster! the folly of this island! They say there's but five upon this isle:

we are three of them; if th' other two be brained like us, the state totters.

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head.

IO

Trin. Where should they be set else? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.

Ste. My man-monster hath drown'd his tongue in sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me; I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five and thirty leagues off and on. By this light, thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard. Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.

Ste. We'll not run, Monsieur Monster.

20

Trin. Nor go neither; but you'll lie like dogs and yet say nothing neither.

Ste. Moon-calf,* speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.

*A nickname. Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe.

I'll not serve him; he is not valiant.

Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster: I am in case to justle a constable. Why, thou deboshed fish, thou, was there ever man a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster? *Debauched. Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord?

Trin. 'Lord' quoth he! That a monster should be such a natural!*

*An idiot. Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I prithee.

Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if you prove a mutineer, the next tree! The poor monster's my subject and he shall not suffer indignity.

Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased to hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?

Ste. Marry, will I: kneel and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.

Enter ARIEL, invisible.

Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.

Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou: I would my valiant master would destroy thee! I do not lie.

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Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in's tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

Trin. Why, I said nothing.
Ste. Mum, then, and no more.

Proceed.

Cal. I say, by sorcery he got this isle;
From me he got it. If thy greatness will

Revenge it on him,-for I know thou darest,
But this thing dare not,—

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Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it and I'll serve thee. Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party?

Cal. Yea, yea, my lord: I'll yield him thee asleep,

Where thou mayst knock a nail into his head.
Ari. Thou liest; thou canst not.

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Cal. What a pied ninny's* this! Thou scurvy patch!+ *Motley-coated fool. †Mean fellow. do beseech thy greatness, give him blows And take his bottle from him: when that's gone He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not show him

Where the quick freshes* are.

*Springs.

Ste. Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt the monster one word further, and, by this hand, I'll turn my mercy out o' doors and make a stock-fish of thee.

Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing. I'll go farther off.

Ste. Didst thou not say he lied?

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[Beats Trin.]

As you like this, give me the lie another time.

Trin. I did not give the lie.

Out o' your wits and hearing too? A pox o' your bottle! this can sack and drinking do. A murrain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers!

Cal. Ha, ha, ha!

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Ste. Now, forward with your tale. Prithee, stand farther off.

Cal. Beat him enough: after a little time I'll beat him too.

Ste.
Cal.

him,

Stand farther. Come, proceed.

Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with

I' th' afternoon to sleep: there thou mayst brain him,

Having first seized his books, or with a log
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his wezand* with thy knife. Remember
First to possess his books; for without them
He's but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
One spirit to command: they all do hate him
As rootedly as I. Burn but his books.

ΙΟΟ

*Windpipe.

He has brave utensils,-for so he calls them,-
Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal.
And that most deeply to consider is

The beauty of his daughter; he himself
Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman,
But only Sycorax my dam and she;

But she as far surpasseth Sycorax

As great'st does least.

Is it so brave a lass?

ΙΙΟ

Ste. Cal. Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant. And bring thee forth brave brood.

Ste. Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen,-save our graces!and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo?

Trin. Excellent.

Ste. Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.

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Cal. Within this half hour will he be asleep: Wilt thou destroy him then ?

Ste.

Ay, on mine honour.

Ari. This will I tell my master.

Cal. Thou makest me merry; I am full of pleasure:

Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch
You taught me but while-ere ?*

*Little while ago.

Ste. At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason. Come on, Trinculo, let us sing. [Sings. Flout 'em and scout 'em

And scout 'em and flout 'em;
Thought is free.

Cal. That's not the tune.

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[Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.

Ste. What is this same?

Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody.

Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, take't as thou list. Trin. O, forgive me my sins!

Ste. He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee. Mercy upon us!

Cal. Art thou afeard?

Ste. No, monster, not I.

141

Cal. Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.

Sometimes a thousand twangling* instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dream-
ing,
*Twanging.
The clouds methought would open and show
riches

Ready to drop upon me, that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.

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Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my music for nothing.

Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.

Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember the story.

Trin. The sound is going away; let's follow it, and after do our work.

Ste. Lead, monster; we'll follow. I would I