Cer.

SONG.

Juno. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.
Earth's increase, and foizon1 plenty;
Barns, and garners never empty;
Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing,
Plants, with goodly burden bowing;
Spring come to you, at the farthest,
In the very end of harvest;

Scarcity, and want, shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you.

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

Pro.

I have from their confines call'd to enact

My present fancies.

Fer.

Spirits, which by mine art

Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd2 father, and a wife,

Make this place Paradise.

[Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on

Pro.

employment.

Sweet now, silence

Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;

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

Iris. You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the wand'ring brooks,

With your sedg'd crowns, and ever harmless looks, Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land Answer your summons; Juno does command:

(1) Abundance. (2) Able to produce such wonders. VOL. I.

E

Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

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.

Enter certain Reapers, properly habited; they join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof Prospero starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.

Pro. [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.-[To the Spirits.] Well done ;avoid;-no more.

Fer. This is most strange: your father's in some passion

That works him strongly..

Mira.
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-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,'

(1) Vanished.

Leave not a rack behind: 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. Mira.

We wish your peace.

[Exeunt.

Pro. Come with a thought:-I thank you :

Ariel, come.

Enter Ariel.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to; What's thy

Pro.

pleasure?

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Spirit,

Ari. Ay, my commander: when I presented
Ceres,

I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd,
Lest I might anger thee.

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: Then I beat my tabor,
At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their
ears,

Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt music; so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd, through

(1) A body of clouds in motion; but it is most probable that the author wrote track.

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 the chins, that the foul lake O'er-stunk their feet

Pro.

This was well done, my bird:

Thy shape invisible retain thou still;

The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,
For stale, to catch these thieves.

Ari.

I go, I go. [Exit. Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature Nurture2 can never stick; on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost; And as, with age, his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers: I will plague them all,

Re-enter Ariel loaden with glistering apparel, &c. Even to roaring:-Come, hang them on this line. Prospero and Ariel remain invisible. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo; all wet.

Cal. Pray, you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not

Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your fairy, which, you say, is a harmless fairy, has done little better than played the Jack3 with us.

Trin. Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; 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,Trin. 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,

(1) Bait. (2) Education. (3) Jack with a lantern.

All's hush'd as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,Ste. There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster, but an infinite loss.

Trin. 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: Seest thou here, This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter: Do that good mischief, which may make this island Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,

For ayel thy foot-licker.

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

Trin. 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.

Trin. O, ho, monster; we know what belongs to a frippery :2-0 king Stephano!

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

Trin. 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 skins with pinches ;
Make us strange stuff.

Ste. Be you quiet, monster.-Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair, and prove a bald jerkin.

Trin. Do, do: We steal by line and level, an't like your grace.

Ste. I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't: wit shall not go unrewarded, while I am king of this country: Steal by line and level, is an

(1) Ever. (2) A shop for sale of old clothes.