Chapter XV: Act IV: SCENE I.--Before PROSPERO'S Cell

_Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, AND MIRANDA. PROSPERO speaks._

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; 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.

_Ferd._ I do believe it
Against an oracle.

_Pros._ Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchased, take my daughter, thou.
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[437-1] of mine art: it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

_Ari._ Presently?

_Pros._ Ay, with a twink.[437-2]

_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[437-3] and mow.[437-4]
Do you love me, master?--no? [_Exit._

_Pros._ Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,[437-5]
Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly![437-6]
No tongue; all eyes; be silent.

[_Soft music._

_Enter IRIS._[437-7]

_Iris._ Ceres,[437-8] most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover,[438-9] them to keep;
Thy banks with peonéd[438-10] and twillèd[438-11] brims,
Which spongy[438-12] April at thy best betrims,
To make cold nymphs chaste crowns;[438-13] and thy brown groves,
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn;[438-14] thy pole-clipt vineyard;[438-15]
And thy sea-marge, steril, and rocky-hard,
Where thou thyself dost air;--the Queen o' the Sky,[438-16]
Whose watery arch[438-17] 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[438-18] fly amain:
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

_Enter CERES._

_Cer._ Hail, many-color'd messenger, that ne'er
Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;[438-19]
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[440-20] acres and my unshrubb'd down,[440-21]
Rich scarf to my proud Earth;--why hath thy Queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?

_Iris._ A contract of true love to celebrate;
And some donation freely to estate
On the bless'd lovers.

_Cer._ Tell me, heavenly Bow,
If Venus[440-22] or her son, as thou dost know,
Do now attend the Queen? Since they did plot
The means that dusky Dis[440-23] my daughter got,[440-24]
Her and her blind boy's[440-25] scandal'd company
I have forsworn.

_Iris._ Of her society
Be not afraid: I met her deity
Cutting the clouds towards Paphos,[440-26] and her son
Dove-drawn with her.

_Cer._ Here, Queen of highest state,
Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.[440-27]

_Enter JUNO._[440-28]

_Juno._ How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
And honour'd in their issue.

SONG.

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

Cer. _Earth's increase, and foison plenty,[441-29]
Barns and garners never empty;
Vines with clustering bunches growing;
Plants with goodly burden bowing;
Spring come to you at the farthest
In the very end of harvest![441-30]
Scarcity and want shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you._

_Ferd._ This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
To think these spirits?[441-31]

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

_Ferd._ Let me live here ever;
So rare a wonder'd[442-32] father and a wife
Make this place Paradise. [_JUNO and CERES whisper,
and send IRIS on employment._

_Pros._ 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 winding brooks,
With your sedge crowns and ever-harmless looks,
Leave your crisp[442-33] channels, and on this green land
Answer our summons; Juno does command:
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love; be not too late.--

_Enter certain_ Nymphs.

You sun-burn'd sicklemen,[442-34] of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry:
Make holiday; 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._

_Pros._ [_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;[443-35] no more!

_Ferd._ 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.

_Pros._ You do, my son, look in a moved 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,
Leave not a rack[443-36] behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on,[443-37] and our little life
Is rounded[443-38] 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 pleased, retire into my cell,
And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,
To still my beating mind.

_Ferd._ } _Mira._ } We wish you peace.

_Pros._ [_To ARIEL._] Come with a thought!--
I thank ye.[444-39] [_Exeunt FERD. and MIRA._]--Ariel, come!

_Re-enter ARIEL._

_Ari._ Thy thoughts I cleave to: what's thy pleasure?

_Pros._ Spirit,
We must prepare to meet with[444-40] Caliban.

_Ari._ Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,
I thought t' have told thee of it; but I fear'd
Lest I might anger thee.

_Pros._ Well, 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[444-41] 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[444-42] colts, they prick'd their ears,
Advanced[444-43] their eyelids, lifted up their noses
As they smelt music: 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 enter'd their frail shins: at last I left them
I' the filthy-mantled[445-44] pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to th' chins, that[445-45] the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.

_Pros._ This was well done, my bird.
Thy shape invisible retain thou still:
The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
For stale[445-46] to catch these thieves.

_Ari._ I go, I go. [_Exit._

_Pros._ A devil, a born-devil,[445-47] on whose nature
Nurture can never stick;[445-48] on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all are lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers.[445-49] I will plague them all,
Even to roaring.--

_Re-enter ARIEL loaden with glistering apparel, &c._

Come, hang them on this line.[445-50]

_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.

_Steph._ Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has done little better than play'd the Jack with us.[446-51]

_Trin._ Monster, I do smell all horse-stale; at which my nose is in great indignation.

_Steph._ 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._ Nay, good my lord, give me thy favour still.
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to
Shall hoodwink this mischance:[446-52] therefore speak softly;
All's hush'd as midnight yet.

_Trin._ Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,--

_Steph._ 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.

_Steph._ 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 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 aye thy foot-licker.

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

_Trin._ O King Stephano! O peer![446-53] 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.[447-54]--O King Stephano!

_Steph._ 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 dote 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.

_Steph._ Be you quiet, monster.--Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line:[447-55] now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair, and prove a bald jerkin.

_Trin._ Do, do; we steal by line and level,[447-56] an't like your Grace.

_Steph._ 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 excellent pass of pate;[448-57] there's another garment for't.

_Trin._ Monster, come, put some lime[448-58] upon your fingers, and away with the rest.

_Cal._ I will have none on't: we shall lose our time,
And all be turn'd to barnacles,[448-59] or to apes
With foreheads villainous low.

_Steph._ 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.

_Trin._ And this.

_Steph._ Ay, and this.

_A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers _Spirits_ in shape of hounds,
and hunt them about; PROSPERO and ARIEL setting them on._

_Pros._ Hey, Mountain, hey!

_Ari._ Silver! there it goes, Silver!

_Pros._ Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark! hark!--
[_CAL., STEPH. and TRIN. are driven out._
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 or cat-o'-mountain.[449-60]

_Ari._ Hark, they roar!

_Pros._ 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._