Gon. All three of them are desperate; their great guilt, Like poison given to work a great time after, 7 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. Adr. Follow, I pray you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.-Before PROSPERO's Cell. Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA.

Prospero.

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 acquisition
Worthily purchas'd, 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-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,

[7] The natives of Africa have been supposed to be possessed of the secret how to temper poisons with such art as not to operate till several years after they were administered. Their drugs were then as certain in their effect, as subtle in their preparation. STEEV.

12 VOL. I.

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 Phœbus' steeds are founder'd,
Or night kept chain'd below.

Pro. 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.
Pro. 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.

Ari. Presently?

Pro. 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 mowe :

Do you love me, master? no.

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

Ari. Well I conceive.

Pro. Look, thou be true; do not give dalliance

[Exit.

Too much the rein; the strongest oaths are straw
To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,
Or else, good night, your vow!

Fer. I warrant you, sir;

The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pro. Well.

Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary, 8

Rather than want a spirit: appear and pertly.

No tongue; all eyes; be silent.9

[Soft music.

[8] Corollary-surplus. Bring more than are sufficient, rather than fail for want of numbers.

STEEV.

[9] Those who are present at incantations are obliged to be strictly silent, « else," as we are afterwards told, "the spell is marred."

JOHNSON.

A masque. Enter IRIS.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and pease;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with peonied and lilied brims,

Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves,

Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;
And thy sea-marge, steril, and rocky-hard,
Where thou thyself dost air: The queen o' the sky,
Whose watery arch, and messenger, am I,

Bids thee leave these; and with her sov'reign grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain ;
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter CERES.

Cer. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er
Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter ;

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 acres, 1 and my unshrubb'd down,

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 e;

And some donation freely to estate

On the bless'd lovers.

Cer.

Tell me, heavenly bow,

If Venus, or her son, as thou dost know,

Do now attend the queen? since they did plot
The means, that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
I have forsworn.

Iris.

Of her society

Be not afraid; I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos ; and her son
Dove-drawn with her: here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,

[1] Bosky-woody. Bosky acres are fields divided from each other by hedge-rows. Boscus is middle Latin for wood. Bosquet, Fr.

STEEV.

Whose vows are, that no bed-rite shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but in vain ;
Mars' hot minion is return'd again;

Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,

Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, And be a boy right out.

Cer.

Highest queen of state,

Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.

Enter JUNO.

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 foizon 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. Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines call'd to enact
My present fancies.

Fer. Let me live here ever;

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

Make this place a paradise.

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employ

ment.

Pro. 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:
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,
Leave not a racks 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,

[6] Rack-the last fleeting vestige of the on account of their distance and tenuity. tack, is now termed by sailors-the scud. 12* VOL. 1.

highest clouds, scarce perceptible What was anciently called the STEEV.