missible manner. Altogether our singular views were diffused with the greater ardor, and more persons were in a position to sympathize with them, as Lessing, in whom great confidence was placed, had, properly speaking, given the first signal in his "Dramaturgie."

CALIBAN AND THE SAILORS.

BY SHAKESPEARE.

[From "The Tempest." The meeting of Caliban, the savage denizen of Prospero's magic isle, with the shipwrecked sailors.]

Enter CALIBAN, with a burden of wood. Noise of thunder heard.

Caliban

All the infections that the sun sucks up

From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him

By inchmeal a disease! His spirits hear me,

And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,
Fright me with urchin shows, pitch me i' the mire,
Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid them; but
For every trifle are they set upon me:
Sometime like apes that moe and chatter at me,
And after, bite me; then like hedgehogs, which
Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount
Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who, with cloven tongues,
Do hiss me into madness:-Lo! now! lo!

Enter TRINCULO.

Here comes a spirit of his; and to torment me,
For bringing wood in slowly; I'll fall flat;

Perchance, he will not mind me.

Trinculo - Here's neither bush nor shrub, to bear off any weather at all, and another storm brewing; I hear it sing i' the wind: yond' same black cloud, yond' huge one, looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor. If it should thunder, as it did before, I know not where to hide my head: yond' same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls. What have we here? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish; a very ancient

A

and fishlike smell; a kind of, not of the newest, Poor-John. strange fish! Were I in England now (as once I was), and had but this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give a piece of silver; there would this monster make a man: any strange beast there makes a man: when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian. Legged like a man! and his fins like arms! Warm, o' my troth! I do now let loose my opinion, hold it no longer; this is no fish, but an islander, that hath lately suffered by a thunderbolt. [Thunder.] Alas! the storm is coming again: my best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter hereabout: Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud, till the dregs of the storm be past.

Enter STEPHANO, singing; a bottle in his hand.

This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's funeral:
Well, here's my comfort.

The master, the swabber, the boatswain, and I,

The gunner, and his mate,

Loved Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,

But none of us cared for Kate:
For she had a tongue with a tang,
Would cry to a sailor, Go hang:

[Drinks.

She loved not the savor of tar or of pitch,
Yet a tailor might scratch her where'er she did itch.
Then to sea, boys, and let her go hang.

This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort.

[Drinks.

Caliban-Do not torment me: O! Stephano-What's the matter? Have we devils here? Do you put tricks upon us with savages, and men of Inde? Ha! I have not 'scaped drowning, to be afeard now of your four legs; for it hath been said, As proper a man as ever went on four legs, cannot make him give ground: and it shall be said so again, while Stephano breathes at nostrils.

Stephano-This is some monster of the isle with four legs; who hath got, as I take it, an ague: Where the devil should he learn our language? I will give him some relief, if it be but for that: If I can recover him, and keep him tame, and get to Naples with him, he's a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat's leather.

Caliban

Do not torment me, prithee;

I'll bring my wood home faster.

Stephano-He's in his fit now; and does not talk after the wisest. He shall taste of my bottle: if he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit: If I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much for him: he shall pay for him that hath him, and that soundly.

Thou dost me yet but little hurt; thou wilt
Anon, I know it by thy trembling:

Now Prosper works upon thee.

Stephano-Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is that which will give language to you, cat; open your mouth: this will shake your shaking, I can tell you, and that soundly: you cannot tell who's your friend: open your chaps again.

Trinculo - I should know that voice: It should be But he is drowned; and these are devils: O! defend me! —

Stephano- Four legs, and two voices; a most delicate monster! His forward voice now is to speak well of his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches, and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle will recover him, I will help his ague: Come, Amen! I will pour some in thy other mouth.

Trinculo-Stephano!

Stephano-Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy! mercy! This is a devil, and no monster! I will leave him; I have no long spoon.

Trinculo Stephano!-if thou beest Stephano, touch me, and speak to me; for I am Trinculo; - be not afeard, thy good friend Trinculo.

Stephano- If thou beest Trinculo, come forth; I'll pull thee by the lesser legs: if any be Trinculo's legs, these are they. Thou art very Trinculo, indeed. How cam'st thou to be the siege of this moon calf? Can he vent Trinculos?

Trinculo I took him to be killed with a thunder stroke: - But art thou not drowned, Stephano? I hope now thou art not drowned. Is the storm overblown? I hid me under the dead moon calf's gaberdine, for fear of the storm: And art thou living, Stephano? O Stephano, two Neapolitans 'scaped!

Stephano-Prithee, do not turn me about; my stomach is not

constant.

Caliban

These be fine things, an if they be not sprites.
That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor:

I will kneel to him.

Stephano - How didst thou 'scape? How cam'st thou hither?

swear by this bottle, how thou cam'st hither. I escaped upon a butt of sack, which the sailors heaved overboard, by this bottle! which I made of the bark of a tree, with mine own hands, since I was cast ashore.

Caliban

I'll swear, upon that bottle, to be thy

True subject; for the liquor is not earthly.

Stephano - Here; swear then how thou escap'dst.

Trinculo-Swam ashore, man, like a duck; I can swim like a duck, I'll be sworn.

Stephano-Hete, kiss the book: Though thou canst swim like a duck, thou art made like a goose.

Trinculo - O Stephano, hast any more of this?

Stephano - The whole butt, man; my cellar is in a rock by the seaside, where my wine is hid. How now, moon calf? how does thine ague?

Caliban

Hast thou not dropped from heaven?

Stephano-Out o' the moon, I do assure thee; I was the man in the moon, when time was.

Caliban

I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee; My mistress showed me thee, thy dog and bush. Stephano-Come, swear to that; kiss the book: I will furnish

it anon with new contents: swear.

I

Trinculo - By this good light, this is a very shallow monster: afeard of him? -a very weak monster:-The man i' the moon? a most poor credulous monster: Well drawn, monster in good sooth.

I'll show thee every fertile inch o' the island:

And kiss thy foot: I prithee, be my god.

Trinculo By this light, a most perfidious and drunken monster; when his god's asleep, he'll rob his bottle.

Caliban

I'll kiss thy foot: I'll swear myself thy subject. Stephano-Come on, then; down and swear.

Trinculo I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed monster: A most scurvy monster! I could find in my heart to beat

him,

Stephano-Come, kiss.

but that the poor monster's in drink. An abomi

I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries;
I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough.

A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!

I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,

Thou wondrous man.

Trinculo A most ridiculous monster! to make a wonder of a poor drunkard.

Caliban

I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow; And I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts; Show thee a jay's nest, and instruct thee how To snare the nimble marmozet; I'll bring thee To clust'ring filberds, and sometimes I'll get thee Young sea-mells from the rock: Wilt thou go with me? Stephano-I prithee now lead the way, without any more Trinculo, the king and all our company else being drowned, we will inherit here. - Here; bear my bottle. Fellow Trinculo,

talking.

we'll fill him by and by again.

Caliban Farewell, master; farewell, farewell. [Sings drunkenly. Trinculo- A howling monster; a drunken monster.

Caliban

No more dams I'll make for fish;

Nor fetch in firing

At requiring,

Nor scrape trenchering, nor wash dish;

'Ban, 'Ban, Ca- Caliban

Has a new master- Get a new man.

Freedom, heyday! heyday, freedom! freedom, heyday,

freedom!

Stephano-O brave monster! lead the way.

[Exeunt.

THE TRIAL.

BY SHAKESPEARE.

[From "The Merchant of Venice." Shylock the Jew, claiming in payment a pound of Antonio's flesh, is defeated by Portia, disguised as an advocate.]

Scene: Venice. A Court of Justice.

Present: DUKE, ANTONIO, BASSANIO, GRATIANO, and others.

Duke

What, is Antonio here?

Antonio

Ready, so please your grace.

Duke

I am sorry for thee; thou art come to answer
A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch