The Comedies, Histories, Tragedies, and Poems of William Shakspere

My tricksy spirit!

ALON. These are not natural events; they strengthen,

From strange to stranger:-Say, how came you hither? BOATS. If I did think, sir, I were well awake,

I'd strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,

And (how, we know not) all clapp'd under hatches,
Where, but even now, with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, gingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awak'd; straightway, at liberty:
Where we, in all our trima, freshly beheld
Our royal, good, and gallant ship; our master
Capering to eye her: on a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them,
And were brought moping hither.
ARI.

Was 't well done?
PRO. Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free.
ALON. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod :
And there is in this business more than nature
Was ever conduct of: some oracle

Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business: at pick'd leisure,
Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you

(Which to you shall seem probable) of every

These happen'd accidents: till when, be cheerful,

[Aside.

And think of each thing well.-Come hither, spirit;

[Aside.

Set Caliban and his companions free:

Untie the spell. [Exit ARIEL.] How fares my gracious sir?

There are yet missing of your company

Some few odd lads that you remember not.

Re-enter ARIEL, driving in CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, in their

stolen Apparel.

STE. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man take care for himself; for

all is but fortune:-Coragio, bully-monster, Coragio!

TRIN. If these be true spies which I wear in my head, here's a goodly sight. CAL. O Setebos, these be brave spirits, indeed!

a Our trim. So the original. The ordinary reading is her trim. Ariel had mentioned in the first Act,

"On their sustaining garments not a blemish."

Our trim expresses what

COMEDIES.-VOL. II.

SEB.

ANT.

How fine my master is! I am afraid

He will chastise me.

Ha, ha!

What things are these, my lord Antonio?
Will money buy them?

Very like; one of them
Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.
PRO. Mark but the badges of these men, my lords,
Then say if they be true: this mis-shapen knave,—
His mother was a witch, and one so strong
That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs,
And deal in her command, without her power:
These three have robb'd me: and this demi-devil
(For he 's a bastard one) had plotted with them
To take my life: two of these fellows you
Must know, and own; this thing of darkness I
Acknowledge mine.

CAL.

I shall be pinch'd to death.

ALON. Is not this Stephano, my drunken butler?

SEB. He is drunk now: where had he wine?

ALON. And Trinculo is reeling ripe: Where should they

Find this grand liquor that hath gilded them?—

How cam'st thou in this pickle?

TRIN. I have been in such a pickle, since I saw you last, that, I fear me, will never out of my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.

SEB. Why, how now, Stephano?

STE. O, touch me not; I am not Stephano, but a cramp.

PRO. You'd be king o' the isle, sirrah?

STE. I should have been a sore one then.

ALON. This is as strange thing as e'er I look'd on.
PRO. He is as disproportion'd in his manners

As in his shape:-Go, sirrah, to my cell;
Take with you your companions; as you look
To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.
CAL. Ay, that I will; and I 'll be wise hereafter,
And seek for grace: What a thrice-double ass
Was I, to take this drunkard for a god,

And worship this dull fool.

PRO.

Go to; away!

ALON. Hence, and bestow your luggage where you found it.
SEB. Or stole it, rather.

PRO. Sir, I invite your highness, and your train,

[Pointing to CAL.

[Exeunt CAL., STE., and TRIN.

To my poor cell: where you shall take your rest

a Strunge thing. So the original. The ordinary reading is "strange a thing."

For this one night; which (part of it) I'll waste
With such discourse, as, I not doubt, shall make it
Go quick away: the story of my life,
And the particular accidents gone by,

Since I came to this isle: And in the morn

I'll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples,
Where I have hope to see the nuptial
Of these our dear-belov'd solemnised;
And thence retire me to my Milan, where
Every third thought shall be my grave.

ALON.

PRO.

I long
To hear the story of your life, which must
Take the ear strangely.

I'll deliver all;
And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales,
And sail so expeditious, that shall catch
Your royal fleet far off.-My Ariel;-chick,-
That is thy charge; then to the elements

Be free, and fare thou well!-[aside.] Please you, draw near.

[Exeunt.

EPILOGUE.

Spoken by PROSPERO.

Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have 's mine own;
Which is most faint: now 't is true,

I must be here confin'd by you,
Or sent to Naples: Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got,
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island, by your spell;
But release me from my bands,
With the help of your good hands.
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please: Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be reliev'd by prayer;
Which pierces so, that it assaults

Mercy itself, and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

'SCENE I.-" Boatswain," &c.

ACT I.

UPON this scene Dr. Johnson has the following remark:-"In this naval dialogue, perhaps the first example of sailors' language exhibited on the stage, there are, as I have been told by a skilful navigator, some inaccuracies and contradictory orders." Malone, in reply to this, very properly pointed out that the orders should be considered as given not at once, but successively, as the emergency required. In Boswell's edition we have a highly valuable communica

tion from the second Lord Mulgrave, showing most conclusively that Shakspere's technical knowledge of seamanship must have been the result of the most accurate personal observation, or, what is perhaps more difficult, of the power of combining and applying the information derived from others. Lord Mulgrave supposes

Shakspere must have acquired this technical knowledge "by conversation with some of the most skilful seamen of that time." He adds, "no books had then been published on the subject." Lord Mulgrave then exhibits the ship in five positions, showing how strictly the words of the dialogue represent these. transcribe the general observations by which these technical illustrations are introduced :

"The succession of events is strictly observed in the natural progress of the distress described; the expedients adopted are the most proper that could have been devised for a chance of safety; and it is neither to the want of skill of the seamen nor the bad qualities of the ship, but solely to the power of Prospero, that the shipwreck is to be attributed.

"The words of command are not only strictly proper, but are only such as point the object to be attained, and no superfluous ones of detail. Shakspeare's ship was too well manned to make it necessary to tell the seamen how they were to do it, as well as what they were to do.

"He has shown a knowledge of the new improvements, as well as the doubtful points of seamanship: one of the latter he has intro

duced under the only circumstances in which it was indisputable."

Mr. Campbell gives the testimony of Captain Glascock, R.N., to the correctness of Shakspere in nautical matters :-"The Boatswain in 'The Tempest' delivers himself in the true vernacular style of the forecastle."

2 SCENE I." Down with the topmast." Lord Mulgrave has the following note on this direction:-"The striking the topmasts was a new invention in Shakspeare's time, which he here very properly introduces. Sir Henry Manwaring says, 'It is not yet agreed amongst all seamen whether it is better for a ship to hull with her topmast up or down.' In the Postscript to the Dictionary he afterwards gives his own opinion:- If you have sea-room it is has placed his ship in the situation in which it never good to strike the topmast.' Shakspeare where he had not sea-room." was indisputably right to strike the topmast

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The Comedies, Histories, Tragedies, and Poems of William Shakspere, Volume 7