The five plays contained in this volume occur in the first Folio in the same order, and, with one exception, were there printed for the first time. In the case of The Merry Wives of Windsor, two Quartos (Q, and Q.), imperfect copies of an earlier play, appeared in 1602 and 1619, the second a reprint of the first. They are described in a special Introduction to that play, and a reprint of Q, collated with Q, follows it. A third Quarto (Q) was printed from F, in 1630. The Tempest was altered by Dryden and D'Avenant, and published as The Tempest; or the Enchanted Island, in 1669. We mark the emendations derived from it: 'Dryden's version.' D'Avenant, in his Law against Lovers fused Measure for Measure and Much ado about Nothing into one play. We refer to his new readings as being from 'D'Avenant's version.' DRAMATIS PERSONÆ1. ALONSO, King of Naples. SEBASTIAN, his brother. PROSPERO, the right Duke of Milan. ANTONIO, his brother, the usurping Duke of Milan. GONZALO, an honest old Counsellor. SCENE-A ship at sea*: an uninhabited island. 1 DRAMATIS PERSONÆ] NAMES OF THE ACTORS F, at the end of the Play. presented by] Edd. • Other...Prospero] Theobald. A ship at sea:] At sea: Capell. THE TEMPEST. SCENE I. Mast. ACT I. On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder Enter a Ship-Master and a Boatswain. Boatswain! Boats. Here, master: what cheer? Mast. Good, speak to the mariners: fall to't, yarely, or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. Enter Mariners. [Exit. Boats. Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough! Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others. Alon. Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master? Play the men. Boats. I pray now, keep below. Ant. Where is the master, boatswain? Sc. I. On a ship at sea] Pope. adds shaking off wet.' 3. Good,] Rowe. Good: Ff. Good. Collier. 7. till thou burst thy wind] till thou burst, wind Johnson conj. till thou burst thee, wind Steevens conj. 8. Capell adds stage direction [Exeunt Mariners aloft. 11. boatswain] Pope. boson Ff. 5 IO Boats. Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. Gon. Nay, good, be patient. Boats. When the sea is. roarers for the name of king? us not. Hence! What cares these 15 To cabin: silence! trouble Gon. Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard. Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a Counsellor; if you can command these elements to silence, 20 and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more; use your authority: if you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap. Cheerly, good hearts! Out of our way, I say. [Exit. 25 Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage. If he be not born to be hanged, our case 30 is miserable. Re-enter Boatswain. [Exeunt. Boats. Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring her to try with main-course. [A cry within.] A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather or our office. Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO. Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er, and drown? Have you a mind to sink? Seb. A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog! Boats. Work you, then. Ant. Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker. We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art. 15. cares] care Rowe. See note (1). 31. [Exeunt] Theobald. [Exit. Ff. 33. Bring her to try] F4. Bring her to Try F, F, F3. Bring her to. Try Story conj. 33-35. Text as in Capell. A plague-A cry within. Enter Sebas tian, Anthonio, and Gonzalo. upon this howling. Ff. 34-37. Verse. S. Walker conj. 35 |