Juno and Ceres whisper, and fend Iris on employment.
Iris. You nymphs call'd Nayads of the winding brooks,
With your fedg'd crowns, and ever-harmless looks,
Leave your crifp channels, and on this green-land
Answer your fummons; Juno does command:
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain nymphs.

You fun-burnt ficklemen, of Auguft weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;
Make holy-day; your rye-ftraw hats put on;
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

SCENE IV.

Enter certain reapers, properly habited; they join with the nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof Profpero ftarts fuddenly, and Speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow and confufed noife, they vanish.

Pro. I had forgot that foul confpiracy
Of the beaft Caliban, and his confederates,
Against my life; the minute of their plot

Is almost come. Well done; avoid; no more.

Fer. This is moft ftrange; your father's in fome passion That works him strongly.

Mira. Never 'till this day

Saw I him touch'd with anger, fo diftemper'd.

Pro. Why, you do look, my son, in a mov'd sort;

As if you were difmay'd; be chearful, fir:

Our revels now are ended: these our actors,

As I foretold you, were all fpirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the bafelefs fabrick of their vifion,
The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,

VOL. I.

H

The

The folemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, fhall diffolve,
And, like this infubftantial pageant faded,
Leave not a track behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a fleep. Sir, I am vext;

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,

And there repose; a turn or two I'll walk

To still my beating mind.

Fer. Mira. We wish you peace.

[Exeunt.

Pro. Come with a thought; I thank thee, Ariel: come.

Enter Ariel.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to; what's thy pleasure?
Pro. Spirit!

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Ari. Ay, my commander; when I prefented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd

Left I might anger thee.

Pro. But, fay again, where didft thou leave these varlets?
Ari. I told you, fir, they were red hot with drinking;
So full of valour, that they smote the air

For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kiffing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor;
At which, like unbackt colts, they prickt their ears,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they fmelt mufick; fo I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briars, fharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail fhins: at laft I left them
I' th' filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to th' chins, that the foul lake
O'er-ftunk their feet.

Pro.

Pro. This was well done, my bird;
Thy shape invifible retain thou ftill;

The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,
For ftale to catch these thieves.

Ari. I go, I go.

Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never ftick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, are all loft, quite loft;
And, as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers; I will plague them all,
Even to roaring: come, hang them on this line.

SCENE V.

[Exit.

Enter Ariel loaden with gliftering apparel, &c. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.

Cal. Pray you, tread foftly, that the blind mole may not Hear a foot fall; we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your Fairy, which you say is a harmless Fairy, has done little better than plaid the Jack with us.

Trin. Monster, I do fmell all horfe-pifs; at which my nose is in great indignation.

Ste. So is mine: do you hear, monster? if I should take a displeasure against you; look you

Trin. Thou wert but a loft monster.

Cal. Good, good my lord, give me thy favour ftill:

Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to

Shall hoodwink this mifchance; therefore speak foftly;

All's husht as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lofe our bottles in the pool

Ste. There is not only difgrace and dishonour in that, monfter, but an infinite lofs.

Trin. That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your harmless Fairy, monster..

Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er head and my labour.

ears for

H 2

Cal

2

Cal. Pr'ythee, my king, be quiet: seest thou here,
This is the mouth o' th' cell; no noife, and enter;
Do that good mischief which may make this island
Thine own for ever; and I, thy Caliban,

For aye thy foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy hand; I do begin to have bloody thoughts. Trin. O king Stephano! o peer! o worthy Stephano! Look, what a wardrobe here is for thee!

Cal. Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash.

Trin. Oh, oh, monfter; we know what belongs to a frippery: o king Stephano.

Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Trin. Thy grace fhall have it.

Cal. The dropfy drown this fool! what do you mean

To dote thus on fuch luggage? let it alone,

And do the murder firft: if he awake,

From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches ;

Make us ftrange stuff.

Ste. Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair, and prove a bald jerkin.

Trin. Do, do; we steal by line and level, and't like your grace. Ste. I thank thee for that jeft; 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 pafs of pate; there's another garment for't.

Trin. Monster, come, put fome lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest.

Čal. I will have none on't; we fhall lofe our time,

And all be turn'd to barnacles, or apes,

With foreheads villainous low.

Ste. Monfter, lay to your fingers; help to bear this away

where my hogfhead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my king

dom; go to, carry this.

Trin. And this.

Ste. Ay, and this.

A

A noife of hunters heard. Enter divers fpirits in shape of bounds, hunting them about; Profpero and Ariel fetting them on. Pro. Hey, Mountain, hey!

Ari. Silver! there it goes, Silver !

Pro. Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark, hark!
Go, charge my goblins that they grind their joints
With dry convulfions, fhorten up their finews

With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them
Than pard, or cat o' mountain.

Ari. Hark, they roar.

Pro. Let them be hunted foundly. At this hour
Lye at my mercy all mine enemies:

Shortly fhall all my labours end, and thou
Shalt have the air at freedom; for a little,
Follow, and do me fervice.

*****

ACT V. SCENE I.

Enter Profpero in his magick robes, and Ariel.

PROSPER O.

OW does my project gather to a head;

NOW

[Exeunt.

My charms crack not; my spirits obey; and time

Goes upright with his carriage: how's the day?

Ari. On the fixth hour; at which time, my lord, You faid our work fhould cease.

Pro. I did fay fo,

When first I rais'd the tempeft; fay, my spirit,
How fares the king, and's followers?

Ari. Confin'd

In the same fashion as you gave in charge,
Just as you left them, all your prisoners, fir,
In the Lime-Grove which weather-fends

your cell.

They