Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men, than you, good friend,
And my dear father: how features are abroad,
I am skill-less of; but, by my modesty
(The jewel in my dower), I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you;
Nor can imagination form a shape,

Beside yourself, to like of:-But I prattle
Something too wildly, and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.

[blocks in formation]

Mira. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer What I desire to give; and much less take What I shall die to want: But this is trifling; And all the more it seeks to hide itself, The bigger bulk it shews. Hence, bashful cunning; And prompt me, plain and holy innocence! I am your wife, if you will marry me; If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow You may deny me; but I'll be your servant, Whether you will or no.

[blocks in formation]

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing

As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand. Mira. And mine, with my heart in't: And now farewell,

Till half an hour hence. Fer.

A thousand! thousand!

[Exeunt FERDINAND and MIRANDA. Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, Who are surprised with all; but my rejoicing At nothing can be more. I'll to my book; For yet, ere supper time, must I perform Much business appertaining.

[Exit.

SCENE II. Another part of the Island. Enter STEPHANO and TRINCULO; CALIBAN following with a bottle.

Ste. Tell not me;-when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and board 'em: Servant-monster, drink

to me.

Trin. Servant-monster? the folly of this island! They say, there's but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if the other two be brained like us, the state totters.

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee; thy eyes are almost set in thy head.

Trin. Where should they be set else? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail. Ste. My man-monster hath drowned his tongue in sack for my part, the sea cannot drown me: I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-andthirty leagues, off and on, by this light.—Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard.

Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.

Ste. We'll not run, monsieur monster. Trin. Nor go neither: but you'll lie, like dogs; and yet say nothing neither.

Ste. Mooncalf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good mooncalf.

Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe:

I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster! I am in case to justle a constable: why, thou deboshed fish thou, was there ever a man a coward, that hath drunk so much sack as I to day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster?

Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him,

my lord?

Trin. Lord, quoth he!—that a monster should be such a natural!

Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I pr'ythee. Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your

head; if you prove a mutineer, the next treeThe poor monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.

Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased to hearken once again to the suit I made thee?

Ste. Marry will I: kneel and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.

Enter ARIEL, invisible.

Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant; a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of this island.

Ari. Thou liest.

Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou; I would, my valiant master would destroy thee: I do not lie.

Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

Trin. Why, I said nothing.

Ste. Mum, then, and no more.-[TO CALIBAN. Proceed.

Cal. I say, by sorcery he got this isle; From me he got it. If thy greatness will

[blocks in formation]

Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it, and I'll serve thee. Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party?

Cal. Yea, yea, my lord; I'll yield him thee asleep,

Where thou mayst knock a nail into his head. Ari. Thou liest, thou canst not.

Cal. What a pied ninny's this? Thou scurvy
patch!-

I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows,
And take his bottle from him: when that's gone,
He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not
shew him

Where the quick freshes are.

Ste. Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt the monster one word further, and, by this hand, I'll turn my mercy out of doors, and make a stockfish of thee.

Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing; I'll go further off.

Ste. Didst thou not say, he lied?
Ari. Thou liest.

[graphic][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

First to possess his books; for without them
He's but a sot, as I am, nor hath not

One spirit to command: they all do hate him,
As rootedly as I: Burn but his books;
He has brave utensils (for so he calls them),
Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal.
And that most deeply to consider, is
The beauty of his daughter; he himself
Calls her a nonpareil: I ne'er saw woman,
But only Sycorax my dam, and she;
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax,
As greatest does least.

[blocks in formation]

Ste. Give me thy hand; I am sorry I beat thee: but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.

Cal. Within this half-hour will he be asleep; Wilt thou destroy him then?

Ste.

Ay, on mine honour.

Ari. This will I tell my master.

Cal. Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of
pleasure;

Let us be jocund: Will you troll the catch
You taught me but while-ere?

Ste. At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason: Come on, Trinculo, let us sing. [Sings. Flout'em, and scout'em; and scout 'em, and flout'em; Thought is free.

Cal. That's not the tune.

[ARIEL plays the tune on a tabor and pipe. Ste. What is this same?

Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody.

Ste. If thou beest a man, shew thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, take 't as thou list. Trin. O, forgive me my sins!

Ste. He that dies, pays all debts: I defy thee:-Mercy upon us!

Cal. Art thou afeard?

Ste. No, monster, not I.

Cal. Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt

not.

Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
The clouds, methought, would open and shew
riches

Ready to drop upon me: that, when I waked, I cried to dream again.

Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my music for nothing. Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.

Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember the story.

Trin. The sound is going away: let's follow it, and after, do our work.

Ste. Lead, monster; we'll follow.-I would I could see this taborer; he lays it on.

Trin. Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.—Another part of the Island.

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others.

Gon. By 'r lakin, I can go no further, sir; My old bones ache: here's a maze trod, indeed, Through forth-rights and meanders! by your patience,

I needs must rest me.

Alon.

Old lord, I cannot blame thee, Who am myself attached with weariness, To the dulling of my spirits: sit down and rest. Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it No longer for my flatterer: he is drowned, Whom thus we stray to find: and the sea mocks Our frustrate search on land: Well, let him go. Ant. I am right glad that he's so out of hope. [Aside to SEBASTIAN. Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose That you resolved to effect.

Seb. The next advantage Will we take thoroughly.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Gon. Faith sir, you need not fear: When we were boys,

Who would believe that there were mountaineers Dew-lapped like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find,

Each putter-out on five for one, will bring us
Good warrant of.

Alon. I will stand to, and feed, Although my last: no matter, since I feel The best is past:-Brother, my lord the duke, Stand to, and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL, like a harpy ; claps his wings upon the table, and with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom destiny (That hath to instrument this lower world, And what is in 't) the never-surfeited sea Hath caused to belch up; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; [Seeing ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, &c. draw their swords.

And even with such like valour, men hang and drown

Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows

Are ministers of fate; the elements,

Of whom your swords are tempered, may as well Wound the loud winds, or with bemocked-at stabs

Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish
One dowle that's in my plume; my fellow-minis-

ters

Are like invulnerable; if you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted: But, remember
(For that's my business to you) that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him, and his innocent child. for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the crea-
tures,

Against your peace: Thee, of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
Lingering perdition (worse than any death
Can be at once) shall step by step attend
You, and your ways; whose wrath to guard you
from

(Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads) is nothing, but heart's sorrow, And a clear life ensuing.

He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes, and carry out the table.

Pro. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
[Aside.

Performed, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing 'bated,
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life,
And observation strange, my meaner ministers
Their several kinds have done: my high charms
work,

And these, mine enemies, are all knit up
In their distractions: they now are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, whilst I visit
Young Ferdinand (who they suppose is drowned),
And his and my loved darling.

[Exit PROSPERO from above. Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you

In this strange stare?
Alon. O, it is monstrous! monstrous!
Methought, the billows spoke, and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced
The name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded; and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded.
[Exit.
Seb.
But one fiend at a time,
I'll fight their legions o'er.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][subsumed]

SCENE I.-Before PROSPERO's Cell. Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA. Pro. If I have too austerely punished 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 shall find she will outstrip all praise, And make it halt behind her.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Pro. Aye, 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: love me, master? no.

Do you

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel: Do not approach

Till thou dost hear me call.

[blocks in formation]

Pro. Look thou be true: do not give dalliance Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious, Or else, good night your vow!

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »