This ancient Moral, this Sir Prudence, who Seb. Thy cafe, dear friend, Shall be my precedent: as thou got'st Milan, Ant. Draw together: And when I rear my hand, do you the like Seb. O, but one word Enter Ariel, with Mufick and Song. Ari. My mafter through his art forefees the danger, That you his friend, are in; and fends me forth (For elfe his project dies) to keep them living. 6 [Sings in Gonzalo's Ear. While you here do fnoaring lye, Open-ey'd confpiracy His time doth take: If of life you keep a care, 5 This ancient MORSEL, this Sir Prudence, &c.] But why morfel? How does this characterife the perfon fpoken of? We muit read, This ancient MORAL. 1 i. e. this man of old fashioned honefty, for fuch is his Character. - An ancient moral is almoft proverbial, in the mouths of licentious people, to fignify, morals too fevere, and not fit for the times. This way of freaking is familiar with our Author. Rem. & Jul. And why my Lady Wiidom? hold your tongue, good Prudence. 6 -to keep them living.] i. e. Alonzo and Antonio; for it was on their lives that his project depended. Yet the Oxford Editor alters them, to you, because in the verfe before, it is faid —you bis friend; as if, because Ariel was fent forth to fave his friend, he could not have another purpofe in fending him, viz. to fave bis project too. Ant. Ant. Then let us both be fudden. Gon. Now, good angels preferve the King! [They wake. Alon. Why, how now, ho? awake? why are you drawn? Wherefore this ghaftly looking? Gon. What's the matter? Seb. While we ftood here fecuring your repofe, Ev'n now we heard a hollow burst of bellowing Like bulls, or rather lions; did 't not wake you? It ftrook mine ear most terribly. Alon. I heard nothing. Ant. O, 'twas a din to fright a monster's ear; To make an earthquake: fure, it was the roar Of a whole herd of lions. Alon. Heard you this? Gon. Upon my honour, Sir, I heard a humming, And that a strange one too, which did awake me.. I fhak'd you, Sir, and cry'd; as mine eyes open'd, I faw their weapons drawn: there was a noise, That's verity. 'Tis best we ftand on guard; Or that we quit this place: let's draw our weapons. Alon. Lead off this ground, and let's make further fearch For my poor fon. Gon. Heav'ns keep him from thefe beasts! For he is, fure, i'th' island. Alon. Lead away. Ari. Profpero my lord fhall know what I have done. So, King, go fafely on to feek thy fon. [Exeunt. SCENE Changes to another part of the Island. Enter Caliban with a burden of wood; a noife of thunder Cal. " beard. LL the infections, that the fun fucks ALL up, "From bogs, fens, flats, on Profper fall, and make "him By inch-meal a difeafe! his fpirits hear me, "And yet I needs muft curfe. But they'll not pinch, ઃઃ Fright me with urchin fhews, pitch me i' th' mire, "Nor lead me, like a fire-brand, in the dark "Out of my way, unless he bid 'em; but "For every trifle are they set upon me. "Sometimes like apes, that moe and chatter at me, "And after bite me; then like hedge-hogs, which Lye tumbling in my bare-foot way, and mount "Their pricks at my foot-fall; fometime am I "All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues "Do hifs me into madnefs. Lo! now! lo! Enter Trinculo. Here comes a fpi'rit of his, and to torment me Trin. Here's neither bufh nor fhrub to bear off any weather at all, and another storm brewing; I hear it fing i' th' wind: yond fame black cloud, yond huge one, looks like a foul bumbard that would fhed his liquor. If it fhould thunder as it did before, I know not where to hide my head: yond fame cloud 7 Looks like a foul Bimbard] A large Veffel for holding Drink, as well as the Picce of Ordnance so call'd. Mr. Theobald. cannot 8 cannot chufe but fall by pailfuls-What have we here, a man or a fish? dead or alive? a fifh; he smells like a fish: a very ancient and fish-like fmell. A kind of, not of the newest, Poor John: a strange fish! "Were I in England now, as once I was, and had "but this fish painted, not an holiday-fool there but "would give a piece of filver. There would this "monfter make a man; any ftrange 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." Legg'd like a man! and his fins like arms! warm, o'my troth! I do now let loofe my opinion, hold it no longer, this is no fifh, but an Inander that hath lately fuffer'd by a thunder-bolt. Alas! the ftorm is come again. My best way is to creep under his gaberdine: there is no other fhelter hereabout; mifery acquaints a man with ftrange "bed-fellows:" I will here fhrowd, 'till the dregs of the storm be past. Enter Stephano, finging. Ste. I fball no more to fea, to fea, bere fhall I die a-fhore. This is a very scurvy tune to fing at a man's funeral ; well, here's my comfort. [Drinks. Sings. The mafter, the fwabber, the boatswain and 1, The gunner, and his mate, Lov'd Mall, Meg, and Marrian, and Margery, 8. Any frange beaft there makes a man ;] I cannot but think this Satire very juft upon our Countrymen: who have been always very ready to make Denisons of the whole Tribe of the Pitheci, and compliment them with the Donum Civitatis, as appears by the names in ufe. Thus Monkey, which, the Etymologifts tell us, comes from Monkin, Monikin, homunculus. Baboon, from Babe, the termination denoting addition and increment, a large Babe. Mantygre fpeaks its original. And when they have brought their Sirnames with them from their native Country, as Ape, the common people have as it were Chriften'd them by the addition of Jack an Ape. But But none of us car'd for Kate; She lov'd not the favour of tar nor of pitch, This is a fcurvy tune too; but here's my comfort. Cal. Do not torment me, oh! Ste. What's the matter? 9 have we devils here? do you put tricks upon's with falvages, and men of Inde? ha? I have not fcap'd drowning, to be afraid now of your four legs; for it hath been said, As proper a man, as ever went upon four legs, cannot make him give ground; and it fhall be faid fo again, while Stephano breathes at his noftrils. Cal. The fpirit torments me: oh! Ste. This is fome monster of the ifle with four legs, who has got, as I take it, an ague: where the devil fhould he learn our language? I will give him fome 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 prefent for any Emperor that ever trod on neatsleather. Cal. Do not torment me, p'rythee; I'll bring my wood home faster. Ste. He's in his fit now; and does not talk after the wifeft: he fhall taste of my bottle. If he never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit; if And 9 Have we devils here? Salvages and men of Inde? your four legs;] All this is a pleasant ridicule of Maundevile's relations in his Voyages. Who pretended to have traveled thro' an enchaunted Vale clepen the vale of Develes, which Vale, fays be, is alle fulle of Develes, and hathe ben alle weys. Men feyn there, that it is on of the entrees of Helle. The fame Author likewife in his account of the Salvages and Men of Inde has tranfcribed, as of his own knowledge, all the fables of Pliny concerning men with long Ears, one Eye, one Foot, without Heads, &c. |