THE TEMPEST.

ACT IV.

Scene i. Before Prospero's cell.

Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.

Prospero: [to Ferdinand] If I have too austerely punished you, Your compensation makes amends, for I Have given you here a third of mine own life, Or that for which I live; who once again 5I 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 of her, 10For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise And make it halt behind her.
Ferdinand: I do believe it Against an oracle.
Prospero: Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition 15Worthily purchased, take my daughter. But If thou dost break her virgin-knot before All sanctimonious ceremonies may With full and holy rite be ministered, No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall 20To make this contract grow; but barren hate, Sour-eyed disdain, and discord shall bestrew The union of your bed with weeds so loathly That you shall hate it both. Therefore take heed, As Hymen’s lamps shall light you.
Ferdinand: 25As I hope For quiet days, fair issue, and long life, With such love as ’tis now, the murkiest den, The most opportune place, the strong’st suggestion Our worser genius can shall never melt 30Mine honor into lust to take away The edge of that day’s celebration When I shall think or Phoebus’ steeds are foundered Or night kept chained below.
Prospero: Fairly spoke. 35Sit then and talk with her. She is thine own. Ferdinand and Miranda move aside. What, Ariel, my industrious servant, Ariel!

Enter Ariel.

Ariel: What would my potent master? Here I am.
Prospero: Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service 40Did worthily perform, and I must use you In such another trick. Go bring the rabble, O’er whom I give thee power, here to this place. Incite them to quick motion, for I must Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple 45Some vanity of mine art. It is my promise, And they expect it from me.
Ariel: Presently?
Prospero: Ay, with a twink.
Ariel: Before you can say “Come” and “Go,” 50And breathe twice, and cry “So, so,” Each one, tripping on his toe, Will be here with mop and mow. Do you love me, master? No?
Prospero: Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach 55Till thou dost hear me call.
Ariel: Well; I conceive. He exits.
Prospero: [to Ferdinand] Look thou be true; do not give dalliance Too much the rein. The strongest oaths are straw To th’ fire i’ th’ blood. Be more abstemious, 60Or else goodnight your vow.
Ferdinand: I warrant you, sir, The white cold virgin snow upon my heart Abates the ardor of my liver.
Prospero: Well.— 65Now come, my Ariel. Bring a corollary Rather than want a spirit. Appear, and pertly. Soft music. No tongue. All eyes. Be silent.

Enter Iris.

Iris: Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas; 70Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, And flat meads thatched with stover, them to keep; Thy banks with pionèd and twillèd brims, Which spongy April at thy hest betrims To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy 75broom groves, Whose shadow the dismissèd bachelor loves, Being lass-lorn; thy poll-clipped vineyard, And thy sea marge, sterile and rocky hard, Where thou thyself dost air—the Queen o’ th’ sky, 80Whose wat’ry arch and messenger am I, Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace, Here on this grass-plot, in this very place, To come and sport. Her peacocks fly amain. Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter Ceres.

Ceres: 85Hail, many-colored messenger, that ne’er Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter; Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers Diffusest honey drops, refreshing showers; And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown 90My bosky acres and my unshrubbed down, Rich scarf to my proud Earth. Why hath thy queen Summoned me hither to this short-grassed green?
Iris: A contract of true love to celebrate, And some donation freely to estate 95On the blest lovers.
Ceres: Tell me, heavenly bow, If Venus or her son, as thou dost know, Do now attend the Queen? Since they did plot The means that dusky Dis my daughter got, 100Her and her blind boy’s scandaled company I have forsworn.
Iris: Of her society Be not afraid. I met her deity Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son 105Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done Some wanton charm upon this man and maid, Whose vows are that no bed-right shall be paid Till Hymen’s torch be lighted—but in vain. 110Mars’s hot minion is returned again; Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows, Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, And be a boy right out. 115Juno descends.
Ceres: Highest queen of state, Great Juno, comes. I know her by her gait.
Juno: How does my bounteous sister? Go with me To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be 120And honored in their issue. They sing.
Juno: Honor, riches, marriage-blessing, Long continuance and increasing, Hourly joys be still upon you. Juno sings her blessings on you.
Ceres: 125Earth’s increase, foison plenty, Barns and garners never empty, Vines with clust’ring bunches growing, Plants with goodly burden bowing; Spring come to you at the farthest 130In the very end of harvest. Scarcity and want shall shun you. Ceres’ blessing so is on you.
Ferdinand: This is a most majestic vision, and Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold 135To think these spirits?
Prospero: Spirits, which by mine art I have from their confines called to enact My present fancies.
Ferdinand: Let me live here ever. 140So rare a wondered father and a wise Makes this place paradise. Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment.
Prospero: Sweet now, silence. Juno and Ceres whisper seriously. There’s something else to do. Hush, and be mute, 145Or else our spell is marred.
Iris: You nymphs, called naiads of the windring brooks, With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks, Leave your crisp channels and on this green land Answer your summons, Juno does command. 150Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love. Be not too late.Enter certain Nymphs. You sunburned sicklemen, of August weary, Come hither from the furrow and be merry. Make holiday: your rye-straw hats put on, 155And these fresh nymphs encounter every one In country footing. Enter certain Reapers, properly habited. They join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance, towards the end whereof Prospero starts suddenly and speaks.
Prospero: I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban and his confederates Against my life. The minute of their plot 160Is almost come.—Well done. Avoid. No more. To a strange, hollow, and confused noise, the spirits heavily vanish.
Ferdinand: [to Miranda] This is strange. Your father’s in some passion That works him strongly.
Miranda: 165Never till this day Saw I him touched with anger, so distempered.
Prospero: [to Ferdinand] You do look, my son, in a moved sort, As if you were dismayed. Be cheerful, sir. Our revels now are ended. These our actors, 170As I foretold you, were all spirits and Are melted into air, into thin air; And like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, 175Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed. 180Bear with my weakness. My old brain is troubled. Be not disturbed with my infirmity. If you be pleased, retire into my cell And there repose. A turn or two I’ll walk To still my beating mind.
Ferdinand/Miranda: 185We wish your peace. They exit.

Enter Ariel.

Prospero: Come with a thought. I thank thee, Ariel. Come.
Ariel: Thy thoughts I cleave to. What’s thy pleasure?
Prospero: Spirit, We must prepare to meet with Caliban.
Ariel: 190Ay, my commander. When I presented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it, but I feared Lest I might anger thee.
Prospero: Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?
Ariel: I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking, 195So full of valor that they smote the air For breathing in their faces, beat the ground For kissing of their feet; yet always bending Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor, At which, like unbacked colts, they pricked their 200ears, Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses As they smelt music. So I charmed their ears That, calf-like, they my lowing followed through Toothed briers, sharp furzes, pricking gorse, and 205thorns, Which entered their frail shins. At last I left them I’ th’ filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell, There dancing up to th’ chins, that the foul lake O’erstunk their feet.
Prospero: 210This was well done, my bird. Thy shape invisible retain thou still. The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither For stale to catch these thieves.
Ariel: I go, I go. He exits.
Prospero: 215A devil, a born devil, on whose nature Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost; And as with age his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers. I will plague them all 220Even to roaring.

Enter Ariel, loaden with glistering apparel, etc.

Come, hang [them on] this line.

Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet, as Prospero and Ariel look on.

Caliban: Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not hear a footfall. We now are near his cell.
Stephano: Monster, your fairy, which you say is a 225harmless fairy, has done little better than played the jack with us.
Trinculo: Monster, I do smell all horse piss, at which my nose is in great indignation.
Stephano: So is mine.—Do you hear, monster. If I 230should take a displeasure against you, look you—
Trinculo: Thou wert but a lost monster.
Caliban: Good my lord, give me thy favor still. Be patient, for the prize I’ll bring thee to Shall hoodwink this mischance. Therefore speak 235softly. All’s hushed as midnight yet.
Trinculo: Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool!
Stephano: There is not only disgrace and dishonor in that, monster, but an infinite loss.
Trinculo: 240That’s more to me than my wetting. Yet this is your harmless fairy, monster!
Stephano: I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o’er ears for my labor.
Caliban: Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here, 245This is the mouth o’ th’ cell. No noise, and enter. Do that good mischief which may make this island Thine own forever, and I, thy Caliban, For aye thy foot-licker.
Stephano: Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody 250thoughts.
Trinculo: [seeing the apparel] O King Stephano, O peer, O worthy Stephano, look what a wardrobe here is for thee!
Caliban: Let it alone, thou fool. It is but trash.
Trinculo: 255Oho, monster, we know what belongs to a frippery. [He puts on one of the gowns.] O King Stephano!
Stephano: Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I’ll have that gown.
Trinculo: 260Thy Grace shall have it.
Caliban: The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean To dote thus on such luggage? Let ’t alone, And do the murder first. If he awake, From toe to crown he’ll fill our skins with pinches, 265Make us strange stuff.
Stephano: Be you quiet, monster.—Mistress Line, is not this my jerkin? He takes a jacket from the tree. Now is the jerkin under the line.—Now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald jerkin.
Trinculo: 270Do, do. We steal by line and level, an ’t like your Grace.
Stephano: I thank thee for that jest. 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 275pass of pate. There’s another garment for ’t.
Trinculo: Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest.
Caliban: I will have none on ’t. We shall lose our time And all be turned to barnacles or to apes 280With foreheads villainous low.
Stephano: Monster, lay to your fingers. Help to bear this away where my hogshead of wine is, or I’ll turn you out of my kingdom. Go to, carry this.
Trinculo: And this.
Stephano: 285Ay, and this. A noise of hunters heard.

Enter divers spirits in shape of dogs and hounds, hunting them about, Prospero and Ariel setting them on.

Prospero: Hey, Mountain, hey!
Ariel: Silver! There it goes, Silver!
Prospero: Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark! Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo are driven off.Go, charge my goblins that they grind their joints 290With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews With agèd cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them Than pard or cat o’ mountain.
Ariel: Hark, they roar.
Prospero: 295Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour Lies at my mercy all mine enemies. Shortly shall all my labors end, and thou Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little Follow and do me service. They exit.