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The Tempest: Act 4 Scene 1

Scene I Before PROSPERO'S cell.

[Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA]

PROSPERO

If I have too austerely punish'd 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

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 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

Worthily purchased take my daughter: but

If thou dost break her virgin-knot before

All sanctimonious ceremonies may

With full and holy rite be minister'd,

No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall

To 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

As 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

Mine honour into lust, to take away

The edge of that day's celebration

When I shall think: or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,

Or Night kept chain'd below.

PROSPERO

Fairly spoke.

Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.

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

Did 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

Some 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,'

And 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

Till thou dost hear me call.

ARIEL

Well, I conceive.

[Exit]

PROSPERO

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!

FERDINAND

I warrant you sir;

The white cold virgin snow upon my heart

Abates the ardour of my liver.

PROSPERO

Well.

Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,

Rather than want a spirit: appear and pertly!

No tongue! all eyes! be silent.

[Soft music]

[Enter IRIS]

IRIS

Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas

Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and pease;

Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,

And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;

Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,

Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom -groves,

Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,

Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard;

And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,

Where thou thyself dost air;--the queen o' the sky,

Whose watery 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

Hail, many-colour'd 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

My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,

Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen

Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?

IRIS

A contract of true love to celebrate;

And some donation freely to estate

On 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,

Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company

I have forsworn.

IRIS

Of her society

Be not afraid: I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son

Dove-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 vain;

Mars'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.

CERES

High'st queen of state,

Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

[Enter JUNO]

JUNO

How does my bounteous sister? Go with me

To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be

And honour'd in their issue.

[They sing:]

JUNO

Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,

Long continuance, and increasing,

Hourly joys be still upon you!

Juno sings her blessings upon you.

CERES

Earth's increase, foison plenty,

Barns and garners never empty,

Vines and clustering bunches growing,

Plants with goodly burthen bowing;

Spring come to you at the farthest

In 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

Harmoniously charmingly. May I be bold

To think these spirits?

PROSPERO

Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines call'd to enact

My present fancies.

FERDINAND

Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd father and a wife

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,

Or else our spell is marr'd.

IRIS

You nymphs, call'd 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:

Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate

A contract of true love; be not too late.

[Enter certain Nymphs]

You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary,

Come hither from the furrow and be merry:

Make holiday; your rye-straw hats put on

And 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; after which, to a

strange, hollow, and confused noise, they

heavily vanish]

PROSPERO

[Aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy

Of the beast Caliban and his confederates

Against my life: the minute of their plot

Is almost come.

[To the Spirits]

Well done! avoid; no more!

FERDINAND

This is strange: your father's in some passion

That works him strongly.

MIRANDA

Never till this day

Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.

PROSPERO

You do look, my son, in a moved sort,

As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir.

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Ye 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 vex'd;

Bear with my weakness; my, brain is troubled:

Be not disturb'd 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

|

| We wish your peace.

|

[Exeunt]

PROSPERO

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

[Enter ARIEL]

ARIEL

Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?

PROSPERO

Spirit,

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

ARIEL

Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres,

I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd

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;

So fun of valour 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 tabour;

At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd

their ears,

Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses

As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears

That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through

Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,

Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them

I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,

There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake

O'erstunk their feet.

PROSPERO

This 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.

[Exit]

PROSPERO

A 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,

Even to roaring.

[Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c]

Come, hang them on this line.

[PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter

CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet]

CALIBAN

Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not

Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.

STEPHANO

Monster, your fairy, which you say is

a harmless 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 should take

a displeasure against you, look you,--

TRINCULO

Thou wert but a lost monster.

CALIBAN

Good my lord, give me thy favour still.

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

Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.

All's hush'd as midnight yet.

TRINCULO

Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,--

STEPHANO

There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,

monster, but an infinite loss.

TRINCULO

That'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 labour.

CALIBAN

Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,

This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and enter.

Do that good mischief which may make this island

Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,

For aye thy foot-licker.

STEPHANO

Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

TRINCULO

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

O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery.

O king Stephano!

STEPHANO

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

that gown.

TRINCULO

Thy grace shall have it.

CALIBAN

The dropsy drown this fool I what do you mean

To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone

And do the murder first: if he awake,

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

Make us strange stuff.

STEPHANO

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.

TRINCULO

Do, 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

pass 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 turn'd to barnacles, or to apes

With foreheads villanous 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

Ay, and this.

[A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits,

in shape of dogs and hounds, and hunt them about,

PROSPERO and ARIEL setting them on]

PROSPERO

Hey, Mountain, hey!

ARIEL

Silver I there it goes, Silver!

PROSPERO

Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark! hark!

[CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, are

driven out]

Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints

With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews

With aged cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them

Than pard or cat o' mountain.

ARIEL

Hark, they roar!

PROSPERO

Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour

Lie at my mercy all mine enemies:

Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou

Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little

Follow, and do me service.

[Exeunt]