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

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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 valor, 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,

Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound ex- Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,

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Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
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

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

You, and your ways; whose wrath to guard you In this strange stare?

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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 shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her.

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Pro. 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 ministered,
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.
As I hope

Fer.

For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,
With such love as 't is now; the murkiest den,
The most opportune place, the strongest suggestion

Our worser Genius shall never melt

can,

Mine honor into lust; to take away

The edge of that day's celebration,

And flat meads thatched with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with peonied and lilied brims,
Which spongy April at thy 'hest betrims,

When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are foun- To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy

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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:

Do love master? no.

you

me,

broom groves,

Whose shadow the dismisséd bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;
And thy sea-marge, steril, 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.

Cer. Hail 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 My 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

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel: Do not ap-On the blessed lovers.

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Cer. 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 scandaled company I have forsworn.

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Cer.
Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.
Enter JUNO.

Highest queen of state,

Jun. How does my bounteous sister? Go with
me,

To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
And honored in their issue.

JUNO sings.

Honor, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.
CERES sings.

Earth's increase, and foison plenty,
Barns and garners never empty;
Vines, with clustering bunches growing;
Plants, with goodly burden 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.

Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and
Harmonious charmingly: May I be bold
To think these spirits?

Pro.

Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines called to enact

My present fancies.

Fer.

Let me live here ever;

So rare a wondered father, and a wife,

Make this place Paradise.

Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;
Make holy-day: 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; to-
wards the end whereof PROSPERO starts sudden-
ly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow,
and confused noise, they heavily vanish.

Pro. I had forgot that foul conspiracy [Aside.
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.

Fer. This is strange: your father's in some
passion

That works him strongly.

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Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.
Pro. 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,
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-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, 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 of, and our little life

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on Is rounded with a sleep. -Sir, I am vexed;

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Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.

Be not disturbed with my infirmity :

If you be pleased, retire into my cell,

There's something else to do: hush, and be mute, And there repose; a turn or two I'll walk,

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[Exeunt.

Pro. Come with a thought:—
-I thank you:-

Ariel, come.

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to: What's thy
pleasure?
Spirit,

Pro.

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Ari. Ay, my commander; when I presented
Ceres,

I thought to have told thee of it; but I feared,
Lest I might anger thee.

Pro. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?

Ste. So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you; look

you,

Trin. Thou wert but a lost monster.

Cal. Good my lord, give me thy favor still: Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to

Ari. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak

drinking:

So 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

ears,

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
thorns,

softly,

All's hushed as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the poolSte. There is not only disgrace and dishonor in that, monster, but an infinite loss.

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 ears for my labor.

Cal. Pr'ythee, my king, be quiet: Seest thou here,

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

Which entered their frail shins: at last I left Do that good mischief, which may make this island

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Pro. 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, Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c. Even to roaring: Come, hang them on this line. PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet. Cal. Pray you tread softly, that the blind mole may not

Hear a footfall: we now are near his cell.

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

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. O, ho, monster; 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 shall have it.

Cal. The dropsy drown this fool! what do you

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Trin. Monster, I do smell all horse-piss: at ment for 't: wit shall not go unrewarded, while I which my nose is in great indignation.

am king of this country: "Steal by line and

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