Each one, tripping on his toe,
Will be here with mop and mow.
Do you love me, master? no?

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel; do not approach, 'Till thou dost hear me call.

Ari. Well, I conceive.

Pro. 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 abftemious,
Or elfe, good-night, your vow!

Fer. I warrant you, Sir;

The white, cold, virgin-fnow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pro. Well.

Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary,

Rather than want a fpirit; appear, and pertly-
No tongue; all eyes; be filent.

[Exit.

[To Ferdinand. [Soft Mufick.

A MASQUE. Enter Iris.

Iris. Ceres, moft bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and peafe;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibling fheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with pionied, and tulip'd brims,
Which fpungy April at thy heft betrims,

To make cold nymphs chafte crowns; and thy broomgroves,

Whofe fhadow the difmiffed batchelor loves,

Being lafs-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard,

And thy fea-marge fteril, and rocky hard,

Where thou thy felf do'ft air; the Queen o' th' sky,
Whose wat'ry arch and meffenger am I,

Bids thee leave these; and with her Sov'reign Grace,
Here on this grafs-plot, in this very place,
To come and fport; her peacocks fly amain:
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter

Enter Ceres.

Cer. Hail, many-colour'd meffenger, that ne'er
Do'ft difobey the wife of Jupiter:

Who, with thy faffron wings, upon my flowers
Diffuseft honey drops, refreshing fhowers;
And with each end of thy blue bow do'st crown
My bosky acres, and my unfhrub'd down,
Rich fcarf to my proud earth; why hath thy Queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grafs green?
Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate,,
And fome donation freely to eftate.

On the blefs'd lovers.

Cer. Tell me, heav'nly bow,

If Venus or her fon, as thou do'st know,
Do now attend the Queen: fince they did plot
The means, that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's fcandal'd company
I have forfworn.

Iris. Of her fociety

Be not afraid; I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her fon
Dove-drawn with her; here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,

Whofe vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
"Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain

Mars's hot minion is return'd again;

Her wafpish-headed fon has broke his arrows;

Swears, he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, And be a boy right-out.

Cer. High Queen of state,

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

[Juno defcends, and enters.

Jun. How does my bounteous fifter? go with me
To blefs this twain, that they may profp'rous be,
And honour'd in their iffae.

Jun. Honour, riches, marriage-bleffing,
Long continuance and encreafing,
Hourly joys be fill upon you!
Juno fings ber bleffings on you:

D 3:

Cer

Cer. Earth's increafe, and foyfon-plenty, (14)
Barns and garners never empty,

Vines, with cluftring bunches growing,
Plants, with goodly burthen bowing,
Spring come to you, at the fartheft,
In the very end of harveft!
Scarcity and want shall fhun you ;
Ceres' bleffing fo is on you.

Fer. This is a moft majestick vifion, and
Harmonious charmingly: may I be bold
To think these spirits?

Pro. Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines call'd to enact
My prefent fancies.

Fer. Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd father, and a wife,
Make this place paradise.

Pro. Sweet now, filence:
Juno and Ceres whifper ferioufly;

There's fomething else to do; hufh, and be mute,
Or else our spell is marr'd..

Juno and Ceres whisper, and fend Iris on imployment. Iris. You nymphs, call'd Nayads, of the winding brooks,

With your fedg'd crowns, and ever-harmless looks,
Leave your crifp channels, and on this green land
Answer your fummons, Juno does command:
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You fun-burn'd ficklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;

(14) Earth's Increafe.] All the Editions, that I have ever seen, concur in placing this whole Sonnet to Juno: but very absurdly, in my Opinion. I believe, every accurate Reader, who is acquainted with poetical Hiftory, and the diftinct Offices of thefe two Goddeffes, and who then feriously reads over our Author's Lines, will agree with Me, that Ceres's Name ought to have been placed where I have now prefix'd it.

Make

Make holy-day; your rye-ftraw 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,
Profpero ftarts fuddenly, and speaks; after which, to a
frange, hollow and confused noife, they vanish heavily.
Pro. I had forgot that foul confpiracy
Of the beaft Caliban, and his confed'rates,
Againft my life; the minute of their plot
Is almoft come. Well done, avoid; no more.

Fer. This is moft strange; your father's in fome paffion That works him ftrongly.

Mir. Never 'till this day

Saw I him touch'd with anger fo distemper'd.
Pro. You look, my son, in a mov'd fort,
As if you were difmay'd; be chearful, 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 fabrick of this vifion,
The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The folemn temples, the great globe it felf,
Yea, all, which it inherit, fhall diffolve;
And, like this infubftantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind! we are fuch ftuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a fleep.Sir, I am vext;
Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled;
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity;

If thou be pleas'd, retire into my cell,

And there repofe: a turn or two I'll walk,

To ftill my beating mind.

Fer. Mira. We wish your peace. [Exe. Fer. and Mir. Pro. Come with a thought;

Ariel, come.

I thank you :

Profpero comes forward from the Cell; enter Ariel to him.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to; what's thy pleasure?

D 4.

Pro

Pro. Spirit,

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Ari. Ay, my commander; when I prefented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it; but Î fear'd, Left I might anger thee.

Pro. Say again, where didft thou leave these varlets? Ari. I told you, Sir, they were red hot with drinking; So full of valour, that they fmote the air

For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kiffing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
At which, like unbackt colts, they prickt their ears,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their nofes,
As they fmelt mufick; fo I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briars, fharp furzes, pricking gofs and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail fhins: at laft I left them
I'th' filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,

There dancing up to th' chins, that the foul lake
O'er-ftunk their feet.

Pro. This was well done, my bird;
Thy fhape invifible retain thou still;

The trumpery in my houfe, go bring it hither,
For ftale to catch thefe thieves.

Ari. I go, I go.

Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never ftick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all loft, quite loft;
And, as with age, his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers; I will plague them all,
Even to roaring: come, hang them on this line.

[Exit.

[Profpero remains invisible. Enter Ariel loaden with gliftering apparel, &c. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.

Cal. Pray you, tread foftly, that the blind mole may

not

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

Ste. Monster, your Fairy, which you fay is a harmless Fairy, has done little better than plaid the Jack with us.