Tempest (1918) Yale/Text/Act IV
ACT FOURTH
Scene One
[Before Prospero's Cell]
Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.
Pro. 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 4
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! 8
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.
Fer. I do believe it
Against an oracle. 12
Pro. Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: but
If thou dost break her virgin knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may 16
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-ey'd disdain and discord shall bestrew 20
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.
Fer. As I hope
For quiet days, fair issue and long life, 24
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 28
The edge of that day's celebration
When I shall think, or Phœbus' steeds are founder'd,
Or Night kept chain'd below.
Pro. Fairly spoke:
Sit then, and talk with her, she is thine own.
What, Ariel! my industrious servant Ariel! 33
Enter Ariel.
Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.
Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
Did worthily perform; and I must use you 36
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 40
Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.
Ari. Presently?
Pro. Ay, with a twink.
Ari. 'Before you can say, "Come," and "Go," 44
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?' 48
Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
Till thou dost hear me call.
Ari. Well, I conceive. Exit.
Pro. Look, thou be true; do not give dalliance
Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw 52
To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,
Or else good night your vow!
Fer. I warrant you, sir;
The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.
Pro. Well.— 56
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 60
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims, 64
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; 68
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, 72
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-colour'd messenger, that ne'er 76
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, 81
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, 84
And some donation freely to estate
On the bless'd lovers.
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, 89
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
I have forsworn.
Iris. Of her society
Be not afraid; I met her deity 92
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-rite shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain: 97
Mars's hot minion is return'd again;
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, 100
And be a boy right out.
Cer. Highest queen of state,
Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.
[Enter Juno.]
Jun. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be, 104
And honour'd in their issue.
They Sing:
Jun. 'Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you! 108
Juno sings her blessings on you.'
Cer. 'Earth's increase, foison plenty,
Barns and garners never empty:
Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing; 112
Plants with goodly burden bowing;
Spring come to you at the farthest
In the very end of harvest!
Scarcity and want shall shun you; 116
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 120
I have from their confines call'd to enact
My present fancies.
Fer. Let me live here ever:
So rare a wonder'd father and a wise,
Makes this place Paradise.
Juno and Ceres whisper, and
send Iris on employment.
Pro. Sweet, now, silence! 124
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 Naiades, of the windring brooks, 128
With your sedg'd 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. 133
Enter certain Nymphs.
You sun-burn'd sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry:
Make holiday: your rye-straw hats put on, 136
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.
Pro. I had forgot that foul conspiracy
Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates 140
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.
Mira. Never till this day 144
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
Pro. You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort,
As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir:
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, 148
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, 153
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff 156
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.—Sir, I am vex'd:
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity. 160
If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell
And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,
To still my beating mind.
| Fer. | We wish your peace. | ||
| Mira. | Exeunt. |
Pro. Come with a thought!—I thank thee, Ariel: come! 164
Enter Ariel.
Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?
Pro. Spirit,
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 fear'd 168
Lest I might anger thee.
Pro. Say again, where didst thou leave these
varlets?
Ari. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
So full of velour that they smote the air 172
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 unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears, 176
Advanc'd 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, 180
Which enter'd 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.
Pro. This was well done, my bird. 184
Thy shape invisible retain thou still:
The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
For stale to catch these thieves.
Ari. I go, I go. Exit.
Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains, 189
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers. I will plague them all, 192
Even to roaring.
Enter Ariel, loaden with glistering apparel, &c.
Come, hang them on this line.
Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.
[Prospero and Ariel remain invisible.]
Cal. Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not
Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell. 195
Ste. Monster, your fairy, which you say is a
harmless fairy, has done little better than played
the Jack with us.
Trin. Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at
which my nose is in great indignation. 200
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 favour still:
Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to 205
Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly;
All's hush'd as midnight yet.
Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the
pool,— 209
Ste. There is not only disgrace and dishonour
in that, monster, but an infinite loss.
Trin. That's more to me than my wetting:
yet this is your harmless fairy, monster. 213
Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be
o'er ears for my labour.
Cal. Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here, 216
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. 220
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! 225
Cal. Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash.
Trin. O, ho, monster! we know what belongs
to a frippery.—O king Stephano! 228
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 mean 232
To dote thus on such luggage? Let's along,
And do the murder first: if he awake,
From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches;
Make us strange stuff. 236
Ste. 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. 240
Trin. Do, do: we steal by line and level,
an 't like your grace.
Ste. I thank thee for that jest; here's a gar-
ment 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 an-
other garment for 't. 247
Trin. Monster, come, put some lime upon
your fingers, and away with the rest.
Cal. I will have none on 't: we shall lose our time,
And all be turn'd to barnacles, or to apes
With foreheads villainous low. 252
Ste. 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.
Trin. And this. 256
Ste. Ay, and this.
Pro. Hey, Mountain, hey!
Ari. Silver! there it goes, Silver!
Pro. Fury, Fury! there, Tyrant, there! hark, hark! 260
[Cal., Ste., and Trin. 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.
Ari. Hark! they roar. 264
Pro. 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, 268
Follow, and do me service. Exeunt.
Footnotes to Act IV
Scene One
3 third; cf. n.
7 strangely: remarkably well
16 sanctimonious: sacred
18 aspersion: dew of blessing
37 rabble: band [of 'meaner fellows']
41 vanity: illusion
43 twink: twinkling
47 mop: grimace, mock (?)
56 liver: the supposed seat of the passions
57 corollary: surplus
58 pertly: briskly
59 S. d. Enter Iris; cf. n.
63 stover: fodder
64 pioned and twilled; cf. n.
68 pole-clipt vineyard: one in which the vines cling to poles
71 watery arch: rainbow
74 amain: at full speed
81 bosky: bushy
85 freely: liberally
estate: bestow
89 Dis; cf. n.
98 minion: favorite
110 foison: harvest
114, 115 Cf. n.
123 wonder'd: wonder-working
128 windring: winding (?)
130 crisp: rippling
138 footing: dancing
142 avoid: away!
144 works: affects
145 distemper'd: abnormal
146 sort: way
156 rack: cloud
164 with a thought: quick as thought
167 presented: impersonated
180 goss: gorse
187 stale: decoy
193 line: lime-tree
198 Jack: knave
206 hoodwink: blind you to
223 king Stephano; cf. n.
228 frippery: place for the sale of old clothing
238 jerkin, etc.; cf. n.
246 pass of pate: sally of wit
248 lime: bird-lime
251 barnacles; cf. n.