Tempest (1918) Yale/Text/Act III
ACT THIRD
Scene One
[Before Prospero's Cell]
Enter Ferdinand, bearing a log.
Fer. There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task 4
Would be as heavy to me as odious; but
The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead
And makes my labours pleasures: O! she is 7
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's compos'd of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress
Weeps when she sees me work, and says such baseness 12
Had never like executor. I forget:
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,
Most busy lest, when I do it.
Enter Miranda; and Prospero [at a distance].
Mira. Alas! now, pray you,
Work not so hard: I would the lightning had 16
Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile!
Pray, set it down and rest you: when this burns,
'Twill weep for having wearied you. My father
Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself: 20
He's safe for these three hours.
Fer. O most dear mistress,
The sun will set, before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.
Mira. If you'll sit down,
I'll bear your logs the while. Pray, give me that; 24
I'll carry it to the pile.
Fer. No, precious creature:
I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,
While I sit lazy by.
Mira. It would become me 28
As well as it does you: and I should do it
With much more ease; for my good will is to it,
And yours it is against.
Pro. Poor worm! thou art infected:
This visitation shows it.
Mira. You look wearily. 32
Fer. No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me
When you are by at night. I do beseech you—
Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers—
What is your name?
Mira. Miranda.—O my father! 36
I have broke your hest to say so.
Fer. Admir'd Miranda!
Indeed, the top of admiration; worth
What’s dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have ey'd with best regard, and many a time 40
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues
Have I lik'd several women; never any
With so full soul but some defect in her 44
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd,
And put it to the foil: but you, O you!
So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best.
Mira. I do not know 48
One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men than you, good friend,
And my dear father: how features are abroad, 52
I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,—
The jewel in my dower,—I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you;
Nor can imagination form a shape, 56
Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle
Something too wildly and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.
Fer. I am in my condition
A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;— 60
I would not so!—and would no more endure
This wooden slavery than to suffer
The flesh-fly blow my mouth.—Hear my soul speak:—
The very instant that I saw you, did 64
My heart fly to your service; there resides,
To make me slave to it; and for your sake
Am I this patient log-man.
Mira. Do you love me?
Fer. O heaven! O earth! bear witness to this sound, 68
And crown what I profess with kind event
If I speak true: if hollowly, invert;
What best is boded me to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i' the world, 72
Do love, prize, honour you.
Mira. I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.
Pro. Fair encounter
Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between them!
Fer. Wherefore weep you? 76
Mira. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer
What I desire to give; and much less take
What I shall die to want. But this is trifling;
And all the more it seeks to hide itself 80
The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow 84
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant
Whether you will or no.
Fer. My mistress, dearest;
And I thus humble ever.
Mira. My husband then?
Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing 88
As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.
Mira. And mine, with my heart in 't: and now farewell
Till half an hour hence.
Fer. A thousand thousand!
Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, 92
Who are surpris'd withal; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I'll to my book;
For yet, ere supper time, must I perform
Much business appertaining. Exit.
Scene Two
[Another Part of the Island]
Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.
Ste. Tell not me:—when the butt is out, we
will drink water; not a drop before: therefore
bear up, and board 'em.—Servant-monster, drink
to me. 4
Trin. Servant-monster! the folly of this
island! They say there's but five upon this isle:
we are three of them; if th' other two be brained
like us, the state totters. 8
Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee:
thy eyes are almost set in thy head.
Trin. Where should they be set else? he
were a brave monster indeed, if they were set
in his tail. 13
Ste. My man-monster hath drowned his tongue
in sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown
me; I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-
and-thirty leagues, off and on, by this light.
Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my
standard. 19
Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no
standard.
Ste. We'll not run, Monsieur monster.
Trin. Nor go neither: but you'll lie, like
dogs; and yet say nothing neither. 24
Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou
beest a good moon-calf.
Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy
shoe. I'll not serve him, he is not valiant. 28
Trin. Thou liest, most ignorant monster:
I am in case to justle a constable. Why, thou
deboshed fish thou, was there ever a man a
coward that hath drunk so much sack as I
to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being
but half a fish and half a monster?
Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let
him, my lord? 36
Trin. 'Lord,' quoth he!—that a monster
should be such a natural!
Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I
prithee. 40
Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your
head: if you prove a mutineer, the next tree!
The poor monster's my subject, and he shall
not suffer indignity. 44
Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas'd
To hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?
Ste. Marry, will I; kneel, and repeat it: I will
stand, and so shall Trinculo. 48
Enter Ariel, invisible.
Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a
tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath
cheated me of the island.
Ari. Thou liest. 52
Cal. Thou liest, thou jesting monkey thou;
I would my valiant master would destroy thee;
I do not lie.
Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in
his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of
your teeth. 58
Trin. Why, I said nothing.
Ste. Mum then and no more—[To Cali-
ban.] Proceed.
Cal. I say, by sorcery he got this isle;
From me he got it: if thy greatness will,
Revenge it on him,—for, I know, thou dar'st;
But this thing dare not,— 65
Ste. That's most certain.
Cal. Thou shalt be lord of it and I'll serve thee.
Ste. How now shall this be compassed? Canst
thou bring me to the party? 69
Cal. Yea, yea, my lord: I'll yield him thee asleep,
Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head.
Ari. Thou liest; thou canst not. 72
Cal. What a pied ninny's this! Thou scurvy patch!—
I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows,
And take his bottle from him: when that's gone
He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not show him 76
Where the quick freshes are.
Ste. Trinculo, run into no further danger: in-
terrupt the monster one word further, and, by
this hand, I'll turn my mercy out o' doors and
make a stock-fish of thee. 81
Trin. Why, what did I? I did nothing. I'll
go farther off.
Ste. Didst thou not say he lied? 84
Ari. Thou liest.
Ste. Do I so? take thou that. [Strikes Trin.]
As you like this, give me the lie another time.
Trin. I did not give thee the lie:—Out
o' your wits and hearing too?—A pox o' your
bottle! this can sack and drinking do—A mur-
rain on your monster, and the devil take your
fingers! 92
Cal. Ha, ha, ha!
Ste. Now, forward with your tale.—Prithee
stand further off.
Cal. Beat him enough: after a little time 96
I'll beat him too.
Ste. Stand farther.—Come, proceed.
Cal. Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him
I' the afternoon to sleep: there thou may'st brain him,
Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log 100
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his wezand with thy knife. Remember
First to possess his books; for without them
He's but a sot, as I am, nor hath not 104
One spirit to command: they all do hate him
As rootedly as I. Burn but his books;
He has brave utensils,—for so he calls them,—
Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal:
And that most deeply to consider is 109
The beauty of his daughter; he himself
Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman,
But only Sycorax my dam and she; 112
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax
As great'st does least.
Ste. Is it so brave a lass?
Cal. Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant,
And bring thee forth brave brood. 116
Ste. Monster, I will kill this man: his daugh-
ter and I will be king and queen,—save our
graces! and Trinculo and thyself shall be vice-
roys. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo? 120
Trin. Excellent.
Ste. Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat
thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue
in thy head. 124
Cal. Within this half hour will he be asleep;
Wilt thou destroy him then?
Ste. Ay, on mine honour.
Ari. This will I tell my master.
Cal. Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of pleasure. 128
Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch
You taught me but while-ere?
Ste. At thy request, monster, I will do reason,
any reason: Come on, Trinculo, let us sing. 132
'Flout 'em, and scout 'em,
And scout 'em, and flout 'em;
Thought is free.'
Cal. That's not the tune.
Ariel plays the tune on a Tabor and Pipe.
Ste. What is this same? 136
Trin. This is the tune of our catch, played by
the picture of Nobody.
Ste. If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy
likeness: if thou beest a devil, take 't as thou
list. 141
Trin. O, forgive me my sins!
Ste. He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee.
—Mercy upon us! 144
Cal. Art thou afeard?
Ste. No, monster, not I.
Cal. Be not afeard: the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. 148
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches 153
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I wak'd,
I cried to dream again.
Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me
where I shall have my music for nothing.
Cal. When Prospero is destroyed.
Ste. That shall be by and by: I remember
the story. 160
Trin. The sound is going away: let's follow
it, and after do our work.
Ste. Lead, monster; we'll follow.—I would I
could see this taborer! he lays it on. Wilt come?
Trin. I'll follow, Stephano. Exeunt.
Scene Three
[Another Part of the Island]
Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others.
Gon. By'r lakin, I can go no further, sir;
My old bones ache: here's a maze trod indeed,
Through forth-rights, and meanders! by your patience,
I needs must rest me.
Alon. Old lord, I cannot blame thee, 4
Who am myself attach'd with weariness,
To the dulling of my spirits: sit down, and rest.
Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it
No longer for my flatterer: he is drown'd 8
Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.
Ant. [Aside to Seb.] I am right glad that he's so out of hope.
Do not, for one repulse, forgo the purpose 12
That you resolv'd to effect.
Seb. [Aside to Ant.] The next advantage
Will we take throughly.
Ant. [Aside to Seb.] Let it be to-night;
For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance 16
As when they are fresh.
Seb. [Aside to Ant.] I say to-night: no more.
Alon. What harmony is this? my good friends, hark!
Gon. Marvellous sweet music!
Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these? 20
Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe
That there are unicorns; that in Arabia
There is one tree, the phœnix' throne; one phœnix
At this hour reigning there.
Ant. I'll believe both; 24
And what does else want credit, come to me,
And I'll be sworn 'tis true: travellers ne'er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn them.
Gon. If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say I saw such islanders — 29
For, certes, these are people of the island,—
Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,
Their manners are more gentle-kind than of 32
Our human generation you shall find
Many, nay, almost any.
Pro. [Aside.] Honest lord,
Thou hast said well; for some of you there present
Are worse than devils.
Alon. I cannot too much muse 36
Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing,—
Although they want the use of tongue,—a kind
Of excellent dumb discourse.
Pro. [Aside.] Praise in departing.
Fran. They vanish'd strangely.
Seb. No matter, since 40
They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.—
Will 't please you to taste of what is here?
Alon. Not I.
Gon. Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys,
Who would believe that there were mountaineers 44
Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men
Whose beads stood in their breasts? which now we find
Each putter-out of five for one will bring us 48
Good warrant of.
Alon. I will stand to and feed,
Although my last; no matter, since I feel
The best is past—Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand to and do as we. 52
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 55
Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island
Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;
[Seeing Alon., Seb., &c., draw their swords.]
And even with such-like valour men hang and drown
Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows 60
Are ministers of fate: the elements
Of whom your swords are temper'd may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish 64
One dowle that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers
Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted. But, remember,— 68
For that's my business to you,—that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed 72
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce, by me, 76
Lingering perdition,—worse than any death
Can be at once,—shall step by step attend
You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from— 79
Which here in this most desolate isle, else falls
Upon your heads,—is nothing but heart-sorrow
And a clear life ensuing.
Pro. Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou
Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated 85
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life
And observations strange, my meaner ministers
Their several kinds have done. My high charms work, 88
And these mine enemies are all knit up
In their distractions: they now are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, while I visit
Young Ferdinand,—whom they suppose is drown'd,— 92
And his and mine lov'd darling. '[Exit above.]
Gon. I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you
In this strange stare?
Alon. O, it is monstrous! monstrous!
Methought the billows spoke and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd
The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.
Therefore my son i' th' ooze is bedded; and 100
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded,
And with him there lie mudded. Exit.
Seb. But one fiend at a time,
I'll fight their legions o'er.
Ant. I'll be thy second.
Gon. All three of them are desperate; their great guilt, 104
Like poison given to work a great time after,
Now 'gins to bite the spirits.—I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly
And hinder them from what this ecstasy 108
May now provoke them to.
Adr. Follow, I pray you. Exeunt omnes.
Footnotes to Act III
Scene One
2 sets off: makes attractive
15 busy lest, when I do it; cf. n.
32 visitation: sudden affliction (with pun on the meaning 'visit')
42 several: various
46 put . . . foil: defeated
53 skilless: ignorant
58 Something: somewhat
59 condition: rank
70 invert: transform
84 fellow: companion
89 bondage: one in bondage
93 withal: thereby
94 book: book of magic
Scene Two
3 bear up: approach
10 set: fixed in a stare
19 standard: standard-bearer
20 no standard: i.e., cannot stand
23 go: walk
30 in case: in a condition
38 natural: idiot
73 pied: motley
patch: fool
77 quick: gushing
freshes: springs
81 stock-fish: dried cod
102 wezand: windpipe
104 sot: fool
129 catch: part-song
130 while-ere: recently
131 reason: the reasonable thing
135 S. d. Tabor: a small drum
147 noises: sweet sounds
Scene Three
1 By'r lakin: diminutive of 'by our Lady'
3 forth-rights: straight paths
meanders: winding paths
5 attach'd: attacked
14 throughly: thoroughly
17 S. d. top; cf. n.
21 drollery: puppet-show
30 certes: certainly
36 muse: wonder at
39 Praise in departing; cf. n.
45 Dew-lapp'd; cf. n.
48 putter-out . . . one: insured voyager
54 to: as
60 proper: own
65 dowle: softest feather
66 like: similarly
71 requit: requited
82 S. d. mows: grimaces
86 good life: lifelike art
87 observations strange: rare observance
88 kinds: parts, rôles
99 bass my trespass: proclaimed my sin in bass notes
108 ecstasy: madness