TPTT The Tempest: ACT IV
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.
ACT V
About the Play
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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
5     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,
10    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
15    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
20    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
25    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
30    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.
35    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
40    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,
45    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,'
50    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
55    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
60    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,
65    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,
70    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,
75    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,
80    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;
85    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
90    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,
95    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
100   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,
105   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
110   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
115   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
120   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
125   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
130   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;
135   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,
140   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:
145   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
150   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
155   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
160   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
165   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
170   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:
175   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
180   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,
185   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
190   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,
195   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
200   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:
205   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,
210   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
215   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
220   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
225   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
230   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
235   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,
240   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
245   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
250   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
255   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
260   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
265   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
270   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
275   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
280   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
285   Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little
      Follow, and do me service.
Exeunt
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