If you but knew how you the purpose cherish,
Whiles thus you mock it! how, in stripping it,
You more invest it 17! Ebbing men, indeed,
Most often do so near the bottom run,

By their own fear, or sloth.

Seb.

Pr'ythee, say on:

The setting of thine eye, and cheek, proclaim
A matter from thee; and a birth, indeed,
Which throes thee much to yield.

Ant.

Thus, sir:

Although this lord of weak remembrance, this (Who shall be of as little memory,

When he is earth'd,) hath here almost persuaded (For he's a spirit of persuasion, only

Professes to persuade) the king, his son's alive; 'Tis as impossible that he's undrown'd,

As he that sleeps here, swims.

Seb.

That he's undrown'd.

Ant.

I have no hope

O, out of that no hope,

What great hope have you! no hope, that way, is
Another way so high an hope, that even
Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond 18,

"It

17 Sebastian introduces the simile of water. It is taken up by Antonio, who says he will teach his stagnant water to flow. has already learned to ebb," says Sebastian. To which Antonio replies-" O, if you but knew how much even that metaphor, which you use in jest, encourages the design which I hint at; how, in stripping it of words of their common meaning, and using them figuratively, you adapt them to your own situation."-Edinburgh Magazine, Nov. 1786.

18 i.e. The utmost extent of the prospect of ambition, the point where the eye can pass no farther.

But doubts discovery there. Will you grant, with me, That Ferdinand is drown'd?

Ant. She that is queen of Tunis; she that dwells Ten leagues beyond man's life; she that from Naples Can have no note 19, unless the sun were post, (The man i' the moon's too slow,) till new-born chins Be rough and razorable: she, from whom

We all were sea-swallow'd, though some cast again;
And, by that destiny, to perform an act,

Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come,
In your's and my discharge 20.

Seb.

What stuff is this?-How say you? 'Tis true, my brother's daughter's queen of Tunis; So is she heir of Naples; 'twixt which regions There is some space.

Ant. A space whose every cubit Seems to cry out, How shall that Claribel Measure us back to Naples?-Keep in Tunis, And let Sebastian wake!-Say, this were death That now hath seiz'd them; why they were no worse Than now they are: There be, that can rule Naples, As well as he that sleeps; lords, that can prate

19 The commentators have treated this as a remarkable instance of Shakspeare's ignorance of Geography, but though the real distance between Naples and Tunis is not so immeasurable; the intercourse in early times between the Neapolitans and the Tunisians was not so frequent as to make it popularly considered less than a formidable voyage; Shakspeare may however be countenanced in his poetical exaggeration, when we remember that Eschylus has placed the river Eridanus in Spain; and that Appolonius Rhodius describes the Rhone and the Po as meeting in one and discharging themselves into the Gulf of Venice.

20 What is past is the prologue to events which are to come; that depends on what you and I are to perform.

As amply, and unnecessarily,

As this Gonzalo; I myself could make

A chough 21 of as deep chat. O, that you bore
The mind that I do! what a sleep were this
For your advancement! Do you understand me?
Seb. Methinks, I do.

True:

Ant.
And, look, how well my garments sit upon me;
Much feater than before: My brother's servants
Were then my fellows, now they are my men.
Seb. But, for
your conscience-

Ant. Ay, sir; where lies that? if it were a kybe,
'Twould put me to my slipper; but I feel not
This deity in my bosom: twenty consciences,
That stand 'twixt me and Milan, candied be they,
And melt, ere they molest! Here lies your brother,
No better than the earth he lies upon,

If he were that which now he's like, that's dead;
Whom I, with this obedient steel, three inches of it,
Can lay to bed for ever: whiles you, doing thus,
To the perpetual wink for aye might put
This ancient morsel, this sir Prudence, who
Should not upbraid our course. For all the rest,
They'll take suggestion 22, as a cat laps milk;
They'll tell the clock to any business that
We say befits the hour.

Seb.

Thy case, dear friend,

21 A chough is a bird of the jackdaw kind.

22 Suggestion is frequently used in the sense of temptation, or seduction, by Shakspeare and his contemporaries. The sense here is that they will adopt and bear witness to any tale that may be dictated to them.

Shall be my precedent; as thou goť❜st Milan,
I'll come by Naples. Draw thy sword: one stroke
Shall free thee from the tribute which thou pay'st;
And I the king shall love thee.

Draw together:

Ant.
And when I rear my hand, do you
To fall it on Gonzalo.

Seb.

the like,

O, but one word.

[They converse apart.

Musick. Re-enter ARIEL, invisible.

Ari. My master through his art foresees the danger That you, his friend, are in; and sends me forth, For else his projects die 23, to keep them living. [Sings in GONZALO's ear.

While you here do snoring lie,

Open-ey'd conspiracy

His time doth take:

If of life you keep a care,
Shake off slumber, and beware:
Awake! awake!

Ant. Then let us both be sudden.

Gon. Now, good angels, preserve the king!

[They wake. Alon. Why, how now, ho! awake! Why are you

drawn?

Wherefore this ghastly looking?

Gon.

What's the matter? Seb. Whiles we stood here securing your repose, Even now, we heard a hollow burst of bellowing Like bulls, or rather lions; did it not wake you? It struck mine ear most terribly.

23 The old copies read " For else his project dies." By the transposition of a letter this passage, which has much puzzled the editors, is rendered more intelligible.-"-to keep them living," relates to projects, and not to Alonzo and Gonzalo, as Steevens and Johnson erroneously supposed.

Alon.

I heard nothing.

Ant. O, 'twas a din to fright a monster's ear; To make an earthquake; sure it was the roar Of a whole herd of lions.

Alon.

Heard you this, Gonzalo? Gon. Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming, And that a strange one too, which did awake me: I shak'd you, sir, and cried; as mine eyes open'd, I saw their weapons drawn:-there was a noise, That's verity: 'Best stand upon our guard; Or that we quit this place: let's draw our weapons. Alon. Lead off this ground; and let's make further search

For

my poor son.

Gon.

Heavens keep him from these beasts!

For he is, sure, i' the island.

Alon.

Lead away.

Ari. Prospero my lord shall know what I have

done:

So, king, go safely on to seek thy son.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. Another part of the Island.

Enter CALIBAN, with a burden of Wood.
A noise of Thunder heard.

Cal. All the infections that the sun sucks up From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me,

And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,
Fright me with urchin shows, pitch me i' the mire,
Nor lead me, like a fire-brand, in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid them; but
For every trifle are they set upon me:

Sometime like apes, that moe1 and chatter at me,
And after, bite me; then like hedge-hogs, which

1 To moe is to make mouths. "To make a moe like an ape. Distorquere os. Rictum deducere."-Baret.