it to minister occasion to these gentlemen, who are of such sensible and nimble lungs, that they always use to laugh at nothing. Ant. "Twas you we laugh'd at. Gon. Who, in this kind of merry fooling, am nothing to you: so you may continue, and laugh at nothing still. Ant. What a blow was there given! Seb. An it had not fallen flat-long. Gon. You are gentlemen of brave mettle: you would lift the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue in it five weeks without changing. Enter ARIEL invisible, playing solemn music. Seb. We would so, and then go a bat-fowling. Ant. Nay, good my lord, be not angry. Gon. No, I warrant you; I will not adventure my discretion so weakly. Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very heavy? Ant. Go sleep, and hear us. [All sleep but ALON. SEB. and ANT. Alon. What! all so soon asleep? I wish mine eyes Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find, They are inclin❜d to do so. Seb. Please you, sir, Do not omit the heavy offer of it: It seldom visits sorrow; when it doth, It is a comforter. Ant. We two, my lord, Will guard your person, while you take your rest, And watch your safety. Alon. Thank you: Wondrous heavy. [ALONZO sleeps. Exit ARIEL. Seb. What a strange drowsiness possesses them! Doth it not then our eye-lids sink? Myself dispos'd to sleep. Why I find not Ant. Nor I: my spirits are nimble. 13 What might Worthy Sebastian ! -O, what might ! — No more: And yet, methinks, I see it in thy face, What thou should'st be: The occasion speaks thee; and My strong imagination sees a crown Dropping upon thy head. Seb. What! art thou waking? I do; and, surely, Ant. Do you not hear me speak? Seb. It is a sleepy language; and thou speak'st Out of thy sleep: What is it thou didst say? With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving, Ant. Noble Sebastian, Thou let'st thy fortune sleep - Seb. die rather; wink'st Thou dost snore distinctly: There's meaning in thy snores. Ant. I am more serious than my custom: you Must be so too, if heed me; which to do, 14 i. e. makes thee three times what thou art now. H. Seb. Hereditary sloth instructs thee. Ant. O! Do so to ebb, If you but knew how you the purpose cherish, 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 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, is What great hope have you! no hope, that way, Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond, But doubts discovery there. Will you grant, with Ant. She that is queen of Tunis; she that dwells Ten leagues beyond man's life; she that from Naples Can have no note, 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,15 to perform an act, Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come, In yours and my discharge.16 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 this Gonzalo; I myself could make A chough" of as deep chat. O, that you bore For your advancement! Do you understand me? Ant. And how does your content Tender your own good fortune? H. 15 i. e. by their being cast ashore again. 16 This passage has given commentators a fine opportunity of showing their superiority to the Poet in the knowledge of geography. But, besides that in Shakespeare's time a voyage from Milan to Tunis was not so easy as it has been since, could they not see that he purposely makes Antonio exaggerate the distance, to persuade Sebastian into his plans? So that in showing their knowledge of what the Poet did not aim at, they but showed their ignorance of his proper business. As usual. 17 A chough is a bird of the jackdaw kind. H. Seb. I remember, You did supplant your brother Prospero. Ant. True: And look how well my garments sit upon me; Seb. But, for 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, Seb. Thy case, dear friend, Shall be my precedent: as thou got'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. Ant. Draw together: And when I rear my hand, do you the like, Seb. O! but one word. [They converse apart. 18 Suggestion is frequently used in the sense of temptation, or seduction, by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. |