Fran. They vanish'd strangely. Seb. No matter, since They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs. Will't please you 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 Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men, Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find, Each putter-out of five for one will bring us Good warrant of. Alon. Although my last The best is past. I will stand to and feed, no matter, since I feel Brother, my lord the duke, Stand to, and do as we. 8 A sort of inverted life-insurance was practised by travellers in Shakespeare's time. Before going abroad they put out a sum of money, for which they were to receive two, three, four, or even five times the amount upon their return; the rate being according to the supposed danger of the expedition. Of course the sum put out fell to the depositary, in case the putter-out did not return. Davies has an epigram of some point on this practice: The men, "Lycus, which lately is to Venice gone, whose heads stood in their breasts," were probably the same that Othello speaks of: "The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders." Knight suggests that the report of "mountaineers dew-lapp'd like bulls" may have sprung from some remarkable cases of goitre, seen by travellers, but not understood. H. Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table, and, by a quaint device, the banquet vanishes. 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 Hath caused to belch up, 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 Are ministers of fate: the Elements, Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well One dowle9 that's in my plume: my fellow ministers Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it, 9 Bailey, in his Dictionary, says that dowle is a feather, or rather the single particles of the down. Upon your heads,) is nothing, but heart's sorrow, And a clear life ensuing. He vanishes in thunder: then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes, and carry out the table. Pro. [Aside.] Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: Of my instruction hast thou nothing 'bated, 10 In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life,1o And these, mine enemies, are all knit up In their distractions: they now are in my power; And in these fits I leave them, whilst I visit Young Ferdinand, (whom they suppose is drown'd,) And his and my lov'd darling. [Exit PROSPERO from 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' the ooze is bedded; and I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded. [Exit. 10 With good life, i. e. with full bent and energy of mind. Mr. Henley says that the expression is still in use in the west of England. 11 Like poison given to work a great time after," Adr. 12 Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S Cell. Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA. 11 The natives of Africa have been supposed to possess the secret how to temper poisons with such art as not to operate till several years after they were administered. Their drugs were then as certain in their effect as subtle in their preparation. 12 Shakespeare uses ecstasy for any temporary alienation of mind, a fit, or madness; as in Hamlet: "That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth, and again : "This bodiless creation ecstasy H. 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, For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise, Fer. Against an oracle. I do believe it, Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: But 1 If thou dost break her virgin knot 1 before Fer. 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 sugges Our worser Genius can, shall never melt Mine honour into lust; to take away 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; The same expression occurs in Pericles. Mr. Henley says that it is a manifest allusion to the zones of the ancients, which were worn as guardians of chastity before marriage. 2 Aspersion is here used in its primitive sense of sprinkling: at present it is used in its figurative sense of throwing out hints of calumny and detraction. 3 Suggestion here means temptation or wicked prompting. |