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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.

Ste. Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen; (save our graces!) and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo?

Trin. Excellent.

Ste. Give me thy hand. I am sorry I beat thee: but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.

Cal. Within this half hour will he be asleep; Wilt thou destroy him then?

Ste.

Ay, on mine honor.

Ari. This will I tell my master.

Cal. Thou makest me merry: I am full of plea

sure.

Let us be jocund. Will you troll1 the catch

You taught me but while-ere ? 2

Ste. At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason: Come on, Trinculo; let us sing.

[sings.

Flout 'em, and skout 'em; and skout 'em, and flout 'em ; Thought is free.

Cal. That's not the tune.

[Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe.

1 Sing with spirit, dismiss it trippingly from the tongue.

2 A short time since.

Ste. What is this same ?

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. Trin. O, forgive me my sins!

Ste. He that dies, pays all debts: I defy thee. Mercy upon us!

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.

Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices, That, if I then had waked after long sleep,

Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds, methought, would open, and show riches

Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,

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.

:

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.

Trin. Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Another part of the island.

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others.

Gon. By 'r lakin,1 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,

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,

Whom thus we stray to find;

Our frustrate search on land.

and the sea mocks

Well, let him go.

Ant. I am right glad that he's so out of hope.

[aside to Sebastian.

Do not, for one repulse, forego the

That you resolved to effect.

Seb.

purpose

The next advantage

Let it be to-night;

Will we take thoroughly.

Ant.

For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they

Will not nor cannot use such vigilance,

As when they are fresh.

1 By our lady. 2 Through straight and crooked paths.

Seb.

I say, to night: no more.

Solemn and strange music; and Prospero above, invisible. Enter several strange shapes, bringing in a banquet: they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the king, &c. to eat, they depart.

Alon. What harmony is this? my good friends, hark!

Gon. Marvellous sweet music!

Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were

these?

Seb. A living drollery.1

Now I will believe,

That there are unicorns; that, in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix At this hour reigning there.

Ant.

I'll believe both;

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,

(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

Our human generation you shall find

Many, nay, almost any.

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Thou hast said well; for some of you there present, Are worse than devils.

Alon.

I cannot too much muse,1

[aside.

Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, ex

pressing

(Although they want the use of tongue) a kind

Of excellent dumb discourse.

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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? 2 which now we find,

Each putter out of one for five will bring us
Good warrant of.

Alon.

I will stand to, and feed,

Although my last: no matter, since I feel

1 Wonder.

2 The Blemmyi have no heads, but mouth and eyes in their breasts.'-Plin. Hist. Nat. book vi. chap. 8.

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