Alon. I will ftand to, and feed,

Although my laft; no matter, fince I feel
The bet is paft. Brother, my Lord the Duke,
Stand to, and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy, claps bis wings upon the table, and with a queint device the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of fin, whom destiny
(That hath to inftrument this lower world,
And what is in't) the never-furfeited fea

Hath caufed to belch up; and on this Ifland (23)
Where man doth not inhabit, you 'mongst men
Being moft unfit to live. I have made you mad:
And ev'n with fuch like valour men hang and drown
Their proper
felves. You fools! I and my fellows
Are minifters of fate; the elements,

Of whom your fwords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemockt-at ftabs
Kill the still-clofing waters, as diminish

One down that's in my plume: my fellow-minifters

I do intend, this year, of Jubilee coming on, to travel: And (becaufe I will not altogether go ufon expence,) I am determin'd to put forth fome five thousand pound, to be paid me five for one, upon the return of myself, my wife, and my dog, from the Turk's Court in Conftantinople. If all, or either of us mifcarry in the journey, 'tis gone; if we be fuccessful, why, there will be five and twenty thousand pounds to entertain time withal.

If this was to be the return of the Knight's venture; 'tis obvious, he put out his money on five for one. Ben to heighten the ridicule of thefe projecting voyagers, makes Puntarvelo's wife averfe to accompany him; and fo he is forc'd to put out his venture on the return of himself, his dog, and his cat. Let me conclude with obferving on the different conduct of the two poets. Shakespeare (perhaps, out of a particular deference for Sir W. Raleigh) only fneers thefe adventurous voyagers obliquely, and, as it were, en pallant: The furly Ben, who would be tied up by no such scrupulous regards, dreffes up the fashion in the moft glaring colours of comic bumour; or, rather, brings down his fatire to the level of farcical ridicule.

(23) Hath caus'd to belch you up ;] Thus, the whole set of editions; but 'tis obvious to every reader, that the Grammar's faulty; and therefore I have cur'd it by throwing out you.

Are

Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your fwords are now too maffy for your strengths,
And will not be up-lifted. But remember,
(For that's my bufinefs to you) that you three
From Milan did fupplant good Profpero:
Expos'd unto the fea (which hath requit it)
Him, and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the feas and fhores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace: thee of thy fon, Alonfo,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
Ling'ring perdition, worfe than any death
Can be at once, hall step by step attend

You and your ways; whofe wrath to guard you from, (Which here in this most defolate Ifle elfe falls

Upon your heads,) is nothing but hearts forrow,
And a clear life enfuing.

He vanishes in thunder: then, to foft mufic, Enter the fhapes again, and dance with mops and moves, and carrying out the table.

Pro. Bravely the figure of this harpy haft thou
Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had devouring:
Of my inftruction haft thou nothing bated,
In what thou hadft to fay: fo with good life,
And obfervation ftrange, my meaner minifters
Their feveral kinds have done; my high charms work,
And thefe, mine enemies, are all knit up

In their distractions: they are in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, whilft I vifit
Young Ferdinand, (whom they fuppofe is drown'd,)
And his and my lov'd darling. [Exit Profpero from above.
Gon. I' th' name of fomething holy, Sir, why fland you
In this ftrange ftare ?

Alon. O, it is monstrous! monstrous!

Methoughts, the billows froke, and told me of it; The winds did fing it to me; and the thunder, That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd The name of Profper: it did base my trefpafs. Therefore, my fon i' th' ooze is bedded; and

I'll feek him deeper than e'er plummet founded
And with him there lie mudded.

Seb. But one fiend at a time,

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant. I'll be thy fecond..

[Exit,

[Exeunt,

Gon. All three of them are defperate; their great guilt, Like poifon giv'n to work a great time after, Now 'gins to bite the fpirits. I do befeech you, That are of fuppler joints, follow them fwiftly; And hinder them from what this ecstasy May now provoke them too. Adri. Follow, I pray you.

[Exeunt,

SCENE, Profpero's Cell.

Enter Profpero, Ferdinand, and Miranda,

PROSPERO.

F I have too aufterely punish'd you,

IF

Your compenfation makes amends; for I Have giv'n you here a thread of mine own life; (24)

-for I

Or

(24) Have giv'n you bere a third of my own life,] Thus all the impreffions in general; but why is the only a third of his own life? He had no wife living, nor any other child, to rob her of a fhare in his affection: So that we may reckon her at least half of himself. Nor could he intend, that he lov'd himself twice as much as he did her; for he immediately fubjoins, that it was She for whom be liv’d. In Othello, when Jago alarms the Senator with the lofs of his daughter, he tells him,

Your heart is burst, you have loft half your foul.

And dimidium animæ meæ is the current language on fuch occafions,
There is no room for doubt, but I have reftor'd to the Poet his true
reading; and the thread of life is a phrafe moft frequent with him,
So in K. Henry V.

And let not Bardolfe's vital thread be cut
With edge of penay cord.

* Henry VI.

had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not fo foon decay'd.

2 Henry

Or that, for which I live; whom once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou

Haft ftrangely ftood the teft. Here, afore heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift; O Ferdinand,

Do not fmile at me, that I boaft her off;
For thou fhalt find, the will ourftrip all.praife,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer. I believe it, Against an oracle.

Pro. Then as my gift, and thine own acquifition
Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter. But
If thou dost break her virgin-knot, before
All fanctimonious ceremonies may

With full and holy rite be minifter'd,
No fweet afperfions fhall the heav'ns let fall
To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
Sour-ey'd difdain, and difcord fhall beftrew
The union of your bed with weeds fo loathly,
That you fhall hate it both: therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps fhall light you.

Fer. As I hope

For quiet days, fair iffue, and long life,

With fuch love as 'tis now; the murkieft den,

The most opportune place, the ftrong'st suggestion

Our worfer Genius can, shall never melt

Mine honour into luft; to take away

The edge of that day's celebration,

When I fhall think or Phoebus' fteeds are founder'd,
Or night kept chain'd below.

Pro. Fairly spoke.

Sit then, and talk with her, fhe is thine own.
What, Ariel; my induftrious fervant, Ariel

Enter Ariel.

Ari. What would my potent mafter? here I am.

2. Henry VI. Argo, their thread of life is fpun.

Othello.

I'm glad, thy father's dead;

Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief
Shore his old thread in twain.

• Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your laft fervice Did worthily perform; and I must use you In fuch another trick; go, bring the rabble, O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place: Incite them to quick motion, for I muft Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple Some vanity of mine art; it is my promife, And they expect it from me. Ari. Prefently?

Pro. Ay, with a twink.

Ari. Before you can fay, Come, and go, And breathe twice; and cry, so, so;

Each one, tripping on his toe,

Will be here with mop and mow.

Do you love me, mafter? no?

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel; do not approach, 'Till thou doft here me call.

Ari. Well, I conceive.

[Exit.

Pro. Look, thou be true; do not give dalliance
Too much the rein; the ftrangeft oaths are ftraw
To th' fire i'th' blood: be more abftemious,
Or elfe, good-night, your vow!-

Fer. I warrant you, Sir;

The white, cold, virgin-fnow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pro. Well.

Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary,

Rather than want a fpirit; appear, and pertly.

all eyes; be filent.

No tongue;

A MASQUE.

[To Ferdinand.

[Soft Mufic

Enter Iris.

Iris. Ceres, moft bounteous Lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and peafe; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibling fheep, And flat meads thatch'd with ftover, them to keep; Thy banks with pioned, and tulip'd brims, Which fpungy April at thy heft betrims,

[groves, To make cold nymphs chafte crowns; and thy broomWhofe fhadow the difmiffed batchelor loves,