And, like this infubftantial pageant faded, If thou be pleas'd, retire into my cell, And there repofe; a turn or two I'll walk, Fer. Mira. We wish your peace. [Exe. Fer. and Mir. Ariel, come. Profpero comes forward from the Cell; enter Ariel to him. Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to; what's thy pleasure? Pro. Spirit, We must prepare to meet with Caliban. (27) Sir, I am vext; Bear with my Weakness, my old Brain is troubled:] There is the Appearance of fomething very extraordinary, in this great Emotion of Anger fo discoverable in the Behaviour of Profpero, on the fuddain Recollection of Caliban's Plot: And the admirable Reflection, which he makes, upon the Infignificancy of human Things, fully fhews it: For thinking Men are never under greater Oppreffion of Mind, than when they make fuch kind of Reflections. And yet, if we turn to the Cause of this Disturbance, there is Nothing that one could imagine, at first View, could occafion it: The Plot of a contemptible Savage, and two drunken Sailors, whom he had abfolutely in his Power! It could be no Apprehenfion of Danger then, that could cause it. But, reflecting more attentively, we shall find, (agreeably to our Poet's wonderful knowledge of Nature,) there was fomething in the Cafe, with which great Minds are most deeply affected; and that is, the Refentment of Ingratitude. He recall'd to his Mind the Obligations this Caliban lay under for the Inftructions he had receiv'd from him, and the Conveniences of Life he had taught him to use. But these Reflections of Caliban's Ingratitude would naturally recall to mind his Brother's: and then these two, working together, were very capable of producing all the Disorder of Paffion here reprefented. That these Two, who had receiv'd at his hands the two beft Gifts that Mortals are capable of, when rightly apply'd, Regal Power and the Use of Reason; that Thefe, in return, fhould confpire against the Life of the Donor, would certainly afflict a generous Mind to its utmoft Bearing. As thefe Reflections do fo much Honour to that surprizing Knowledge of human Nature, which is fo apparently our Author's Masterpiece, it cannot, fure, be thought unneceifary to fet them in a proper Light. Mr. Warburton. Ari. Ay, my commander; when I prefented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd, Left I might anger thee. Pro. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets? Ari. I told you, Sir, they were red hot with drinking; So full of valour, that they fmote the air For breathing in their faces; beat the ground Pro. This was well done, my bird; The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither, Ari. I go, I go. [Exit. Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature Nurture can never ftick; on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all, all loft, quite loft; And, as with age, his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers; I will plague them all, Even to roaring: come, hang them on this line. [Profpero remains invifible. Enter Ariel loaden with gliftering apparel, &c. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet. Cal. Pray you, tread foftly, that the blind mole may not Hear a foot fall; we now are near his cell. Ste. Monster, your Fairy, which you fay is a harmlefs Fairy, has done little better than plaid the Jack with us. Trin. Monster, I do fmell all horfe-pifs, at which my nofe is in great indignation. Ste. Ste. So is mine: do you hear, monster? if I fhould take a displeasure against you; look you Trin. Thou wert but a loft monfter. Cal. Good my lord, give me thy favour still: Be patient, for the prize, I'll bring thee to, Shall hood-wink this mifchance; therefore, speak foftly; All's husht as midnight yet. Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool, Ste. There is not only difgrace and dishonour in that, monster, but an infinite lofs. Trin. That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your harmless Fairy, monster. Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er cars for my labour. Cal. Pr'ythee, my King, be quiet: feeft thou here, This is the mouth o' th' cell; no noife, and enter; Do that good mischief, which may make this Island Thine own for ever; and I, thy Caliban, For ay thy foot-licker. Ste. Give me thy hand; I do begin to have bloody thoughts. Trin. O King Stephano! O Peer! O worthy Stephano! Look, what a wardrobe here is for thee! Cal. Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash. Trin. Oh, oh, monfter; we know what belongs to a frippery; -O, King Stephano! Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown. Trin. Thy grace fhall have it. Cal. The dropfie drown this fool! what do you mean, To doat thus on fuch luggage? let's along, And do the murder firft: if he awake, From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches ; Make us ftrange stuff. Ste. Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair, and prove a bald jerkin. Trin. Do, do; we steal by line and level, and't like your Grace. Ste. Ste. I thank thee for that jeft, here's a garment for't: wit fhall not go unrewarded, while I am King of this country: fteal by line and level, is an excellent pafs of pate; there's another garment for't. Trin. Monster, come, put fome lime upon your fingers, and away with the reft. Cal. I will have none on't; we shall lose our time, And all be turn'd to barnacles, or apes With foreheads villanous low. Ste. Monster, lay to your fingers; help to bear this away, where my hogfhead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my kingdom; go to, carry this. Trin. And this. Ste. Ay, and this. A noife of hunters heard. Enter divers fpirits in shape of bounds, bunting them about; Profpero and Ariel fetting them on. Calib. Steph. and Trinc. driven out, roaring. Pro. Hey, Mountain, hey. Ari. Silver; there it goes, Silver. Pro. Fury, Fury; there, Tyrant, there; hark, hark; Go, charge my goblins that they grind their joints With dry convulfions; fhorten up their finews With aged cramps; and more pinch-spotted make them, Than pard, or cat o' mountain. Ari. Hark, they roar. Pro. Let them be hunted foundly. At this hour Lye at my mercy all mine enemies: Shortly fhall all my labours end, and thou [Exeunt. АСТ A CTV. SCENE, before the Cell. Enter Profpero in his magick robes, and Ariel N PROSPER O. OW does my project gather to a head; My charms crack not; my spirits obey, and time Goes upright with his carriage: how's the Day? Ari. On the fixth hour, at which time, my lord, You faid, our work fhould cease. Pro. I did fay so, When first I rais'd the tempeft; fay, my fpirit, Ari. Confin'd In the fame fashion as you gave in charge; Pro. Do'st thou think fo, fpirit? Ari. Mine would, Sir, were I human. Pro. And mine fhall. Haft thou, which art but air, a touch, a feeling Paffion |