not where to hide my head: yond fame cloud cannot chufe but fall by pailfuls-What have we here, a man or a fifh! dead or alive? a fish? he fmells like a fish a very ancient and fish-like smell. A kind of, not of the newest, Poor John: a ftrange fifh! Were I in England now, as once I was, and had but this fish. painted, not an holy-day- fool there but would give a piece of filver. There would this monfter make a man; any strange beast there makes a man; when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to fee a dead Indian. Legg'd like a man! and his fins like arms! warm, o' my troth! I do now let loose my opinion, hold it no longer, this is no fish, but an islander that hath lately fuffer'd by a thunder-bolt. Alas! the ftorm is come again. My beft way is to creep under his gaberdine: there is no other shelter hereabout; mifery acquaints a man with ftrange bed-fellows: I will here fhroud, 'till the dregs of the ftorm be past. Enter Stephano, finging. Ste. Ifball no more to fea, to fea, here fhall I die a fhore. This is a very fcurvy tune to fing at a man's funeral; well, here's my comfort. [Drinks. Sings. The mafter, the fwabber, the boatfwain and I,. The gunner, and his mate, Lov'd Mall, Meg, and Marrian, and Margery, But none of us car'd for Kate; For fhe had a tongue with a tang, She lov'd not the favour of tar nor of pitch, This is a fcurvy tune too: but here's my comfort. [Drinks. Ste. What's the matter? have we devils here? do you put tricks upon's with favages, and men of Inde? ha? I have not fcap'd drowning, to be afraid now of your four legs; for it hath been faid, as proper a man, as as ever went upon four legs, cannot make him give ground; and it fhall be faid fo again, while Stephano breathes at his noftrils. Cal. The fpirit torments me, oh! Ste. This is fome monster of the ifle with four legs, who has got, as I take it, an ague: where the devil fhould he learn our language? I will give him fome relief, if it be but for that: if I can recover him, and keep him tame, and get to Naples with him, he's a prefent for any Emperor that ever trod on neats-leather. Cal. Do not torment me, prythee; I'll bring my wood home fafter. Ste. He's in his fit now; and does not talk after the wifeft: he fhall tafte of my bottle. If he never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit; if I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much for him; he fhall pay for him, that hath him, and that foundly. Cal. Thou doft me yet but little hurt; thou wilt, anon, I know it, by thy trembling: now Profper works upon thee. Ste. Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is that which will give language to you, cat: open your mouth; this will shake your fhaking, I can tell you, and that foundly: you cannot tell who's your friend; open your chaps again. Trin. I fhould know that voice: it fhould be- but he is drown'd; and these are devils; O! defend me,Ste. Four legs and two voices; a moft delicate monfter! (17) his forward voice now is to speak well of his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul fpeeches, and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle wilk (17) His forward voice new is to speak well of his friend. The facetious Author of Hudibras feems to have had this paffage in eye, in one part of his defcription of Fame. Tuo trumpets the doth found at once,. But both of clean contrary tones, recover recover him, I will help his ague: come! Amen ! I will pour fome in thy other mouth. Trin. Stephano, Ste. Doth thy other mouth call me? mercy! mercy! this is a devil, and no monster: I will leave him; I have no long spoon. Trin. Stephang! If thou be'ft Stephano, touch me, and fpeak to me; for I am Trinculo; be not afraid, thy good friend Trinculo. Ste. If thou beeft Trinculo, come forth, I'll pull thee by the leffer legs: if any be Trinculo's legs, thefe are they. Thou art very Trinculo, indeed: how cam'ft thou to be the fiege of this moon-calf? can he vent Trinculos! Trin. I took him to be kill'd with a thunder-ftroke :: but art thou not drown'd, Stephano? I hope now, thou art not drown'd: is the ftorm over-blown? I hid me under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine, for fear of the ftorm and art thou living, Stephano! O Stephano, two Neapolitans 'fcap'd! Ste. Pr'ythee, do not turn me about, my stomach is not conftant. Cal. These be fine things, an if they be not sprights; that's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor: I will kneel to him: Ste. How didft thou fcape? how cam'ft thou hither? fwear, by this bottle, now thou cam'ft hither: I escap'd apon a butt of fack, which the failors heav'd over-board, by this bottle! which I made of the bark of a tree, with mine own hands, fince I was caft a-shore. Cal. I'll fwear upon that bottle, to be thy true fubject; for the liquor is not earthly. Ste. Here: fwear then, how efcaped'st thou.. Trin. Swom a-fhore, man, like a duck; I can fwim like a duck, I'll be fworn. Ste. Here, kifs the book. Though thou canst swim like a duck, thou art made like a goofe. Trin. O Stephano, haft any more of this? Ste. The whole butt, man; my cellar is in a rock by th' fea-fide, where my wine is hid. How now, mooncalf, how does thine ague ? Cal Cal. Haft thou not dropt from heav'n? Ste. Out o' th' moor, I do affure thee. I was the man in th' moon, when time was. Cal. I have feen thee in her; and I do adore thee: my mistress fhew'd me thee, and thy dog and thy bush. Ste. Come, fwear to that; kifs the book: I will furnish it anon with new contents: fwear. Trin. By this good light, this is a very shallow monfter: (18) I afraid of him? a very fhallow monster: the man i' th' moon?-- a most poor credulous monster : well drawn, monster, in good footh. Cal. I'll fhew thee every fertile inch o' th' ifle, and I will kifs thy foot: I pry'thee, be my god. Trin. By this light; a moft perfidious and drunken monster; when his god's afleep, he'll rob his bottle. Cal. I'll kifs thy foot. I'll fwear myfelf thy fubject. Ste. Come on then; down, and fwear. Trin. I fhall laugh myself to death at this puppyheaded monfter: a moft fcurvy monster! I could find in my heart to beat him Ste. Come, kifs. Trin. But that the poor monster's in drink: an abominable monster! Cal. I'll fhew thee the beft fprings; I'll pluck thee berries, I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough. A plague upon the tyrant that I ferve! I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee, Thou wond'rous man. of Trin. A most ridiculous monfter, to make a wonder, a poor drunkard. -]. It is to be (18) I afraid of him? a very fhallow monfter! obferv'd, Trinculo is not charged with any fear of Caliban; and therefore this feems to come in abruptly; but in this confifts the true humour. His own confcioufnefs, that he had been terribly afraid of him, after the fright was over, drew out this brag. This feems to be one of Shakespeare's fine touches of nature: for that Trinculo had. been horribly frighten'd at the monster, and fhook with fear of him, while he lay under his gaberdine, is plain, from what Caliban fays, while he is lying there? Thou doft me yet but little harm; thou wilt anon, I know by thy trembling. Cal. Cal. I pr'ythee, let me bring thee where crabs grow; And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts; Shew thee a jay's neft, and inftruct thee how To fnare the nimble marmazet; I'll bring thee To cluft'ring filberds, and fometimes I'll get thee (19) Young fhamois from the rock. Wilt thou go with me? Ste. I pr'ythee now, lead the way without any more talking. Trinculo, the King and all our Company elfe being drown'd, we will inherit here. Here, bear my bottle; fellow Trinculo, we'll fill him by and by again. Cal. [Sings drunkenly.] Farewel, mafter; farewel, farewel. Trin. A howling monfter; a drunken monfter. Nor scrape trencher, nor wash dish, Has a new master, get a new man. Freedom, hey-day! hey-day, freedom! freedom, heyday, freedom! Ste. O brave monster, lead the way. [Exeunt. (19) Young fcamels from the rock.] I can no where elfe meet with fuch a word as fcamel, which has poffefs'd all the editions. Shakespeare muft certainly either have wrote fhamois (as Mr. Warburton and I have both conjectur'd) i. e. young kids: or fea-malls. The fea-mall, or fea-mell, or fea-mew (according to Willoughby,) is that bird, which is call'd larus cinereus minor; it feeds upon fifh, and frequents the banks of lakes. It is not impoffible, but our Poet might here intend this bird. Or, again, (and which comes near to scamel, in the traces of the letters.) Ray tells us of another bird, called the flannel, the fame with the tinnunculus among the Latins, and xey xpis amongst the Greeks: of the baruk fpecies. It is no matter which of the three readings we embrace, so we take a word fignifying the name of fomething in nature. ACT |