Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your swords are now too maffy for your strengths,
And will not be up-lifted. But remember,
(For that's my business to you) that you three
From Milan did fupplant good Prospero :
Expos’d unto the sea (which hath requit it)
Him, and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the feas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace: thee of thy fon Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
Ling'ring perdition, worse than any death
Can be at once, hall step by step attend
You and your ways; whose wrath to guard you from,
(Which here in this moit desolate Ille else falls
Upon your heads,) is nothing but hearts forrow,
And a clear life ensuing.
He vanishes in thunder : then to soft music enter the
Shapes again, and dance with mops and mowes, 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 instruction halt thou nothing bated, In what thou had it to say: so with good life, And observation strange, my meaner ministers Their several kinds have done; my high charms work, And these, mine enemies, are all knit up In their distractions; they are in my power; And in these fits I leave them, whilft I visit Young Ferdinand, (whom they suppose is drown'd) And his and my lov'd darling. (Exit Prospero from above.
Gon. I'th' name of something holy, Sir, why ftand you In this strange stare ?
Alon. O, it is monstrous ! monstrous! Methoughts, the billows spoke, 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 Prosper : it did base my trespass. Therefore, my son i' th' ooze is bedded; and
171
· I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded.
[Exit. Seb. But one fiend at a time, I'll fight their legions o'er. Ant. I'll be thy second
[Exeunt, Gon. All three of them are desperate; their great guilt, Like poison giv'n to work a great time after, Now 'gins to bite the spirits. I do beseech you, That are of fuppler joints, follow them swiftly; And hinder them from what this ecstasy May now provoke them too. Adri. Follow, I pray you.
[Exeunt.
ACTIV.
SCENE, Profpero's Cell.
Enter Profpero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.“
PROSPERO.
f I have too aufterely punish'd you,
Your compensation makes amends; for I
Have giv’n you here a thread of mine own life; (24)
for I Have giv'n you bere a third of my own life,] Thus all the im. pressions in general; but why is the only a ibird of his own life? He had no wife living, nor any other child, to rob her of a share 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 subjoins, that it was Sbe for whom be liv'd. In Othello, when lago alarms the Senator with the loss of his daughter, he tells him,
Your heart is burst, you have loft balf your soul. And dimidium animæ meæ is the current language on such occasions. There is no room for doubt, but I have restor’d to the Poet his true reading; and the thread of life is a phrase most frequent with him, so in K. I enry V.
And let not Bardo?fe's vital thread be cut
With edge of penny cord.
Henry VI.
had not churchmen pray'd,
His ibread of life had not so soon 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 stood the teft. 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,
And make it halt behind her.
Fer. I believe it,
Against an oracle.
Pro. Then as my gift, and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchas’d, take my daughter. But
If thou doft break her virgin-knot, before
All fanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minister'd,
No sweet aspersions shall the heav'ns let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-ey'd disdain, and discord fall heftrew
The union of your bed with weeds fo loathly,
That
you
fhall hate it both: therefore take heed, As Hymen's lamps shall light you.
Fer. As I hope
For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,
With such love as 'tis now; the murkieft den,
The moft opportune place, the strong'it suggestion
Our worser Genius can, shall never melt
Mine honour into luft; to take away
The edge of that day's celebration,
When I shall think or Phæbus' steeds are founder'd,
Or night kept chain'd below.
Pro. Fairly spoke.
Sit then, and talk with her, she is thine own.
What, Ariel; my industrious servant, Ariel
Enter Ariel.
Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.
2. Henry VI. Argo, their thread of life is spun.
Othello ---I'm, glad, thy father's dead;
Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief
Shore his old broad in twain.
Pro,
Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service Did worthily perform; and I must use you In such another trick; go, bring the rabble, O'er whom I give thce power, here to this place: Incite them to quick motion, for I must Bestow
upon
the
eyes
of this young couple Some vanity of mine art; it is my promise, And they expe&t it from me.
Ari. Presently?
Pro. Ay, with a twink.
Ari. Before you can say, 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 dost here me call. Ari. Well, I conceive.
[Exit.
Pro. Look, thou be true ; do not give dalliance
Too much the rein; the strongest oaths are straw
To th' fire i'th' blood : be more abstemious,
Or else, good-night, your vow! *-
Fer. I warrant you, Sir;
The white, cold, virgin-snow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.
Pro. Well.
Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary,
Rather than want a spirit; appear, and pertly:-
No tongue;
all
eyes; be silent. [To Ferdinand.
(Soft Music
A MAS QUE. Enter Iris.
Iris. Ceres, most bounteous Lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and pease;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibling sheep,
And fat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep ;
Thy banks with pioned, and tulip'd brims,
Which spungy April at thy heft betrims, [groves,
To make cold nymphs chaite crowns; and thy broom-
Whose shadow the dismissed batchelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard,
And thy fea-marge steril, and rocky hard,
Where thou thyself do'ft air; the Queen o'th' ky,
Whose wat’ry arch and messenger am I,
Bids thee leave these; and with her lov’reign grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport; her peacocks fly amain :
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain,
Cer. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er
Do'st disobey the wife of Jupiter :
Who, with thy faffron wings, upon my flowers
Diffuseft honey drops, refreshing showers ;
And with each end of thy blue bow do'st crown
My bosky acres, and my unshrub’d down,
Rich scarf to my proud earth ; who hath thy Queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass green?
Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate,
And some donation freely to estate
On the bless'd lovers.
Cer. Tell me, heav'nly bow,
If Venus or her son, as thou do'st know,
Do now attend the Queen: since they did plot
The means, that dusky Dis my daughter got;
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
I have forsworn.
Iris. Of her society
Be not afraid ; I met her deity
Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son
Dove-drawn with her ; here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this inan and maid,
Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid
"Till Hymen's torch he lighted; but in vain
Mars's hot minion is return'd again;
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows;
Swears, he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows,
And be a boy right-out.
Cer.
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