The Tempest (12 page)

PROSPERO
    Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou

Performed, my Ariel: a grace it had,
devouring
⁹⁵
:

Of my instruction hast thou nothing
bated
⁹⁶

In what thou hadst to say.
So
, with
good life
⁹⁷

And
observation strange
, my
meaner
⁹⁸
ministers

Their
several kinds
have done. My
high
⁹⁹
charms work,

And these, mine enemies, are all
knit up
¹⁰⁰

In their
distractions
¹⁰¹
: they now are in my power,

And in these
fits
¹⁰²
I leave them, while I visit

Young Ferdinand — whom they suppose is drowned —

And his and mine loved darling.

GONZALO
    I’th’name of something holy, sir, why stand you

In this strange stare?

ALONSO
    O, it is monstrous, monstrous:

Methought the
billows
¹⁰⁸
spoke and told me of it,

The winds did sing it to me, and the thunder —

That deep and dreadful organ-pipe — pronounced

The name of Prosper: it did
bass
my
trespass.
¹¹¹

Therefore my son i’th’
ooze
¹¹²
is bedded: and

I’ll seek him deeper than e’er
plummet
sounded
¹¹³

And with him there lie
mudded.
¹¹⁴

SEBASTIAN
    
But one fiend at a time
¹¹⁵
,

I’ll fight their legions o’er.

ANTONIO
    I’ll be thy
second.
¹¹⁷

GONZALO
    All three of them are desperate: their great guilt,

Like poison given to work a great time after,

Now ’gins to bite the
spirits.
¹²⁰
I do beseech you —

That are of suppler joints — follow them swiftly

And hinder them from what this
ecstasy
¹²²

May now provoke them to.

ADRIAN
    Follow, I pray you.

PROSPERO
    If I have too
austerely
¹
punished you,

Your
compensation
²
makes amends, for I

Have given you here a
third
³
of mine own life,

Or that for which I live: who once again

I
tender
to thy hand. All thy
vexations
⁵

Were but my trials of thy love, and thou

Hast
strangely
⁷
stood the test: here, afore heaven,

I
ratify
⁸
this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me that I boast
her of
⁹
,

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise

And make it
halt
¹¹
behind her.

FERDINAND
    I do believe it
gainst
¹²
an oracle.

PROSPERO
    Then, as my guest, and thine own acquisition

Worthily
purchased
¹⁴
, take my daughter: but

If thou dost break her virgin-knot before

All
sanctimonious
¹⁶
ceremonies may

With full and holy rite be ministered,

No
sweet aspersion
¹⁸
shall the heavens let fall

To make this contract grow; but barren hate,

Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall
bestrew
²⁰

The union of your bed, with weeds so
loathly
²¹

That you shall hate it both. Therefore take heed,

As
Hymen’s
²²
lamps shall light you.

FERDINAND
    As I hope

For quiet days,
fair issue
²⁵
and long life,

With such love as ’tis now, the murkiest den,

The most opportune place, the
strong’st suggestion
²⁷

Our worser genius can, shall never melt

Mine honour into lust, to take away

The edge of that day’s celebration

When I shall think
or
Phoebus
’ steeds are
foundered
³¹
,

Or night kept chained below.

PROSPERO
    Fairly spoke.

Sit then and talk with her: she is thine own.

What, Ariel! My industrious servant, Ariel!

ARIEL
    What would my potent master? Here I am.

PROSPERO
    Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service

Did worthily perform, and I must use you

In such another trick. Go bring the
rabble
³⁹
,

O’er whom I give thee power, here to this place:

Incite them to quick motion, for I must

Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple

Some
vanity
⁴³
of mine art: it is my promise,

And they expect it from me.

ARIEL
    
Presently?
⁴⁵

PROSPERO
    Ay,
with a twink.
⁴⁶

ARIEL
    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.
⁵⁰

Do you love me, master? No?

PROSPERO
    Dearly, my delicate Ariel: do not approach

Till thou dost hear me call.

ARIEL
    Well: I
conceive.
⁵⁴

PROSPERO
    Look thou be
true
: do not give
dalliance
⁵⁵

Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw

To
th’fire i’th’blood
⁵⁷
: be more abstemious,

Or else
goodnight
⁵⁸
your vow.

FERDINAND
    I warrant you, sir,

The white cold virgin snow upon my heart

Abates the ardour of my
liver.
⁶¹

PROSPERO
    Well.

Now come, my Ariel! Bring
a corollary
⁶³
,

Rather than want a spirit: appear, and
pertly.
⁶⁴

No tongue! All eyes! Be silent.

IRIS
    
Ceres
, most bounteous lady, thy rich
leas
⁶⁶

Of wheat, rye, barley,
vetches
⁶⁷
, oats and peas;

Thy
turfy
⁶⁸
mountains, where live nibbling sheep,

And flat
meads
thatched with stover
⁶⁹
, them to keep:

Thy banks with
pionèd
and
twillèd
brims
⁷⁰
,

Which
spongy
April at thy
hest
betrims
⁷¹

To make
cold
nymphs chaste
crowns
; and thy
broom-groves
⁷²
,

Whose shadow the
dismissèd
⁷³
bachelor loves,

Being
lass-lorn
: thy
poll-clipped
⁷⁴
vineyard,

And thy
sea-marge
⁷⁵
sterile and rocky-hard,

Where thou thyself dost
air
: the
queen o’th’sky
⁷⁶
,

Whose
wat’ry arch
⁷⁷
and messenger am I,

Bids thee leave
these
⁷⁸
, and with her sovereign grace,

Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,

To come and
sport.
Her
peacocks
fly
amain
⁸⁰
:

Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

CERES
    Hail, many-coloured messenger, that ne’er

Dost disobey the
wife of Jupiter
⁸³
:

Who, with thy
saffron
⁸⁴
wings, upon my flowers

Diffusest honey drops
⁸⁵
, refreshing showers,

And with each end of thy blue
bow
⁸⁶
dost crown

My
bosky
acres and my
unshrubbed down
⁸⁷
,

Rich scarf to my
proud
⁸⁸
earth: why hath thy queen

Summoned me hither to this short-grassed green?

IRIS
    A contract of true love to celebrate,

And some
donation
freely to
estate
⁹¹

On the blest lovers.

CERES
    Tell me, heavenly bow,

If
Venus or her son
⁹⁴
, as thou dost know,

Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot

The
means that
dusky Dis
⁹⁶
my daughter got,

Her and her
blind boy’s
scandaled
⁹⁷
company

I have
forsworn.
⁹⁸

IRIS
    Of her society

Be not afraid: I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards
Paphos
¹⁰¹
, and her son

Dove-drawn
¹⁰²
with her. Here thought they to have done

Some
wanton
¹⁰³
charm upon this man and maid,

Whose vows are that no
bed-right
¹⁰⁴
shall be paid

Till
Hymen’s torch be lighted
¹⁰⁵
— but in vain.

Mars’ hot minion
¹⁰⁶
is returned again:

Her
waspish-headed
¹⁰⁷
son has broke his arrows,

Swears he will shoot no more, but play with
sparrows
¹⁰⁸
,

And
be a boy right out.
¹⁰⁹

CERES
    Highest queen of state,

Great Juno, comes: I know her by her
gait.
¹¹¹

Juno alights

JUNO
    How does my
bounteous
¹¹²
sister? Go with me

To bless this
twain
¹¹³
, that they may prosperous be,

And honoured in their issue.

JUNO
    Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,

             Long continuance, and
increasing
¹¹⁶
,

             Hourly joys be
still
¹¹⁷
upon you,

             Juno sings her blessings on you.

CERES
    Earth’s increase,
foison
¹¹⁹
plenty,

             Barns and
garners
¹²⁰
never empty,

             Vines with clust’ring bunches growing,

             Plants with goodly burden bowing:

        
     Spring come to you at the farthest
¹²³
,

             In the very end of harvest.

        
     Scarcity and want shall shun you,

             Ceres’ blessing so is on you.

FERDINAND
    This is a most majestic vision, and

Harmonious
charmingly.
May I
be bold
¹²⁸

To think these spirits?

PROSPERO
    Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines called to enact

My
present fancies.
¹³²

FERDINAND
    Let me live here ever:

So rare a
wondered
¹³⁴
father, and a wise,

Makes this place paradise.

PROSPERO
    Sweet, now, silence!

Juno and Ceres whisper
seriously
¹³⁷
:

There’s something else to do. Hush, and be mute,

Or else our spell is marred.

IRIS
    You nymphs, called
Naiads
, of the
windring
¹⁴⁰
brooks,

With your
sedged
¹⁴¹
crowns and ever-harmless looks,

Leave your
crisp channels
¹⁴²
, and on this green land

Answer your summons: Juno does command.

Come,
temperate
¹⁴⁴
nymphs, and help to celebrate

A contract of true love:
be not too late.
¹⁴⁵