The Tempest (8 page)

ANTONIO
    Long live Gonzalo!

Bowing or doffing hats

GONZALO
    And — do you
mark
¹⁷⁷
me, sir?

ALONSO
    Prithee, no more: thou dost talk nothing to me.

GONZALO
    I do well believe your highness: and did it to
minister
¹⁷⁹

occasion to these gentlemen, who are of such
sensible
¹⁸⁰
and

nimble
lungs that they always
use
¹⁸¹
to laugh at nothing.

ANTONIO
    ’Twas you we laughed at.

GONZALO
    Who in this kind of merry fooling am nothing to

you: so you may continue and laugh at nothing still.

ANTONIO
    What a blow was there given!

SEBASTIAN
    
An it had not fallen flat-long.
¹⁸⁶

GONZALO
    You are gentlemen of brave
metal
¹⁸⁷
: you would lift

the moon out of her
sphere
, if she would continue in it
five
¹⁸⁸

weeks without changing.

SEBASTIAN
    We would so, and then go
a-batfowling.
¹⁹⁰

ANTONIO
    Nay, good my lord, be not angry.

GONZALO
    No, I
warrant
you: I will not
adventure my
¹⁹²

discretion so weakly. Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very

heavy?
¹⁹⁴

ANTONIO
    Go sleep, and hear us.

All sleep except Alonso, Sebastian
,
and Antonio

ALONSO
    What, all so soon asleep? I wish mine eyes

Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts.

I find they are inclined to do so.

SEBASTIAN
    Please you, sir,

Do not
omit
the heavy offer of
it.
²⁰⁰

It seldom visits sorrow: when it doth, it is a comforter.

ANTONIO
    We two, my lord, will guard your person

While you take your rest, and watch your safety.

ALONSO
    Thank you. Wondrous heavy.

He sleeps

SEBASTIAN
    What a strange drowsiness possesses them!

ANTONIO
    It is the quality o’th’climate.

SEBASTIAN
    Why

Doth it not then our eyelids sink? I find

Not myself disposed to sleep.

ANTONIO
    Nor I: my spirits are nimble.

They fell together all,
as
²¹¹
by consent

They dropped, as by a thunder-stroke. What might,

Worthy Sebastian? O, what might? — No more.—

And yet, methinks I see it in thy face,

What thou shouldst be: th’
occasion speaks
²¹⁵
thee, and

My strong imagination sees a crown

Dropping upon thy head.

SEBASTIAN
    What? Art thou
waking?
²¹⁸

ANTONIO
    Do you not hear me speak?

SEBASTIAN
    I do, and surely

It is a sleepy language and thou speak’st

Out of thy sleep. What is it thou didst say?

This is a strange repose, to be asleep

With eyes wide open: standing, speaking, moving,

And yet so fast asleep.

ANTONIO
    Noble Sebastian,

Thou let’st thy fortune sleep — die, rather:
wink’st
²²⁷

Whiles thou art waking.

SEBASTIAN
    Thou dost snore
distinctly
²²⁹
:

There’s meaning in thy snores.

ANTONIO
    I am more serious than my
custom
²³¹
: you

Must be so too, if
heed
²³²
me: which to do

Trebles thee o’er.
²³³

SEBASTIAN
    Well, I am
standing water.
²³⁴

ANTONIO
    I’ll teach you how to flow.

SEBASTIAN
    Do so: to ebb

Hereditary sloth
²³⁷
instructs me.

ANTONIO
    O,

If you but knew how you the purpose cherish
²³⁹

Whiles thus you mock it: how in stripping it

You more
invest
it.
Ebbing
²⁴¹
men, indeed,

Most often, do so near the bottom run

By their own fear, or sloth.

SEBASTIAN
    Prithee,
say on
²⁴⁴
:

The
setting
²⁴⁵
of thine eye and cheek proclaim

A
matter
²⁴⁶
from thee; and a birth, indeed,

Which
throes thee much to yield.
²⁴⁷

ANTONIO
    Thus, sir:

Although this
lord
of weak
remembrance
²⁴⁹
, this,

Who shall be
of as little memory
²⁵⁰

When he is
earthed
²⁵¹
, hath here almost persuaded —

For he’s a
spirit of
persuasion,
only
²⁵²

Professes to persuade — the king his son’s alive:

’Tis as impossible that he’s undrowned

As he that sleeps here swims.

SEBASTIAN
    I have no hope

That he’s undrowned.

ANTONIO
    O, out of that ‘no hope’

What great hope have you! No hope that way is

Another way so
high a hope
²⁶⁰
, that even

Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond
²⁶¹
,

But doubt discovery there. Will you grant with me

That Ferdinand is drowned?

SEBASTIAN
    He’s gone.

ANTONIO
    Then, tell me: who’s the next heir of Naples?

SEBASTIAN
    Claribel.

ANTONIO
    She that is Queen of Tunis: she that dwells

Ten
leagues
beyond
man’s life
²⁶⁸
: she that from Naples

Can have no
note
, unless the sun were
post
²⁶⁹
—

The man i’th’moon’s too slow — till new-born chins

Be rough and razorable: she that
from whom
²⁷¹

We all were sea-swallowed, though some
cast
²⁷²
again —

And by that destiny — to perform an act

Whereof what’s past is prologue
²⁷⁴
, what to come

In yours and my
discharge.
²⁷⁵

SEBASTIAN
    What
stuff
²⁷⁶
is this? How say you?

’Tis true, my brother’s daughter’s Queen of Tunis:

So is she heir of Naples, ’twixt which regions

There is some
space.
²⁷⁹

ANTONIO
    A space whose every
cubit
²⁸⁰

Seems to cry out, ‘How shall that Claribel

Measure us back
to Naples?
Keep
²⁸²
in Tunis,

And let Sebastian
wake.
²⁸³
’ Say this were death

That now hath seized them: why, they were no worse

Than now they are. There be that can rule Naples

As well as
he
that sleeps: lords that can
prate
²⁸⁶

As amply and unnecessarily

As this Gonzalo: I myself could
make
²⁸⁸

A chough of as deep chat. O, that you
bore
²⁸⁹

The mind that I do! What a sleep were this

For your advancement! Do you understand me?

SEBASTIAN
    Methinks I do.

ANTONIO
    And how does your
content
²⁹³

Tender
²⁹⁴
your own good fortune?

SEBASTIAN
    I remember

You did
supplant
²⁹⁶
your brother Prospero.

ANTONIO
    True:

And look how well my
garments
²⁹⁸
sit upon me,

Much
feater
²⁹⁹
than before. My brother’s servants

Were then my
fellows
: now they are my
men.
³⁰⁰

SEBASTIAN
    But for your conscience.

ANTONIO
    Ay, sir: where lies that? If ’twere a
kibe
³⁰²
,

’Twould
put me to
³⁰³
my slipper: but I feel not

This
deity
³⁰⁴
in my bosom: twenty consciences

That stand ’twixt me and Milan,
candied
³⁰⁵
be they,

And melt ere they molest! Here lies your brother,

No better than the earth he lies upon,

If he were that which now he’s like — that’s dead —

Whom I with this obedient steel — three inches of it —

Touching sword
or dagger

Can lay to bed forever: whiles you, doing thus,

To the
perpetual wink
for
aye
³¹¹
might put

This ancient
morsel
³¹²
, this Sir Prudence, who

Should not
³¹³
upbraid our course. For all the rest,

They’ll take suggestion as a cat laps milk:

They’ll
tell the clock to any business that
³¹⁵

We say befits the hour.

SEBASTIAN
    Thy case, dear friend,

Shall be my precedent. As thou got’st Milan,

I’ll come by Naples. Draw thy sword: one stroke

Shall free thee from the
tribute
³²⁰
which thou payest,

And I the king shall love thee.

ANTONIO
    Draw together:

And when I
rear
³²³
my hand, do you the like,

To fall it on Gonzalo.

SEBASTIAN
    O, but one word.

ARIEL
    My master through his art foresees the danger

That you, his friend, are in, and sends me forth —

To
Gonzalo
,
who still sleeps

For else his
project
³²⁸
dies — to keep them living.

     While you here do snoring lie,

     Open-eyed conspiracy

     His
time
³³¹
doth take.

     If of life you keep a care,

     Shake off slumber, and beware:

     Awake, awake!

ANTONIO
    Then let us both be sudden.

Antonio and Sebastian
draw their swords

GONZALO
    Now, good angels preserve the king!

ALONSO
    Why, how now? Ho, awake! Why are you drawn?

The others wake

Wherefore this
ghastly
³³⁸
looking?

GONZALO
    What’s the matter?

SEBASTIAN
    Whiles we stood here securing your repose,

Even now, we heard a hollow burst of bellowing

Like bulls, or rather lions: did’t not wake you?

It struck mine ear most terribly.

ALONSO
    I heard nothing.

ANTONIO
    O, ’twas a din to fright a monster’s ear,

To make an earthquake! Sure it was the roar

Of a whole herd of lions.

ALONSO
    Heard you this, Gonzalo?

GONZALO
    Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming,

And that a strange one too, which did awake me:

I shaked you, sir, and cried: as mine eyes opened,

I saw their weapons drawn: there was a noise,

That’s
verily.
³⁵³
’Tis best we stand upon our guard,

Or that we quit this place: let’s draw our weapons.

ALONSO
    Lead off this ground, and let’s make further search

For my poor son.

GONZALO
    Heavens keep him from these beasts!

For he is sure i’th’island.

ALONSO
    Lead away.

ARIEL
    Prospero, my lord, shall know what I have done.

So, king, go safely on to seek thy son.