The Tempest by William Shakespeare (the reading list book TXT) 📕

as odious; but
The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead,
And makes my labours pleasures: O! she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's compos'd of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs, and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress
Weeps when she sees me work, and says such baseness
Had never like executor. I forget:
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,
Most busy, least when I do it.

[Enter MIRANDA: and PROSPERO behind.]

MIRANDA.
Alas! now pray you,
Work not so hard: I would the lightning had
Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile!
Pray, set it down and rest you: when this burns,
'Twill weep for having wearied you. My father
Is hard at study; pray, now, rest yourself:
He's safe for these three hours.

FERDINAND.
O most dear mistress,
The sun will set, before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.

MIRANDA.
If you'll sit down,
I'll bear your logs the while. Pray give me that;
I'll carry it to the pile.

FERDINAND.
No, precious creature:
I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,
While I sit lazy by.

MIRANDA.
It would become me
As well as it does you: and I should do it
With much more ease; for my good will is to it,
And yours it is against.

PROSPERO.
[Aside] Poor worm! thou art infected:
This visitation shows it.

MIRANDA.
You look wearily.

FERDINAND.
No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me
When you are by at night. I do beseech you -
Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers -
What is your name?

MIRANDA.
Miranda - O my father!
I have broke your hest to say so.

FERDINAND.
Admir'd Miranda!
Indeed, the top of admiration; worth
What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have ey'd with best regard, and many a time
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues
Have I lik'd several women; never any
With so full soul but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd,
And put it to the foil: but you, O you!
So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best.

MIRANDA.
I do not know
One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men than you, good friend,
And my dear father: how features are abroad,
I am skill-less of; but, by my modesty, -
The jewel in my dower, - I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you;
Nor can imagination form a shape,
Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle
Something too wildly, and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.

FERDINAND.
I am, in my condition,
A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king; -
I would not so! - and would no more endure
This wooden slavery than to suffer
The flesh-fly blow my mouth. - Hear my soul speak: -
The very instant that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service; there resides,
To make me slave to it; and for your sake
Am I this patient log-man.

MIRANDA.
Do you love me?

FERDINAND.
O heaven! O earth! bear witness to this sound,
And crown what I profess with kind event,
If I speak true: if hollowly, invert
What best is boded me to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i' the world,
Do love, prize, honour you.

MIRANDA.
I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.

PROSPERO.
[Aside] Fair encounter
Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between them!

FERDINAND.
Wherefore weep you?

MIRANDA.
At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer
What I desire to give; and much less take
What I shall die to want. But this is trifling;
And all the more it seeks to hide itself,
The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.

FERDINAND.
My mistress, dearest;
And I thus humble ever.

MIRANDA.
My husband, then?

FERDINAND.
Ay, with a heart as willing
As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.

MIRANDA.
And mine, with my heart in't: and now farewell
Till half an hour hence.

FERDINAND.
A thousand thousand!

[Exeunt FERDINAND and MIRANDA severally.]

PROSPERO.
So glad of this as they, I cannot be,
Who are surpris'd withal; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I'll to my book;
For yet, ere supper time, must I perform
Much business appertaining.

[Exit]


SCENE II. Another part of the island

[Enter CALIBAN, with a bottle, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO.]

STEPHANO.
Tell not me: - when the butt is out we will drink
water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and board
'em. - Servant-monster, drink to me.

TRINCULO.
Servant-monster! The folly of this island! They
say there's but five upon this isle; we are three of
them; if th' other two be brained like us, the state
totters.

STEPHANO.
Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy
eyes are almost set in thy head.

TRINCULO.
Where should they be set else? He were a brave
monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.

STEPHANO.
My man-monster hath drown'd his tongue in
sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me; I swam, ere
I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty leagues, off
and on, by this light. Thou shalt be my lieutenant,
monster, or my standard.

TRINCULO.
Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.

STEPHANO.
We'll not run, Monsieur monster.

TRINCULO.
Nor go neither: but you'll lie like dogs, and
yet say nothing neither.

STEPHANO.
Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest
a good moon-calf.

CALIBAN.
How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe.
I'll not serve him: he is not valiant.

TRINCULO.
Thou liest, most ignorant monster: I am in case
to justle a constable. Why, thou deboshed fish thou,
was there ever man a coward that hath drunk so much sack
as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but
half fish and half a monster?

CALIBAN.
Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord?

TRINCULO.
'Lord' quoth he! - That a monster should be such
a natural!

CALIBAN.
Lo, lo again! bite him to death, I prithee.

STEPHANO.
Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if
you prove a mutineer, the next tree! The poor monster's
my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.

CALIBAN.
I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas'd to
hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?

STEPHANO.
Marry will I; kneel, and repeat it: I will stand,
and so shall Trinculo.

[Enter ARIEL, invisible]

CALIBAN.
As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant,
sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the
island.

ARIEL.
Thou liest.

CALIBAN.
Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou;
I would my valiant master would destroy thee;
I do not lie.

STEPHANO.
Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale,
by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

TRINCULO.
Why, I said nothing.

STEPHANO.
Mum, then, and no more. - [To CALIBAN] Proceed.

CALIBAN.
I say, by sorcery he got this isle;
From me he got it: if thy greatness will ,
Revenge it on him, - for I know, thou dar'st;
But this thing dare not, -

STEPHANO.
That's most certain.

CALIBAN.
Thou shalt be lord of it and I'll serve thee.

STEPHANO.
How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou
bring me to the party?

CALIBAN.
Yea, yea, my lord: I'll yield him thee asleep,
Where thou may'st knock a nail into his head.

ARIEL.
Thou liest: thou canst not.

CALIBAN.
What a pied ninny's this! Thou scurvy patch! -
I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows,
And take his bottle from him: when that's gone
He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not show him
Where the quick freshes are.

STEPHANO.
Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt the
monster one word further and, by this hand, I'll turn
my mercy out o' doors, and make a stock-fish of thee.

TRINCULO.
Why, what did I? I did nothing. I'll go farther off.

STEPHANO.
Didst thou not say he lied?

ARIEL.
Thou liest.

STEPHANO.
Do I so? Take thou that. [Strikes TRINCULO.] As you
like this, give me the lie another time.

TRINCULO.
I did not give the lie: - out o' your wits and
hearing too? - A pox o' your bottle! this can sack and
drinking do. - A murrain on your monster, and the devil
take your fingers!

CALIBAN.
Ha, ha, ha!

STEPHANO.
Now, forward with your tale. - Prithee stand
further off.

CALIBAN.
Beat him enough: after a little time, I'll beat
him too.

STEPHANO.
Stand farther. - Come, proceed.

CALIBAN.
Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him
I' th' afternoon to sleep: there thou may'st brain him,
Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his wezand with thy knife. Remember
First to possess his books; for without them
He's but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
One spirit to command: they all do hate him
As rootedly as I. Burn but his books;
He has brave utensils, - for so he calls them, -
Which, when he has a house, he'll deck withal:
And that most deeply to consider is
The beauty of his daughter; he himself
Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman
But only Sycorax my dam and she;
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax
As great'st does least.

STEPHANO.
Is it so brave a lass?

CALIBAN.
Ay, lord: she will become thy bed, I warrant,
And bring thee forth brave brood.

STEPHANO.
Monster, I will kill this man; his daughter and I
will be king and queen, - save our graces! - and Trinculo
and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou like the plot,
Trinculo?

TRINCULO.
Excellent.

STEPHANO.
Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee; but
while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.

CALIBAN.
Within this half hour will he be asleep;
Wilt thou destroy him then?

STEPHANO.
Ay, on mine honour.

ARIEL.
This will I tell my master.

CALIBAN.
Thou mak'st me merry: I am full of pleasure.
Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch
You taught me but while-ere?

STEPHANO.
At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any
reason. Come on, Trinculo, let us sing.

[Sings]

Flout 'em and scout 'em; and scout 'em and flout 'em:
Thought is free.

CALIBAN.
That's not the tune.

[ARIEL plays the tune on a Tabor and Pipe.]

STEPHANO.
What is this same?

TRINCULO.
This is the tune of our catch, played by the
picture of Nobody.

STEPHANO.
If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy
likeness: if thou beest a devil, take't as thou list.