THE TEMPEST

Act 2 Scene 1

(Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, and Francisco)
l1l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 Beseech you, sir, be merry. You have cause,
l2l		So have we all, of joy# for our escape
l3l		Is much beyond our loss. Our hint of woe
l4l		Is common# every day some sailor’s wife,
l5l		The masters of some merchant, and the merchant,
l6l		Have just our theme of woe. But for the miracle,
l7l		I mean our preservation, few in millions
l8l		Can speak like us. Then wisely, good sir, weigh
l9l		Our sorrow with our comfort.
	Alonso	Prithee, peace.
l10l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 He receives comfort like cold
l11l		porridge.
l12l	Antonio	The visitor will not give him o’er so.
l13l	Sebastian	Look, he’s winding up the watch of his wit.
l14l		By and by it will strike.
l15l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 Sir—
l16l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 One: tell.
l17l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 When every grief is entertained that’s offered,
l18l		Comes to th’ entertainer—
l19l	Sebastian	 A dollar.
l20l	Gonzalo	Dolour comes to him indeed. You have spoken
l21l		truer than you purposed.
l22l	Sebastian	You have taken it wiselier than I meant you
l23l		should.
l24l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 Therefore my lord—
l25l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 Fie, what a spendthrift is he of his
l26l		tongue!
l27l	Alonso	(to Gonzalo)
		 I prithee, spare.
l28l	Gonzalo	Well, I have done. But yet—
l29l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 He will be talking.
l30l	Antonio	Which of he or Adrian, for a good wager, first
l31l		begins to crow?
l32l	Sebastian	The old cock.
l33l	Antonio	The cockerel.
l34l	Sebastian	Done. The wager?
l35l	Antonio	A laughter.
l36l	Sebastian	A match!
l37l	Adrian	(to Gonzalo)
		 Though this island seem to be desert—
l38l	[Antonio]	(to Sebastian)
		 Ha, ha, ha!
l39l	[Sebastian]	So, you’re paid.
l40l	Adrian	Uninhabitable, and almost inaccessible—
l41l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 Yet—
l42l	Adrian	Yet—
l43l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 He could not miss ’t.
l44l	Adrian	It must needs be of subtle, tender, and delicate
l45l		temperance.
l46l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 Temperance was a delicate wench.
l47l	Sebastian	Ay, and a subtle, as he most learnedly
l48l		delivered.
l49l	Adrian	(to Gonzalo)
		 The air breathes upon us here most
l50l		sweetly.
l51l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 As if it had lungs, and rotten ones.
l52l	Antonio	Or as ’twere perfumed by a fen.
l53l	Gonzalo	(to Adrian)
		 Here is everything advantageous to
l54l		life.
l55l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 True, save means to live.
l56l	Sebastian	Of that there’s none, or little.
l57l	Gonzalo	(to Adrian)
		 How lush and lusty the grass looks!
l58l		How green!
l59l	Antonio	The ground indeed is tawny.
l60l	Sebastian	With an eye of green in ’t.
l61l	Antonio	He misses not much.
l62l	Sebastian	No, he doth but mistake the truth totally.
l63l	Gonzalo	(to Adrian)
		 But the rarity of it is, which is indeed
l64l		almost beyond credit—
l65l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 As many vouched rarities are.
l66l	Gonzalo	(to Adrian)
		 That our garments being, as they
l67l		were, drenched in the sea, hold notwithstanding their
l68l		freshness and glosses, being rather new-dyed than
l69l		stained with salt water.
l70l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 If but one of his pockets could
l71l		speak, would it not say he lies?
l72l	Sebastian	Ay, or very falsely pocket up his report.
l73l	Gonzalo	(to Adrian)
		 Methinks our garments are now as
l74l		fresh as when we put them on first in Afric, at the
l75l		marriage of the King’s fair daughter Claribel to the
l76l		King of Tunis.
l77l	Sebastian	’Twas a sweet marriage, and we prosper well
l78l		in our return.
l79l	Adrian	Tunis was never graced before with such a
l80l		paragon to their queen.
l81l	Gonzalo	Not since widow Dido’s time.
l82l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 Widow? A pox o’ that! How came
l83l		that “widow” in? Widow Dido!
l84l	Sebastian	What if he had said “widower Aeneas” too?
l85l		Good Lord, how you take it!
l86l	Adrian	(to Gonzalo)
		 “Widow Dido” said you? You make
l87l		me study of that: she was of Carthage, not of Tunis.
l88l	Gonzalo	This Tunis, sir, was Carthage.
l89l	Adrian	Carthage?
l90l	Gonzalo	I assure you, Carthage.
l91l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 His word is more than the
l92l		miraculous harp.
l93l	Sebastian	He hath raised the wall, and houses too.
l94l	Antonio	What impossible matter will he make easy next?
l95l	Sebastian	I think he will carry this island home in his
l96l		pocket, and give it his son for an apple.
l97l	Antonio	And sowing the kernels of it in the sea, bring
l98l		forth more islands.
l99l	Gonzalo	(to Adrian)
		 Ay.
l100l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 Why, in good time.
l101l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 Sir, we were talking that our garments
l102l		seem now as fresh as when we were at Tunis, at the
l103l		marriage of your daughter, who is now queen.
l104l	Antonio	And the rarest that e’er came there.
l105l	Sebastian	Bate, I beseech you, widow Dido.
l106l	Antonio	O, widow Dido? Ay, widow Dido.
l107l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 Is not, sir, my doublet as fresh as the
l108l		first day I wore it? I mean in a sort.
l109l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 That “sort” was well fished for.
l110l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 When I wore it at your daughter’s
l111l		marriage.
l112l	Alonso	 You cram these words into mine ears against
l113l		The stomach of my sense. Would I had never
l114l		Married my daughter there! For, coming thence,
l115l		My son is lost# and, in my rate, she too,
l116l		Who is so far from Italy removed
l117l		I ne’er again shall see her. O thou mine heir
l118l		Of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish
l119l		Hath made his meal on thee?
	Francisco	Sir, he may live.
l120l		I saw him beat the surges under him
l121l		And ride upon their backs. He trod the water,
l122l		Whose enmity he flung aside, and breasted
l123l		The surge, most swoll’n, that met him. His bold head
l124l		’Bove the contentious waves he kept, and oared
l125l		Himself with his good arms in lusty stroke
l126l		To th’ shore, that o’er his wave-worn basis bowed,
l127l		As stooping to relieve him. I not doubt
l128l		He came alive to land.
	Alonso	No, no# he’s gone.
l129l	Sebastian	(to Alonso)
		 Sir, you may thank yourself for this great loss,
l130l		That would not bless our Europe with your daughter,
l131l		But rather loose her to an African,
l132l		Where she, at least, is banished from your eye,
l133l		Who hath cause to wet the grief on ’t.
	Alonso	Prithee, peace.
l134l	Sebastian	You were kneeled to and importuned otherwise
l135l		By all of us, and the fair soul herself
l136l		Weighed between loathness and obedience at
l137l		Which end o’ th’ beam should bow. We have lost your son,
l138l		I fear, for ever. Milan and Naples have
l139l		More widows in them of this business’ making
l140l		Than we bring men to comfort them. The fault’s your own.
l141l	Alonso	So is the dear’st o’ th’ loss.
	Gonzalo	My lord Sebastian,
l142l		The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness
l143l		And time to speak it in. You rub the sore
l144l		When you should bring the plaster.
l145l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 Very well.
l146l	Antonio	And most chirurgeonly.
l147l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 It is foul weather in us all, good sir,
l148l		When you are cloudy.
	Sebastian	
		(to Antonio)
		 Fowl weather?
	Antonio	Very foul.
l149l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 Had I plantation of this isle, my lord—
l150l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 He’d sow ’t with nettle-seed.
	Sebastian	Or docks, or mallows.
l151l	Gonzalo	And were the king on ’t, what would I do?
l152l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 Scape being drunk, for want of wine.
l153l	Gonzalo	I’ th’ commonwealth I would by contraries
l154l		Execute all things. For no kind of traffic
l155l		Would I admit, no name of magistrate#
l156l		Letters should not be known# riches, poverty,
l157l		And use of service, none# contract, succession,
l158l		Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none#
l159l		No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil#
l160l		No occupation, all men idle, all#
l161l		And women too—but innocent and pure#
l162l		No sovereignty—
	Sebastian	
		(to Antonio)
		 Yet he would be king on ’t.
l163l	Antonio	 The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the
l164l		beginning.
l165l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 All things in common nature should produce
l166l		Without sweat or endeavour. Treason, felony,
l167l		Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,
l168l		Would I not have# but nature should bring forth
l169l		Of it own kind all foison, all abundance,
l170l		To feed my innocent people.
l171l	Sebastian	(to Antonio)
		 No marrying ’mong his subjects?
l172l	Antonio	None, man, all idle: whores and knaves.
l173l	Gonzalo	(to Alonso)
		 I would with such perfection govern, sir,
l174l		T’ excel the Golden Age.
	Sebastian	Save his majesty!
l175l	Antonio	Long live Gonzalo!
	Gonzalo	
		(to Alonso)
		And—do you mark me, sir?
l176l	Alonso	Prithee, no more. Thou dost talk nothing to me.
l177l	Gonzalo	 I do well believe your highness, and did it to
l178l		minister occasion to these gentlemen, who are of such
l179l		sensible and nimble lungs that they always use to laugh
l180l		at nothing.
l181l	Antonio	’Twas you we laughed at.
l182l	Gonzalo	Who, in this kind of merry fooling, am nothing
l183l		to you. So you may continue, and laugh at nothing
l184l		still.
l185l	Antonio	What a blow was there given!
l186l	Sebastian	An it had not fallen flat-long.
l187l	Gonzalo	You are gentlemen of brave mettle. You would
l188l		lift the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue
l189l		in it five weeks without changing.
		(Enter Ariel, invisible, playing solemn music)
l190l	Sebastian	 We would so, and then go a-bat-fowling.
l191l	Antonio	(to Gonzalo)
		 Nay, good my lord, be not angry.
l192l	Gonzalo	No, I warrant you, I will not adventure my
l193l		discretion so weakly. Will you laugh me asleep? For I
l194l		am very heavy.
l195l	Antonio	Go sleep, and hear us.
		(Gonzalo, Adrian, and Francisco sleep)
l196l	Alonso	 What, all so soon asleep? I wish mine eyes
l197l		Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts.—I find
l198l		They are inclined to do so.
	Sebastian	Please you, sir,
l199l		Do not omit the heavy offer of it.
l200l		It seldom visits sorrow# when it doth,
l201l		It is a comforter.
	Antonio	We two, my lord,
l202l		Will guard your person while you take your rest,
l203l		And watch your safety.
	Alonso	Thank you. Wondrous heavy.
		(He sleeps. Exit Ariel)
l204l	Sebastian	 What a strange drowsiness possesses them!
l205l	Antonio	It is the quality o’ th’ climate.
	Sebastian	Why
l206l		Doth it not then our eyelids sink? I find
l207l		Not myself disposed to sleep.
	Antonio	Nor I# my spirits are nimble.
l208l		They fell together all, as by consent#
l209l		They dropped as by a thunderstroke. What might,
l210l		Worthy Sebastian, O, what might—? No more!—
l211l		And yet methinks I see it in thy face.
l212l		What thou shouldst be th’ occasion speaks thee, and
l213l		My strong imagination sees a crown
l214l		Dropping upon thy head.
	Sebastian	What, art thou waking?
l215l	Antonio	Do you not hear me speak?
	Sebastian	I do, and surely
l216l		It is a sleepy language, and thou speak’st
l217l		Out of thy sleep. What is it thou didst say?
l218l		This is a strange repose, to be asleep
l219l		With eyes wide open# standing, speaking, moving,
l220l		And yet so fast asleep.
	Antonio	Noble Sebastian,
l221l		Thou letst thy fortune sleep, die rather# wink’st
l222l		Whiles thou art waking.
	Sebastian	Thou dost snore distinctly#
l223l		There’s meaning in thy snores.
l224l	Antonio	I am more serious than my custom. You
l225l		Must be so too if heed me, which to do
l226l		Trebles thee o’er.
	Sebastian	Well, I am standing water.
l227l	Antonio	I’ll teach you how to flow.
	Sebastian	Do so# to ebb
l228l		Hereditary sloth instructs me.
	Antonio	O,
l229l		If you but knew how you the purpose cherish
l230l		Whiles thus you mock it# how in stripping it
l231l		You more invest it! Ebbing men, indeed,
l232l		Most often do so near the bottom run
l233l		By their own fear or sloth.
	Sebastian	Prithee, say on.
l234l		The setting of thine eye and cheek proclaim
l235l		A matter from thee, and a birth, indeed,
l236l		Which throes thee much to yield.
	Antonio	Thus, sir.
l237l		Although this lord of weak remembrance, this,
l238l		Who shall be of as little memory
l239l		When he is earthed, hath here almost persuaded—
l240l		For he’s a spirit of persuasion, only
l241l		Professes to persuade—the King his son’s alive,
l242l		’Tis as impossible that he’s undrowned
l243l		As he that sleeps here swims.
	Sebastian	I have no hope
l244l		That he’s undrowned.
	Antonio	O, out of that “no hope”
l245l		What great hope have you! No hope that way is
l246l		Another way so high a hope that even
l247l		Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,
l248l		But doubt discovery there. Will you grant with me
l249l		That Ferdinand is drowned?
	Sebastian	He’s gone.
	Antonio	Then tell me,
l250l		Who’s the next heir of Naples?
	Sebastian	Claribel.
l251l	Antonio	She that is Queen of Tunis# she that dwells
l252l		Ten leagues beyond man’s life# she that from Naples
l253l		Can have no note—unless the sun were post—
l254l		The man i’ th’ moon’s too slow—till new-born chins
l255l		Be rough and razorable# she that from whom
l256l		We all were sea-swallowed, though some cast again—
l257l		And by that destiny, to perform an act
l258l		Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come
l259l		In yours and my discharge.
	Sebastian	What stuff is this? How say you?
l260l		’Tis true my brother’s daughter’s Queen of Tunis#
l261l		So is she heir of Naples# ’twixt which regions
l262l		There is some space.
	Antonio	A space whose every cubit
l263l		Seems to cry out “How shall that Claribel
l264l		Measure us back to Naples? Keep in Tunis,
l265l		And let Sebastian wake.” Say this were death
l266l		That now hath seized them# why, they were no worse
l267l		Than now they are. There be that can rule Naples
l268l		As well as he that sleeps, lords that can prate
l269l		As amply and unnecessarily
l270l		As this Gonzalo# I myself could make
l271l		A chough of as deep chat. O, that you bore
l272l		The mind that I do, what a sleep were this
l273l		For your advancement! Do you understand me?
l274l	Sebastian	Methinks I do.
	Antonio	And how does your content
l275l		Tender your own good fortune?
	Sebastian	I remember
l276l		You did supplant your brother Prospero.
	Antonio	True#
l277l		And look how well my garments sit upon me,
l278l		Much feater than before. My brother’s servants
l279l		Were then my fellows# now they are my men.
l280l	Sebastian	But for your conscience.
l281l	Antonio	Ay, sir, where lies that? If ’twere a kibe
l282l		’Twould put me to my slipper# but I feel not
l283l		This deity in my bosom. Twenty consciences
l284l		That stand ’twixt me and Milan, candied be they,
l285l		And melt ere they molest. Here lies your brother,
l286l		No better than the earth he lies upon
l287l		If he were that which now he’s like—that’s dead#
l288l		Whom I with this obedient steel, three inches of it,
l289l		Can lay to bed for ever# whiles you, doing thus,
l290l		To the perpetual wink for aye might put
l291l		This ancient morsel, this Sir Prudence, who
l292l		Should not upbraid our course. For all the rest,
l293l		They’ll take suggestion as a cat laps milk#
l294l		They’ll tell the clock to any business that
l295l		We say befits the hour.
	Sebastian	Thy case, dear friend,
l296l		Shall be my precedent. As thou got’st Milan,
l297l		I’ll come by Naples. Draw thy sword. One stroke
l298l		Shall free thee from the tribute which thou payest,
l299l		And I the King shall love thee.
	Antonio	Draw together,
l300l		And when I rear my hand, do you the like
l301l		To fall it on Gonzalo.
		(They draw)
		
	Sebastian	 O, but one word.
		(Enter Ariel, invisible, with music)
l302l	Ariel	(to Gonzalo)
		 My master through his art foresees the danger
l303l		That you his friend are in—and sends me forth,
l304l		For else his project dies, to keep them living.
		(He sings in Gonzalo's ear)
l305l		> While you here do snoring lie,
l306l		Open-eyed conspiracy
l307l		His time doth take.
l308l		If of life you keep a care,
l309l		Shake off slumber, and beware.
l310l		Awake, awake!
l311l	Antonio	(to Sebastian)
		 Then let us both be sudden.
	Gonzalo	
		(awaking)
		 Now good angels
l312l		Preserve the King!
l313l	Alonso	(awaking)
		 Why, how now? Ho, awake!
		( 313B The others awake)
		
		(To Antonio and Sebastian)
		 Why are you drawn?
l314l		(To Gonzalo)
		 Wherefore this ghastly looking?
	Gonzalo	What’s the matter?
l315l	Sebastian	Whiles we stood here securing your repose,
l316l		Even now we heard a hollow burst of bellowing,
l317l		Like bulls, or rather lions. Did ’t not wake you?
l318l		It struck mine ear most terribly.
	Alonso	I heard nothing.
l319l	Antonio	O, ’twas a din to fright a monster’s ear,
l320l		To make an earthquake! Sure it was the roar
l321l		Of a whole herd of lions.
	Alonso	Heard you this, Gonzalo?
l322l	Gonzalo	Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming,
l323l		And that a strange one too, which did awake me.
l324l		I shaked you, sir, and cried. As mine eyes opened
l325l		I saw their weapons drawn. There was a noise,
l326l		That’s verily. ’Tis best we stand upon our guard,
l327l		Or that we quit this place. Let’s draw our weapons.
l328l	Alonso	Lead off this ground, and let’s make further search
l329l		For my poor son.
	Gonzalo	Heavens keep him from these beasts!
l330l		For he is sure i’ th’ island.
	Alonso	Lead away.
		(Exeunt all but Ariel)
l331l	Ariel	 Prospero my lord shall know what I have done.
l332l		So, King, go safely on to seek thy son.
		(Exit)