THE TEMPEST

Act 3 Scene 1

(Enter Ferdinand, bearing a log)
l1l	Ferdinand	 There be some sports are painful, and their labour
l2l		Delight in them sets off. Some kinds of baseness
l3l		Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters
l4l		Point to rich ends. This my mean task
l5l		Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
l6l		The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead,
l7l		And makes my labours pleasures. O, she is
l8l		Ten times more gentle than her father’s crabbed,
l9l		And he’s composed of harshness. I must remove
l10l		Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
l11l		Upon a sore injunction. My sweet mistress
l12l		Weeps when she sees me work, and says such baseness
l13l		Had never like executor. I forget,
l14l		But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,
l15l		Most busil’est when I do it.
		(Enter Miranda, and Prospero following at a distance)
		
	Miranda	 Alas now, pray you
l16l		Work not so hard. I would the lightning had
l17l		Burnt up those logs that you are enjoined to pile.
l18l		Pray set it down, and rest you. When this burns
l19l		’Twill weep for having wearied you. My father
l20l		Is hard at study. Pray now, rest yourself.
l21l		He’s safe for these three hours.
	Ferdinand	O most dear mistress,
l22l		The sun will set before I shall discharge
l23l		What I must strive to do.
	Miranda	If you’ll sit down
l24l		I’ll bear your logs the while. Pray give me that#
l25l		I’ll carry it to the pile.
	Ferdinand	No, precious creature.
l26l		I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
l27l		Than you should such dishonour undergo
l28l		While I sit lazy by.
	Miranda	It would become me
l29l		As well as it does you# and I should do it
l30l		With much more ease, for my good will is to it,
l31l		And yours it is against.
	Prospero	
		(aside)
		 Poor worm, thou art infected.
l32l		This visitation shows it.
	Miranda	
		(to Ferdinand)
		 You look wearily.
l33l	Ferdinand	No, noble mistress, ’tis fresh morning with me
l34l		When you are by at night. I do beseech you,
l35l		Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers,
l36l		What is your name?
	Miranda	Miranda. O my father,
l37l		I have broke your hest to say so!
	Ferdinand	Admired Miranda!
l38l		Indeed the top of admiration, worth
l39l		What’s dearest to the world. Full many a lady
l40l		I have eyed with best regard, and many a time
l41l		Th’ harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
l42l		Brought my too diligent ear. For several virtues
l43l		Have I liked several women# never any
l44l		With so full soul but some defect in her
l45l		Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed
l46l		And put it to the foil. But you, O you,
l47l		So perfect and so peerless, are created
l48l		Of every creature’s best.
	Miranda	I do not know
l49l		One of my sex, no woman’s face remember
l50l		Save from my glass mine own# nor have I seen
l51l		More that I may call men than you, good friend,
l52l		And my dear father. How features are abroad
l53l		I am skilless of# but, by my modesty,
l54l		The jewel in my dower, I would not wish
l55l		Any companion in the world but you#
l56l		Nor can imagination form a shape
l57l		Besides yourself to like of. But I prattle
l58l		Something too wildly, and my father’s precepts
l59l		I therein do forget.
	Ferdinand	I am in my condition
l60l		A prince, Miranda, I do think a king—
l61l		I would not so—and would no more endure
l62l		This wooden slavery than to suffer
l63l		The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak.
l64l		The very instant that I saw you did
l65l		My heart fly to your service# there resides
l66l		To make me slave to it. And for your sake
l67l		Am I this patient log-man.
	Miranda	Do you love me?
l68l	Ferdinand	O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,
l69l		And crown what I profess with kind event
l70l		If I speak true! If hollowly, invert
l71l		What best is boded me to mischief! I,
l72l		Beyond all limit of what else i’ th’ world,
l73l		Do love, prize, honour you.
	Miranda	
		(weeping)
		 I am a fool
l74l		To weep at what I am glad of.
	Prospero	
		(aside)
		 Fair encounter
l75l		Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
l76l		On that which breeds between ’em.
	Ferdinand	
		(to Miranda)
		 Wherefore weep you?
l77l	Miranda	At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer
l78l		What I desire to give, and much less take
l79l		What I shall die to want. But this is trifling,
l80l		And all the more it seeks to hide itself
l81l		The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning,
l82l		And prompt me, plain and holy innocence.
l83l		I am your wife, if you will marry me.
l84l		If not, I’ll die your maid. To be your fellow
l85l		You may deny me, but I’ll be your servant
l86l		Whether you will or no.
	Ferdinand	
		(kneeling)
		 My mistress, dearest#
l87l		And I thus humble ever.
l88l	Miranda	My husband then?
l89l	Ferdinand	Ay, with a heart as willing
l90l		As bondage e’er of freedom. Here’s my hand.
l91l	Miranda	And mine, with my heart in ’t. And now farewell
l92l		Till half an hour hence.
	Ferdinand	A thousand thousand.
		( 92B Exeunt severally Miranda and Ferdinand)
l93l	Prospero	 So glad of this as they I cannot be,
l94l		Who are surprised with all# but my rejoicing
l95l		At nothing can be more. I’ll to my book,
l96l		For yet ere supper-time must I perform
l97l		Much business appertaining.
		(Exit)