THE TEMPEST

Act 4 Scene 1

(Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda)
l1l	Prospero	(to Ferdinand)
		 If I have too austerely punished you,
l2l		Your compensation makes amends, for I
l3l		Have given you here a third of mine own life—
l4l		Or that for which I live—who once again
l5l		I tender to thy hand. All thy vexations
l6l		Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
l7l		Hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heaven,
l8l		I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,
l9l		Do not smile at me that I boast of her,
l10l		For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
l11l		And make it halt behind her.
	Ferdinand	I do believe it
l12l		Against an oracle.
l13l	Prospero	Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition
l14l		Worthily purchased, take my daughter. But
l15l		If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
l16l		All sanctimonious ceremonies may
l17l		With full and holy rite be ministered,
l18l		No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
l19l		To make this contract grow# but barren hate,
l20l		Sour-eyed disdain, and discord, shall bestrew
l21l		The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
l22l		That you shall hate it both. Therefore take heed,
l23l		As Hymen’s lamps shall light you.
	Ferdinand	As I hope
l24l		For quiet days, fair issue, and long life
l25l		With such love as ’tis now, the murkiest den,
l26l		The most opportune place, the strong’st suggestion
l27l		Our worser genius can, shall never melt
l28l		Mine honour into lust to take away
l29l		The edge of that day’s celebration#
l30l		When I shall think or Phoebus’ steeds are foundered
l31l		Or night kept chained below.
	Prospero	Fairly spoke.
l32l		Sit, then, and talk with her. She is thine own.
		(Ferdinand and Miranda sit and talk together)
l33l		What, Ariel, my industrious servant Ariel!
		(Enter Ariel)
l34l	Ariel	 What would my potent master? Here I am.
l35l	Prospero	Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
l36l		Did worthily perform, and I must use you
l37l		In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
l38l		O’er whom I give thee power, here to this place.
l39l		Incite them to quick motion, for I must
l40l		Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
l41l		Some vanity of mine art. It is my promise,
l42l		And they expect it from me.
	Ariel	Presently?
l43l	Prospero	Ay, with a twink.
l44l	Ariel	> Before you can say “Come” and “Go”,
l45l		And breathe twice, and cry “So, so”,
l46l		Each one tripping on his toe
l47l		Will be here with mop and mow.
l48l		Do you love me, master? No?
l49l	Prospero	 Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
l50l		Till thou dost hear me call.
	Ariel	Well# I conceive.
		(Exit)
l51l	Prospero	(to Ferdinand)
		 Look thou be true. Do not give dalliance
l52l		Too much the rein. The strongest oaths are straw
l53l		To th’ fire i’ th’ blood. Be more abstemious,
l54l		Or else, good night your vow.
	Ferdinand	I warrant you, sir,
l55l		The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
l56l		Abates the ardour of my liver.
	Prospero	Well.—
l57l		Now come, my Ariel! Bring a corollary
l58l		Rather than want a spirit. Appear, and pertly.
		(Soft music)
l59l		(To Ferdinand and Miranda)
		 No tongue, all eyes! Be silent.
		(Enter Iris)
l60l	Iris	 Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
l61l		Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas#
l62l		Thy turfy mountains where live nibbling sheep,
l63l		And flat meads thatched with stover, them to keep#
l64l		Thy banks with peonied and twillèd brims
l65l		Which spongy April at thy hest betrims
l66l		To make cold nymphs chaste crowns# and thy broom- groves,
l67l		Whose shadow the dismissèd bachelor loves,
l68l		Being lass-lorn# thy pole-clipped vineyard,
l69l		And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
l70l		Where thou thyself dost air: the Queen o’ th’ Sky,
l71l		Whose wat’ry arch and messenger am I,
l72l		Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace
		(Juno appears in the air)
l73l		Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
l74l		To come and sport.—Her peacocks fly amain.
l75l		Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.
		(Enter Ariel as Ceres)
l76l	Ceres	 Hail, many-coloured messenger, that ne’er
l77l		Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter#
l78l		Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers
l79l		Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers,
l80l		And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
l81l		My bosky acres and my unshrubbed down,
l82l		Rich scarf to my proud earth. Why hath thy queen
l83l		Summoned me hither to this short-grassed green?
l84l	Iris	A contract of true love to celebrate,
l85l		And some donation freely to estate
l86l		On the blest lovers.
	Ceres	Tell me, heavenly bow,
l87l		If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
l88l		Do now attend the Queen. Since they did plot
l89l		The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
l90l		Her and her blind boy’s scandalled company
l91l		I have forsworn.
	Iris	Of her society
l92l		Be not afraid. I met her deity
l93l		Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son
l94l		Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
l95l		Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
l96l		Whose vows are that no bed-right shall be paid
l97l		Till Hymen’s torch be lighted—but in vain.
l98l		Mars’s hot minion is returned again.
l99l		Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
l100l		Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows,
l101l		And be a boy right out.
		(Music. Juno descends to the stage)
		
	Ceres	 Highest queen of state,
l102l		Great Juno, comes# I know her by her gait.
l103l	Juno	How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
l104l		To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
l105l		And honoured in their issue.
		(Ceres joins Juno, and they sing)
l106l	Juno	> Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
l107l		Long continuance and increasing,
l108l		Hourly joys be still upon you!
l109l		Juno sings her blessings on you.
l110l	[Ceres]	Earth’s increase, and foison plenty,
l111l		Barns and garners never empty,
l112l		Vines with clust’ring bunches growing,
l113l		Plants with goodly burden bowing#
l114l		Spring come to you at the farthest,
l115l		In the very end of harvest.
l116l		Scarcity and want shall shun you,
l117l		Ceres’ blessing so is on you.
l118l	Ferdinand	 This is a most majestic vision, and
l119l		Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
l120l		To think these spirits?
	Prospero	Spirits, which by mine art
l121l		I have from their confines called to enact
l122l		My present fancies.
	Ferdinand	Let me live here ever!
l123l		So rare a wondered father and a wise
l124l		Makes this place paradise.
		(Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on employment)
		
	Prospero	 Sweet now, silence.
l125l		Juno and Ceres whisper seriously.
l126l		There’s something else to do. Hush, and be mute,
l127l		Or else our spell is marred.
l128l	Iris	You nymphs called naiads of the wind’ring brooks,
l129l		With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
l130l		Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land
l131l		Answer your summons# Juno does command.
l132l		Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
l133l		A contract of true love. Be not too late.
		(Enter certain nymphs)
l134l		You sunburned sicklemen, of August weary,
l135l		Come hither from the furrow and be merry#
l136l		Make holiday, your rye-straw hats put on,
l137l		And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
l138l		In country footing.
		(Enter certain reapers, properly habited. They join with the nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof Prospero starts suddenly, and speaks)
l139l	Prospero	(aside)
		 I had forgot that foul conspiracy
l140l		Of the beast Caliban and his confederates
l141l		Against my life. The minute of their plot
l142l		Is almost come.
		(To the spirits)
		 Well done! Avoid# no more!
		(To a strange, hollow, and confused noise, the spirits in the pageant heavily vanish.)
l143l		[Ferdinand and Miranda rise]
	Ferdinand	
		(to Miranda)
		 This is strange. Your father’s in some passion
l144l		That works him strongly.
	Miranda	Never till this day
l145l		Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.
l146l	Prospero	You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
l147l		As if you were dismayed. Be cheerful, sir.
l148l		Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
l149l		As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
l150l		Are melted into air, into thin air#
l151l		And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
l152l		The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
l153l		The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
l154l		Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve#
l155l		And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
l156l		Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
l157l		As dreams are made on, and our little life
l158l		Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed.
l159l		Bear with my weakness. My old brain is troubled.
l160l		Be not disturbed with my infirmity.
l161l		If you be pleased, retire into my cell,
l162l		And there repose. A turn or two I’ll walk
l163l		To still my beating mind.
	Ferdinand And Miranda	We wish your peace.
		(Exeunt Ferdinand and Miranda)
l164l	Prospero	 Come with a thought! I thank thee, Ariel. Come!
		(Enter Ariel)
l165l	Ariel	 Thy thoughts I cleave to. What’s thy pleasure?
	Prospero	Spirit,
l166l		We must prepare to meet with Caliban.
l167l	Ariel	Ay, my commander. When I presented Ceres
l168l		I thought to have told thee of it, but I feared
l169l		Lest I might anger thee.
l170l	Prospero	Say again: where didst thou leave these varlets?
l171l	Ariel	I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking#
l172l		So full of valour that they smote the air
l173l		For breathing in their faces, beat the ground
l174l		For kissing of their feet# yet always bending
l175l		Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
l176l		At which like unbacked colts they pricked their ears,
l177l		Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses
l178l		As they smelt music. So I charmed their ears
l179l		That calf-like they my lowing followed, through
l180l		Toothed briars, sharp furzes, pricking gorse, and thorns,
l181l		Which entered their frail shins. At last I left them
l182l		I’ th’ filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
l183l		There dancing up to th’ chins, that the foul lake
l184l		O’er-stunk their feet.
	Prospero	This was well done, my bird.
l185l		Thy shape invisible retain thou still.
l186l		The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither
l187l		For stale to catch these thieves.
	Ariel	I go, I go.
		(Exit)
l188l	Prospero	 A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
l189l		Nurture can never stick# on whom my pains,
l190l		Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost,
l191l		And, as with age his body uglier grows,
l192l		So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
l193l		Even to roaring.
		(Enter Ariel, laden with glistening apparel, etc.)
		 Come, hang them on this lime.
		(Ariel hangs up the apparel. Exeunt Prospero and Ariel.)
l194l		Enter Caliban, Stefano, and Trinculo, all wet
	Caliban	 Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may
l195l		Not hear a foot fall. We now are near his cell.
l196l	Stefano	 Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless
l197l		fairy, has done little better than played the Jack with
l198l		us.
l199l	Trinculo	Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which my
l200l		nose is in great indignation.
l201l	Stefano	So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should
l202l		take a displeasure against you, look you—
l203l	Trinculo	Thou wert but a lost monster.
l204l	Caliban	 Good my lord, give me thy favour still.
l205l		Be patient, for the prize I’ll bring thee to
l206l		Shall hoodwink this mischance. Therefore speak softly.
l207l		All’s hushed as midnight yet.
l208l	Trinculo	 Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool!
l209l	Stefano	There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that,
l210l		monster, but an infinite loss.
l211l	Trinculo	That’s more to me than my wetting. Yet this is
l212l		your harmless fairy, monster.
l213l	Stefano	I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o’er ears
l214l		for my labour.
l215l	Caliban	 Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here#
l216l		This is the mouth o’ th’ cell. No noise, and enter.
l217l		Do that good mischief which may make this island
l218l		Thine own for ever, and I thy Caliban
l219l		For aye thy foot-licker.
	Stefano	Give me thy hand.
l220l		I do begin to have bloody thoughts.
l221l	Trinculo	(seeing the apparel)
		 O King Stefano, O peer! O
l222l		worthy Stefano, look what a wardrobe here is for thee!
l223l	Caliban	 Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash.
l224l	Trinculo	(putting on a gown)
		 O ho, monster, we know
l225l		what belongs to a frippery! O King Stefano!
l226l	Stefano	Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I’ll
l227l		have that gown.
l228l	Trinculo	Thy grace shall have it.
l229l	Caliban	 The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean
l230l		To dote thus on such luggage? Let ’t alone,
l231l		And do the murder first. If he awake,
l232l		From toe to crown he’ll fill our skins with pinches,
l233l		Make us strange stuff.
l234l	Stefano	 Be you quiet, monster.—Mistress lime, is not
l235l		this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line. Now,
l236l		jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald
l237l		jerkin.
		(Stefano and Trinculo take garments)
l238l	Trinculo	 Do, do! We steal by line and level, an ’t like
l239l		your grace.
l240l	Stefano	I thank thee for that jest. Here’s a garment for ’t.
l241l		Wit shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this
l242l		country. “Steal by line and level” is an excellent pass
l243l		of pate. There’s another garment for ’t.
l244l	Trinculo	Monster, come, put some lime upon your
l245l		fingers, and away with the rest.
l246l	Caliban	 I will have none on ’t. We shall lose our time,
l247l		And all be turned to barnacles, or to apes
l248l		With foreheads villainous low.
l249l	Stefano	 Monster, lay to your fingers. Help to bear this
l250l		away where my hogshead of wine is, or I’ll turn you
l251l		out of my kingdom. Go to, carry this.
l252l	Trinculo	And this.
l253l	Stefano	Ay, and this.
		(They load Caliban with apparel.)
l254l		A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers spirits in shape of dogs and hounds, hunting them about# Prospero and Ariel setting them on
	Prospero	 Hey, Mountain, hey!
	Ariel	Silver! There it goes, Silver!
l255l	Prospero	Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark!
		( 255 Exeunt Stefano, Trinculo, and Caliban, pursued by spirits)
l256l		(To Ariel)
		 Go, charge my goblins that they grind their joints
l257l		With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews
l258l		With agèd cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them
l259l		Than pard or cat o’ mountain.
		(Cries within)
		
	Ariel	 Hark, they roar!
l260l	Prospero	Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour
l261l		Lies at my mercy all mine enemies.
l262l		Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou
l263l		Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little,
l264l		Follow, and do me service.
		(Exeunt)
	[[ACT INTERVAL]]