The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare/Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso/shakes/text/28/04_01

Text File | 1991-04-10 | 14KB | 400 lines

Before Prospero's Cell.
 Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND and MIRANDA.

Prospero    If I have too austerely punished you,
    Your compensation makes amends; for I
    Have given you here a third of mine own life,
    Or that for which I live; who once again
    I tender to thy hand. All thy vexations
    Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
    Hast strangely stood the test. Here, afore heaven,
    I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand,
    Do not smile at me that I boast her off,
    For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
    And make it halt behind her.

Ferdinand                                    I do believe it
    Against an oracle.

Prospero    Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
    Worthily purchased, take my daughter; but
    If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
    All sanctimonious ceremonies may
    With full and holy rite be ministered,
    No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
    To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
    Sour-eyed disdain, and discord shall bestrew
    The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
    That you shall hate it both. Therefore take heed
    As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Ferdinand                                            As I hope
    For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,
    With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,
    The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
    Our worser genius can, shall never melt
    Mine honour into lust, to take away
    The edge of that day's celebration
    When I shall think or Phoebus' steeds are foundered
    Or Night kept chained below.

Prospero                                        Fairly spoke.
    Sit then, and talk with her: she is thine own.
    What, Ariel! My industrious servant, Ariel!

                               Enter ARIEL.

Ariel    What would my potent master? Here I am.

Prospero    Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
    Did worthily perform, and I must use you
    In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
    O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place.
    Incite them to quick motion; for I must
    Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
    Some vanity of mine art. It is my promise,
    And they expect it from me.

Ariel                                        Presently?

Prospero    Ay, with a twink.

Ariel            Before you can say 'Come' and 'Go',
            And breathe twice, and cry 'So, so',
            Each one tripping on his toe
            Will be here with mop and mow.
            Do you love me, master? No?

Prospero    Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach
    Till thou dost hear me call.

Ariel                                    Well I conceive.
                                                    [Exit.
Prospero    [To FERDINAND.] Look thou be true. Do not give dalliance
    Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw
    To th' fire i'th' blood. Be more abstemious,
    Or else, good night your vow!

Ferdinand                                        I warrant you, sir,
    The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
    Abates the ardour of my liver.

Prospero                                        Well.
    Now come, my Ariel. Bring a corollary
    Rather than want a spirit. Appear, and pertly.
    No tongue! All eyes! Be silent.
                                                    [Soft music.

                               Enter IRIS.

Iris    Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
    Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and pease;
    Thy turfy mountains where live nibbling sheep,
    And flat meads thatched with stover, them to keep;
    Thy banks with piond and twilld brims,
    Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,
    To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves,
    Whose shadow the dismissd bachelor loves,
    Being lass-lorn; thy poll-clipped vineyard;
    And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
    Where thou thyself dost air - the Queen o'th' Sky,
    Whose wat'ry arch and messenger am I,
    Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace
    Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
    To come and sport. Her peacocks fly amain.

                              JUNO descends.

    Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

                               Enter CERES.

Ceres    Hail, many-coloured messenger, that ne'er
    Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
    Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers
    Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers,
    And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
    My bosky acres and my unshrubbed down,
    Rich scarf to my proud earth. Why hath thy queen
    Summoned me hither to this short-grassed green?

Iris    A contract of true love to celebrate,
    And some donation freely to estate
    On the blest lovers.

Ceres                            Tell me, heavenly bow,
    If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
    Do now attend the queen? Since they did plot
    The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
    Her and her blind boy's scandalled company
    I have forsworn.

Iris                        Of her society
    Be not afraid. I met her deity
    Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son
    Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
    Some wanton charm upon this man and maid-
    Whose vows are that no bed-rite shall be paid
    Till Hymen's torch be lighted - but in vain.
    Mars's hot minion is returned again;
    Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
    Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows,
    And be a boy right out.
                                                [JUNO alights to the stage.

Ceres                                Highest queen of state,
    Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

Juno    How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
    To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
    And honoured in their issue.

                                  Song.

Juno            Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
            Long continuance, and increasing,
            Hourly joys be still upon you.
            Juno sings her blessings on you.

Ceres            Earth's increase, foison plenty,
            Barns and garners never empty,
            Vines with clust'ring bunches growing,
            Plants with goodly burden bowing;
            Spring come to you at the farthest,
            In the very end of harvest.
            Scarcity and want shall shun you,
            Ceres' blessing so is on you.

Ferdinand    This is a most majestic vision, and
    Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold
    To think these spirits?

Prospero                                Spirits, which by mine art
    I have from their confines called to enact
    My present fancies.

Ferdinand                        Let me live here ever:
    So rare a wondered father and a wise
    Makes this place paradise.
                                                    [JUNO and CERES whisper,
                                            and send IRIS on employment.

Prospero                                    Sweet, now silence.
    Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;
    There's something else to do. Hush, and be mute,
    Or else our spell is marred.

Iris    You nymphs, called Naiads, of the windring brooks,
    With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks,
    Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land
    Answer your summons; Juno does command.
    Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
    A contract of true love; be not too late.

                          Enter certain NYMPHS.

    You sunburned sicklemen, of August weary,
    Come hither from the furrow, and be merry:
    Make holiday, your rye-straw hats put on,
    And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
    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;
          after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise,
                           they heavily vanish.

Prospero    [Aside.] I had forgot that foul conspiracy
    Of the beast Caliban and his confederates
    Against my life. The minute of their plot
    Is almost come. [To the SPIRITS.] Well done. Avoid; no more!

Ferdinand    This is strange. Your father's in some passion
    That works him strongly.

Miranda                                Never till this day
    Saw I him touched with anger so distempered.

Prospero    You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
    As if you were dismayed. Be cheerful, sir.
    Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
    As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
    Are melted into air, into thin air;
    And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
    The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
    The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
    Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
    And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
    Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
    As dreams are made on, and our little life
    Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed;
    Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled.
    Be not disturbed with my infirmity.
    If you be pleased, retire into my cell,
    And there repose. A turn or two I'll walk,
    To still my beating mind.

Ferdinand &
Miranda                                    We wish your peace.
                                                    [Exeunt.
Prospero    Come with a thought. I thank thee, Ariel; come.

                             Re-enter ARIEL.

Ariel    Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?

Prospero                                            Spirit,
    We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Ariel    Ay, my commander. When I presented Ceres
    I thought to have told thee of it; but I feared
    Lest I might anger thee.

Prospero    Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?

Ariel    I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
    So full of valour that they smote the air
    For breathing in their faces, beat the ground
    For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
    Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
    At which, like unbacked colts, they pricked their ears,
    Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses
    As they smelt music: so I charmed their ears
    That calf-like they my lowing followed, through
    Toothed briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and thorns,
    Which entered their frail shins. At last I left them
    I'th' filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
    There dancing up to th' chins, that the foul lake
    O'erstunk their feet.

Prospero                            This was well done, my bird.
    Thy shape invisible retain thou still.
    The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
    For stale to catch these thieves.

Ariel                                            I go, I go.
                                                    [Exit.
Prospero    A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
    Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
    Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
    And, as with age his body uglier grows,
    So his mind cankers. I will plague them all
    Even to roaring.

           Re-enter ARIEL loaden with glistering apparel, etc.

                        Come, hang them on this line.
                                      [PROSPERO and ARIEL stand apart.

              Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO and TRINCULO, all wet.

Caliban    Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not
    Hear a foot fall. We now are near his cell.

Stephano    Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has
    done little better than played the Jack with us.

Trinculo    Monster, I do smell all horse-piss, at which my nose is in
    great indignation.

Stephano    So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a
    displeasure against you, look you-

Trinculo    Thou wert but a lost monster.

Caliban    Good my lord, give me thy favour still.
    Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to
    Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly.
    All's hushed as midnight yet.

Trinculo    Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool-

Stephano    There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster,
    but an infinite loss.

Trinculo    That's more to me than my wetting. Yet this is your harmless
    fairy, monster.

Stephano    I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears for my
    labour.

Caliban    Prithee, my king, be quiet. Seest thou here,
    This is the mouth o'th' cell. No noise, and enter.
    Do that good mischief which may make this island
    Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,
    For aye thy foot-licker.

Stephano    Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Trinculo    O King Stephano! O peer! O worthy Stephano, look what a
    wardrobe here is for thee!

Caliban    Let it alone, thou fool, it is but trash.

Trinculo    O, ho, monster? - we know what belongs to a frippery. O King
    Stephano!

Stephano    Put off that gown, Trinculo. By this hand, I'll have that
    gown.

Trinculo    Thy grace shall have it.

Caliban    The dropsy drown this fool! What do you mean
    To dote thus on such luggage? Let 't alone,
    And do the murder first. If he awake,
    From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,
    Make us strange stuff.

Stephano    Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this my jerkin?
    Now is the jerkin under the line. Now, jerkin, you are like
    to lose your hair and prove a bald jerkin.

Trinculo    Do, do. We steal by line and level, and't like your grace.

Stephano    I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't. Wit
    shall not go unrewarded while I am king of this country.
    "Steal by line and level" is an excellent pass of pate;
    there's another garment for't.

Trinculo    Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away
    with the rest.

Caliban    I will have none on't. We shall lose our time,
    And all be turned to barnacles, or to apes
    With foreheads villainous low.

Stephano    Monster, lay-to your fingers. Help to bear this away where
    my hogshead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my kingdom.
    Go to, carry this.

Trinculo    And this.

Stephano    Ay, and this.

                        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!

Prospero    Fury, Fury! There, Tyrant, there! Hark, hark!
                                        [CALIBAN, STEPHANO and TRINCULO
                                                    are driven out.

    Go charge my goblins that they grind their joints
    With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews
    With agd cramps, and more pinch-spotted make them
    Than pard or cat o' mountain.

Ariel                                        Hark, they roar!

Prospero    Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour
    Lies at my mercy all mine enemies:
    Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou
    Shalt have the air at freedom. For a little,
    Follow, and do me service.
                                                    [Exeunt.