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The Tempest (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editors: Brent Whitted, Paul Yachnin
Peer Reviewed
Scena Tertia.
Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Anthonio, Gonzallo,
1515Adrian, Francisco, &c.
Gon. By'r lakin, I can goe no further, Sir,
My old bones akes: here's a maze trod indeede
Through fourth-rights, & Meanders: by your patience,
I needes must rest me.
1520Al. Old Lord, I cannot blame thee,
Who, am my selfe attach'd with wearinesse
To th'dulling of my spirits: Sit downe, and rest:
Euen here I will put off my hope, and keepe it
No longer for my Flatterer: he is droun'd
1525Whom thus we stray to finde, and the Sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land: well, let him goe.
Ant. I am right glad, that he's so out of hope:
Doe not for one repulse forgoe the purpose
That you resolu'd t'effect.
1530Seb. The next aduantage will we take throughly.
Ant. Let it be to night,
For now they are oppress'd with trauaile, they
Will not, nor cannot vse such vigilance
As when they are fresh.
1535
Solemne and strange Musicke: and Prosper on the top (inui-
sible:) Enter seuerall strange shapes, bringing in a Banket;
and dance about it with gentle actions of salutations, and
inuiting the King, &c. to eate, they depart.
Seb. I say to night: no more.
1540Al. What harmony is this? my good friends, harke.
Gon. Maruellous sweet Musicke.
Alo. Giue vs kind keepers, heauẽs: what were these?
Seb. A liuing Drolerie: now I will beleeue
That there are Vnicornes: that in Arabia
1545There is one Tree, the Phœnix throne, one Phœnix
At this houre reigning there.
Ant. Ile beleeue both:
And what do's else want credit, come to me
And Ile besworne 'tis true: Trauellers nere did lye,
1550Though fooles at home condemne 'em.
Gon. If in Naples
I should report this now, would they beleeue me?
If I should say I saw such Islands;
(For certes, these are people of the Island)
1555Who though they are of monstrous shape, yet note
Their manners are more gentle, kinde, then of
Our humaine generation you shall finde
Many, nay almost any.
Pro. Honest Lord,
1560Thou hast said well: for some of you there present;
Are worse then diuels.
Al. I cannot too much muse
Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound expressing
(Although they want the vse of tongue) a kinde
1565Of excellent dumbe discourse.
Pro. Praise in departing.
Fr. They vanish'd strangely.
Seb. No matter, since
They haue left their Viands behinde; for wee haue sto-
1570Wilt please you taste of what is here?
Alo. Not I.
Gon. Faith Sir, you neede not feare: when wee were
Who would beleeue that there were Mountayneeres,
Dew-lapt, like Buls, whose throats had hanging at 'em
1575Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men
Whose heads stood in their brests? which now we finde
Each putter out of fiue for one, will bring vs
Good warrant of.
Al. I will stand to, and feede,
1580Although my last, no matter, since I feele
The best is past: brother: my Lord, the Duke,
Stand too, and doe as we.
Thunder and Lightning. Enter Ariell (like a Harpey) claps
his wings vpon the Table, and with a quient deuice the
1585Banquet vanishes.
Ar. You are three men of sinne, whom destiny
That hath to instrument this lower world,
And what is in't: the neuer surfeited Sea,
Hath caus'd to belch vp you; and on this Island,
1590Where man doth not inhabit, you 'mongst men,
Being most vnfit to liue: I haue made you mad;
And euen with such like valour, men hang, and drowne
Their proper selues: you fooles, I and my fellowes
Are ministers of Fate, the Elements
1595Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud windes, or with bemockt-at-Stabs
Kill the still closing waters, as diminish
One dowle that's in my plumbe: My fellow ministers
Are like-invulnerable: if you could hurt,
1600Your swords are now too massie for your strengths,
And will not be vplifted: But remember
(For that's my businesse to you) that you three
From Millaine did supplant good Prospero,
Expos'd vnto the Sea (which hath requit it)
1605Him, and his innocent childe: for which foule deed,
The Powres, delaying (not forgetting) haue
Incens'd the Seas, and Shores; yea, all the Creatures
Against your peace: Thee of thy Sonne, Alonso
They haue bereft; and doe pronounce by me
1610Lingring perdition (worse then any death
Can be at once) shall step, by step attend
You, and your wayes, whose wraths to guard you from,
Which here, in this most desolate Isle, else fals
Vpon your heads, is nothing but hearts-sorrow,
1615And a cleere life ensuing.
He vanishes in Thunder: then (to soft Musicke.) Enter the
shapes againe, and daunce (with mockes and mowes) and
carrying out the Table.
Pro. Brauely the figure of this Harpie, hast thou
1620Perform'd (my Ariell) a grace it had deuouring:
Of my Instruction, hast thou nothing bated
In what thou had'st to say: so with good life,
And obseruation strange, my meaner ministers
Their seuerall kindes haue done: my high charmes work,
1625And these (mine enemies) are all knit vp
In their distractions: they now are in my powre;
And in these fits, I leaue them, while I visit
Yong Ferdinand (whom they suppose is droun'd)
And his, and mine lou'd darling.
1630Gon. I'th name of something holy, Sir, why stand you
In this strange stare?
Al. O, it is monstrous: monstrous:
Me thought the billowes spoke, and told me of it,
The windes did sing it to me: and the Thunder
1635(That deepe and dreadfull Organ-Pipe) pronounc'd
The name of Prosper: it did base my Trespasse,
Therefore my Sonne i'th Ooze is bedded; and
I'le seeke him deeper then ere plummet sounded,
And with him there lye mudded.
Exit.
1640Seb. But one feend at a time,
Ile fight their Legions ore.
Ant. Ile be thy Second.
Exeunt.
Gon. All three of them are desperate: their great guilt
(Like poyson giuen to worke a great time after)
1645Now gins to bite the spirits: I doe beseech you
(That are of suppler ioynts) follow them swiftly,
And hinder them from what this extasie
May now prouoke them to.
Ad. Follow, I pray you.
Exeunt omnes.