Act IV, Scene 1

Before PROSPERO’S cell.

[Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA]

• Prospero. If I have too austerely punish'd you, 1700
  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 1705
  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. 1710

• 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 1715
  All sanctimonious ceremonies may
  With full and holy rite be minister'd,
  No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
  To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
  Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew 1720
  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, 1725
  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 1730
  When I shall think: or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,
  Or Night kept chain'd below.

• Prospero. Fairly spoke.
  Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own.
  What, Ariel! my industrious servant, Ariel! 1735

[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, 1740
  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. 1745

• 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, 1750
  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. 1755

[Exit]

• Prospero. Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
  Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw
  To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,
  Or else, good night your vow! 1760

• 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, 1765
  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 1770
  Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and pease;
  Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
  And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
  Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
  Which spongy April at thy hest betrims, 1775
  To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom -groves,
  Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
  Being lass-lorn: thy pole-clipt vineyard;
  And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
  Where thou thyself dost air;—the queen o' the sky, 1780
  Whose watery 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:
  Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain. 1785

[Enter CERES]

• Ceres. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er
  Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
  Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers
  Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers, 1790
  And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
  My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,
  Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen
  Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?

• Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate; 1795
  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 1800
  The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
  Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
  I have forsworn.

• Iris. Of her society
  Be not afraid: I met her deity 1805
  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-right shall be paid
  Till Hymen's torch be lighted: but vain; 1810
  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.

• Ceres. High'st queen of state, 1815
  Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

[Enter JUNO]

• Juno. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
  To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be
  And honour'd in their issue. 1820

[They sing:]

• Juno. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
  Long continuance, and increasing,
  Hourly joys be still upon you!
  Juno sings her blessings upon you. 1825

• Ceres. Earth's increase, foison plenty,
  Barns and garners never empty,
  Vines and clustering bunches growing,
  Plants with goodly burthen bowing;
  Spring come to you at the farthest 1830
  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
  Harmoniously charmingly. May I be bold 1835
  To think these spirits?

• Prospero. Spirits, which by mine art
  I have from their confines call'd to enact
  My present fancies.

• Ferdinand. Let me live here ever; 1840
  So rare a wonder'd father and a wife
  Makes this place Paradise.
  [Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on]
  employment]

• Prospero. Sweet, now, silence! 1845
  Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;
  There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,
  Or else our spell is marr'd.

• Iris. You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the windring brooks,
  With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks, 1850
  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] 1855
  You sunburnt 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. 1860
  [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 1865
  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. 1870
  [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 1875
  Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.

• Prospero. You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
  As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir.
  Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
  As I foretold you, were all spirits and 1880
  Are melted into air, into thin air:
  And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
  The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
  The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
  Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve 1885
  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 vex'd;
  Bear with my weakness; my, brain is troubled: 1890
  Be not disturb'd 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. [with Miranda] We wish your peace. 1895

[Exeunt]

• Prospero. Come with a thought I thank thee, Ariel: come.

[Enter ARIEL]

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

• Prospero. Spirit, 1900
  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 fear'd
  Lest I might anger thee.

• Prospero. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets? 1905

• Ariel. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;
  So fun 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 tabour; 1910
  At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd
  their ears,
  Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses
  As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears
  That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through 1915
  Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,
  Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them
  I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
  There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
  O'erstunk their feet. 1920

• 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. 1925

[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, 1930
  So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
  Even to roaring.
  [Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c]
  Come, hang them on this line.
  [PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter] 1935
  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 1940
  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,— 1945

• 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 hush'd as midnight yet. 1950

• 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. 1955

• 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' the cell: no noise, and enter.
  Do that good mischief which may make this island 1960
  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! 1965

• 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. 1970

• Trinculo. Thy grace shall have it.

• Caliban. The dropsy drown this fool I what do you mean
  To dote thus on such luggage? Let's alone
  And do the murder first: if he awake,
  From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches, 1975
  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. 1980

• Trinculo. Do, do: we steal by line and level, an'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. 1985

• 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 turn'd to barnacles, or to apes
  With foreheads villanous low. 1990

• 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. 1995
  [A noise of hunters heard. Enter divers Spirits,]
  in shape of dogs and hounds, and hunt them about,
  PROSPERO and ARIEL setting them on]

• Prospero. Hey, Mountain, hey!

• Ariel. Silver I there it goes, Silver! 2000

• 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 2005
  With aged 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
  Lie at my mercy all mine enemies: 2010
  Shortly shall all my labours end, and thou
  Shalt have the air at freedom: for a little
  Follow, and do me service.

[Exeunt]