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Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe, That there are unicorns; that, in Arabia

There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix At this hour reigning there.

Ant. I'll believe both :

And what does elfe want credit, come to me,
And I'll be fworn 'tis true. Travellers ne'er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn 'em.

Gon. If in Naples

I fhould report this now, would they believe me?
If I fhould fay, I faw fuch iflanders:

(For, certes, thefe are people of the land)

Who though they are of monftrous fhape, yet, note, Their manners are more gentle-kind, than of

Our human generation you fhall find

Many; nay, almost any.

Pro. Honeft lord,

Thou haft faid well; for fome of you there prefent Are worfe than devils.

Alon. I cannot too much mufe,

Such fhapes, fuch gefture, and fuch found, expreffing (Although they want the ufe of tongue) a kind Of excellent dumb difcourfe.

Pro. Praife, in departing.

Fran. They vanish'd ftrangely.

Seb. No matter, fince

They've left their viands behind; for we have ftomachs. Will't please you taste of what is here?

Alon. Not I.

[boys,

Gon. Faith, Sir, you need not fear. When we were Who would believe, that there were mountaineers, Dew-lapt like bulls, whofe throats had hanging at 'em Wallets of flesh, or that there were fuch men,

Whole heads flood in their breafts? which now we find, Each putter out on five for one will bring us

* This paffage alluding to a forgotten cuftom is very obfcure;

2

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Good warrant of.

Alon. I will ftand to and feed,

Although my last; no matter, fince I feel
The belt is past. Brother, my lord the Duke,
Stand to, and do as we.

SCENE IV.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy, claps bis wings upon the table, feems to feize upon the dishes, and with a quaint device the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of fin, whom deftiny, That hath to inftrument this lower world, And what is in't, the never-furfeited fea Hath caufed to belch up; and on this Island Where man doth not inhabit, you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; And ev'n with fuch like valour men hang and drown Their proper felves. [Alonfo, Sebaftian, and the reft Ye fools! I and my fellows [draw their words.

Are minifters of fate; the elements,

Of whom your fwords a: e temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemockt-at ftabs
Kill the ftill-clofing waters, as diminish

One down that's in my plume: my fellow-minifters
Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your fwords are now too maffy for your ftrengths,
And will not be up-lifted. But remember,
(For that's my business to you) that you three
From Milan did fupplant good Profpero:
Expos'd unto the fea, which hath requit it,
Him, and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers, delaying not forgetting, have
Incens'd the feas and fhores, yea, all the creatures,

count? the five for one is money to be received by him at his return. Mr. Theobald has well il

luftrated this paffage by a quotation from Jobnfon.

Against

Against your peace. Thee of thy fon, Alonfo,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
Ling'ring perdition, worfe than any death
Can be at once, fhall ftep by step attend

You and your ways; whose wrath to guard you from,
Which here in this most defolate Ifle elfe falls
Upon your heads, is nothing but heart's forrow,
And a clear life enfuing. 3

He vanishes in thunder: then to foft mufick. Enter the fhapes again, and dance with mops and mowes, and carrying out the table.

Prof. Bravely the figure of this harpy haft thou Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: Of my inftruction haft thou nothing 'bated, In what thou hadst to say; fo with good life, 4 And obfervation ftrange, my meaner minifters Their feveral kinds have done. My high charms work, And thefe, mine enemies, are all knit up In their distractions: they are in my power; And in these fits I leave them, whilst I vifit Young Ferdinand, whom they fuppofe is drown'd, And his and my lov'd darling.

[Exit Profpero from above. Gon. I'th' name of fomething holy, Sir, why ftand

In this ftrange ftare?

Alon. O, it is monftrous! monstrous:

Methought the billows fpoke, and told me of it;
The winds did fing it to me;

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and the thunder,

with good lift,

[you

with good will, with fincere zeal for my fervice. I should have proposed,

with good lief,

in the fame fenfe, but that I can not find lief to be a Subftantive, That

That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd
The Name of Profper: it did bafs my trefpafs. s
Therefore, my fon i'th' ooze is bedded; and
I'll feek him deeper than e'er plummet founded,,
And with him there lie mudded.

Seb. But one fiend at a time,

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant. I'll be thy fecond.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

Gon. All three of them are defperate; their great guilt,

Like poifon giv'n to work a great time after,
Now 'gins to bite the fpirits. I do beseech you
That are of fuppler joints, follow them swiftly;
And hinder them from what this ecftafie
May now provoke them to.

I

Adri. Follow, I pray you.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

Profpero's Cell.

Enter Profpero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.

PROSPERO.

F I have too aufterely punish'd you,

Your compenfation makes amends; for I Have giv'n you here a third of mine own life: "

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6

Or

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Or that for which I live; whom once again.
I tender to thine hand: all my vexations-
Were but my tryals of thy love, and thou
Haft ftrangely ftood the telt. 7 Here, afore heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift: O Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me, that I boast her off;
For thou fhalt find, fhe will outftrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer. I believe it, Against an oracle.

Pro. Then as my gift, and thine own acquifition Worthily purchas'd, take my Daughter. But If thou dost break her virgin-knot, before

All fanctimonious ceremonies may

With full and holy Rite be minister'd,

No fweet afperfions fhall the heav'ns let fall
To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
Sour-ey'd difdain, and difcord shall beftrew
The union of your bed with weeds fo loathly,
That you fhall hate it both: therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Fer. As I hope

For quiet days, fair iffue, and long life,

With fuch love as 'tis now; the murkiest den,

The most opportune place, and strong'st fuggeftion
Our worfer Genius can, fhall never melt
Mine honour into luft; to take away

The edge of that day's celebration,

When I fhali think or Phabus' steeds are founder'd,

And Dimidium animæ me was the current Language with the Latines on fuch Occafions.

THEOBALD.

In confequence of this ratiocination Mr. Theobald printed the text a thread of my own life. I have reftored the ancient reading. Profpero, in his reason fib. joined why he calls her the third

of his life, feems to allude to fome logical diftinction of causes, making her the final cause.

7 Atrangely flood the test.] Strangely is used by way of commendation, merveilleujment, to a avonder; the fenie is the fame in the foregoing scene, with abfervation frange.

*My Guest, firft Fol.

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