• Are melted into air, into thin air;

And, like the baseless fabrick of th' air-visions
The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The folemn temples, the great globe it felf,
Yea, all, which it inherit, fhall diffolve;

And, like this infubftantial pageant faded,

< Leave

He had just before faid, that the Spirits were melted into Air, into thin Air. This furnishes him with the fine fimilitude of Air Vifions, which generally appearing, as Shakespear in another place fays, like

A tower'd Citidel, a pendant Rock,

A forked Mountain, or blue Promontory,

he very properly calls bafelefs Fabrics, which doth not fo well agree with fpirits in a human form. By this emendation the tautology, taken notice of above, is avoided: and the Poet, with great perfpicuity, and phyfical exactnefs, compares the Globe, and all inanimate things upon it, to Air Vifions; and men and animals in the words yea all which it inherit--to the vifion of Spirits, which the Speaker had juft before prefented to them. Further, that the Comparison was indeed to Air Vifions is ftill evident from the words,

leave not a Rack behind,

which can refer only to Air Vifions. For Rack is the veftige of an embodied cloud, which hath been broken and diffipated by the Winds But laftly, to put the emendation out of all reasonable question, we have this very Similitude of Air Vifions again in Anteny and Cleopatra, with this difference only, that it is there applied to the tranfient glory of one man, and here, to that of human things in general.

Anthony and Cleopatra.

Sometimes we fee a Cloud that's dragonifh,
A vapour, fometimes like a bear or lion,
A towered Citidel, a pendant Rock,

A forked Mountain or blue Promentory;
thout feen thefe figns,

They are black Vefper's Pageants

That which is now a Horfe even with a thought,
The Rack diflimns and makes it indiftinct,

As water is in water

now thy Captain is

Even fuch a body; here I'm Anthony,

Yet cannot hold this vifible Shape, &c.

I will only add, that the thought-They are black Vefper's Pageants, is wonderfully beautiful. As it characterizes thefe Air Visions, which appear only in the Evening, when the setting Sun

reflects

9 Leave not a rack behind! we are fuch ftuff • As dreams are made on, and our little life • Is rounded with a fleep.'' Sir, I am vext; Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled: Be not difturb'd with my infirmity;

If thou be pleas'd, retire into my cell,

And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,
To ftill my beating mind,

Fer. Mira. We wish your peace.

[Exe, Fer. and Mir.

Pro.

reflects its light upon the oppofite Clouds; and as it gives a vast force to the Similitude, which infinuates that human glory is as certainly fucceeded by Mifery, as thefe gaudy Appearances by a dark cloudy Night. It is obfervable, that the time at which ProSpero ufes this Similitude of Air Vifions, is the Evening.

9 Leave not a Rack behind!--] The Oxford Editor not knowing what Mariners call the Rack of a Cloud, namely the Veftige of it, after it has been broken and driven by the wind, alters it to Track.

5

I

Sir, I am vext,

Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled:]

Profpero here difcovers a great emotion of anger on his fudden recollection of Caliban's plot. This appears from the admirable reflexion he makes on the infignificancy of human things. For thinking men are never under greater depreffion of mind than when they moralize in this manner: and yet, if we turn to the occafion of his diforder, it does not appear, as firft view, to be a thing capable of moving one in Profpero's circumftances. The Plot of a contemptible Savage and two drunken Sailors, all of whom he had abfolutely in his power. There was then no apprehenfion of danger. But if we look more nearly into the cafe, we shall have reason to admire our Author's wonderful knowledge of nature. There was fomething in it with which great minds are moft deeply affected, and that is the Senfe of Ingratitude. He recalled to mind the Obligations this Caliban lay under for the inftructions he had given him, and the conveniencies of life he had taught him to ufe. But thefe reflexions on Caliban's Ingratitude would naturally recal to mind his brother's: And then these two working together were very capable of producing all the diforder of paffion here reprefented.That these two, who had received, at his hands, the two beft Gifts mortals are capable of, when rightly employed, Regal power and the Use of reafon; that thefe, in return, fhould confpire against the life of the Donor, would furely afflict a generous mind to its utmost bearing.

F 3

Pro. Come with a thought;I thank you :Ariel, come.

Profpero comes forward from the Cell; enter Ariel to him.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to; what's thy pleasure? Pro. Spirit,

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Ari. Ay, my commander; when I prefented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd, Left I might anger thee.

Pro. Say again, where didft thou leave these varlets? Ari. I told you, Sir, they were red hot with drinking; So full of valour, that they fmote the air

For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kiffing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor,
At which, like unbackt colts, they prickt their ears,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their nofes,
As they smelt mufick; fo I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briars, fharp furzes, pricking gofs and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail fhins: at laft I left them
I' th' filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to th' chins, that the foul lake
O'er-ftunk their feet.

Pro. This was well done, my bird;

Thy shape invifible retain thou ftill;

2 The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither, For ftale to catch thefe thieves.

Ari. I go, I go.

Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature Nurture can never ftick; on whom my pains,

2 The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither

[Exit.

For fale to catch thefe Thieves-] If it be asked what neceffity there was for this apparatus, I answer that it was the fuperftitious fancy of the people, in our Author's time, that Witches, Conjurors, &c. had no power over those against whom they would employ their Charms, till they had got them at this advantage, committing fome fin or other, as here of theft.

Humanely

Humanely taken, all, all loft, quite loft;
And, as with age, his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers; I will plague them all,
Even to roaring: come, hang them on this line.
[Profpero remains invifible.

Enter Ariel loaden with glistering apparel, &c. Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, all wet.

Cal. Pray you, tread foftly, that the blind mole

may not

Hear a foot fall; we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your Fairy, which you fay is a harmless Fairy, has done little better than plaid the Jack with us. Trin. Monfter, I do fmell all horfe-piss, at which my nofe is in great indignation.

Ste. So is mine: do you hear, monfter? if I fhould take a displeasure against you; look you

Trin. Thou wer't but a loft monster.

Cal. Good my lord, give me thy favour ftill: Be patient, for the prize, I'll bring thee to, Shall hood-wink this mifchance; therefore, speak foftly: All's hufht as midnight yet.

Trin. "Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,Ste. "There is not only difgrace and dishonour in that, monfter, but an infinite lofs.

Trin. "That's more to me than my wetting: yet "this is your harmless Fairy, monster.

66

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

Cal. Pr'ythee, my King, be quiet: feeft thou here, This is the mouth o' th' cell; no noife, and enter; Do that good mifchief, which may make this Ifland Thine own for ever; and I, thy Caliban,

For ay thy foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy hand: I do begin to have bloody thoughts. [phano! Trin. O King Stephano! O Peer! O worthy SteLook, what a wardrobe here is for thee!

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

Trin. Oh, oh, monfter; we know what belongs to a frippery ;-O, King Stephano!

Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Trin. Thy grace shall have it.

[mean, Cal. The dropfie drown this fool! what do you To doat thus on fuch luggage? let's along, And do the murder firft: if he awake,

From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches; Make us ftrange stuff.

Ste. Be you quiet, monfter. 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.

Trin. Do, do; we fteal by line and level, and't like your Grace.

Ste." I thank thee for that jeft, here's a garment for't: wit fhall not go unrewarded, while I am King of this country: fteal by line and level, is an "excellent pafs of pate; there's another garment "for't.

Trin. Monster, come, put fome lime upon your fingers, and away with the reft.

Cal. I will have none on't; we fhall lofe our time, And all be turn'd to barnacles, or apes

With foreheads villanous low.

3 Trin. O King Stephano! O Peer! O worthy Stephano! Look, what a wardrobe here is for thee!] The Humour of these lines confifts in their being an allufion to an old celebrated Ballad, which begins thus, King Stephen was a worthy Peerand celebrates that King's parfimony with regard to his wardrobe. There are two Stanzas of this ballad in Othello.

Ste.