The Tempest, William Shakespeare [good summer reads TXT] 📗

drinking do. A murrain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers! Caliban Ha, ha, ha! Stephano Now, forward with your tale. Prithee, stand farther off. Caliban

Beat him enough: after a little time
I’ll beat him too.

Stephano Stand farther. Come, proceed. Caliban

Why, as I told thee, ’tis a custom with him,
I’ th’ afternoon to sleep: there thou mayst brain him,
Having first seized his books, or with a log
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his wezand with thy knife. Remember
First to possess his books; for without them
He’s but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
One spirit to command: they all do hate him
As rootedly as I. Burn but his books.
He has brave utensils⁠—for so he calls them⁠—
Which when he has a house, he’ll deck withal.
And that most deeply to consider is
The beauty of his daughter; he himself
Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman,
But only Sycorax my dam and she;
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax
As great’st does least.

Stephano Is it so brave a lass? Caliban

Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant.
And bring thee forth brave brood.

Stephano Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen⁠—save our graces!⁠—and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo? Trinculo Excellent. Stephano Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head. Caliban

Within this half hour will he be asleep:
Wilt thou destroy him then?

Stephano Ay, on mine honour. Ariel This will I tell my master. Caliban

Thou makest me merry; I am full of pleasure:
Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch
You taught me but while-ere?

Stephano At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason. Come on, Trinculo, let us sing. Sings.

Flout ’em and scout ’em
And scout ’em and flout ’em;
Thought is free.

Caliban That’s not the tune. Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe. Stephano What is this same? Trinculo This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody. Stephano If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, take’t as thou list. Trinculo O, forgive me my sins! Stephano He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee. Mercy upon us! Caliban Art thou afeard? Stephano No, monster, not I. Caliban

Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.

Stephano This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my music for nothing. Caliban When Prospero is destroyed. Stephano That shall be by and by: I remember the story. Trinculo The sound is going away; let’s follow it, and after do our work. Stephano Lead, monster; we’ll follow. I would I could see this tabourer; he lays it on. Trinculo Wilt come? I’ll follow, Stephano. Exeunt. Scene III

Another part of the island.

Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others. Gonzalo

By’r lakin, I can go no further, sir;
My old bones ache: here’s a maze trod indeed
Through forth-rights and meanders! By your patience,
I needs must rest me.

Alonso

Old lord, I cannot blame thee,
Who am myself attach’d with weariness,
To the dulling of my spirits: sit down, and rest.
Even here I will put off my hope and keep it
No longer for my flatterer: he is drown’d
Whom thus we stray to find, and the sea mocks
Our frustrate search on land. Well, let him go.

Antonio

Aside to Sebastian. I am right glad that he’s so out of hope.
Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose
That you resolved to effect.

Sebastian

Aside to Antonio. The next advantage
Will we take throughly.

Antonio

Aside to Sebastian. Let it be to-night;
For, now they are oppress’d with travel, they
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance
As when they are fresh.

Sebastian Aside to Antonio. I say, to-night: no more. Solemn and strange music. Alonso What harmony is this? My good friends, hark! Gonzalo Marvellous sweet music! Enter Prospero above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a banquet; they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and, inviting the King, etc. to eat, they depart. Alonso Give us kind keepers, heavens! What were these? Sebastian

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.

Antonio

I’ll believe both;
And what does else want credit, come to me,
And I’ll be sworn ’tis true: travellers ne’er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn ’em.

Gonzalo

If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say, I saw such islanders⁠—
For, certes, these are people of the island⁠—
Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,
Their manners are more gentle-kind than of
Our human generation you shall find
Many, nay, almost any.

Prospero

Aside. Honest lord,
Thou hast said well; for some of you there present
Are worse than devils.

Alonso

I cannot too much muse
Such shapes, such gesture and such sound, expressing,
Although they want the use of tongue, a kind
Of excellent dumb discourse.

Prospero Aside. Praise in departing. Francisco They vanish’d strangely. Sebastian

No matter, since
They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.
Will’t please you taste of what is here?

Alonso Not I. Gonzalo

Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys,
Who would believe that there were mountaineers
Dew-lapp’d like bulls, whose throats had hanging at ’em
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men
Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find
Each putter-out of five for one will bring us
Good warrant of.

Alonso

I will stand to and feed,
Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past. Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand to and do as