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

his fellows
And strays about to find ’em. Miranda

I might call him
A thing divine, for nothing natural
I ever saw so noble.

Prospero

Aside. It goes on, I see,
As my soul prompts it. Spirit, fine spirit! I’ll free thee
Within two days for this.

Ferdinand

Most sure, the goddess
On whom these airs attend! Vouchsafe my prayer
May know if you remain upon this island;
And that you will some good instruction give
How I may bear me here: my prime request,
Which I do last pronounce, is, O you wonder!
If you be maid or no?

Miranda

No wonder, sir;
But certainly a maid.

Ferdinand

My language! heavens!
I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where ’tis spoken.

Prospero

How? the best?
What wert thou, if the King of Naples heard thee?

Ferdinand

A single thing, as I am now, that wonders
To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear me;
And that he does I weep: myself am Naples,
Who with mine eyes, never since at ebb, beheld
The king my father wreck’d.

Miranda Alack, for mercy! Ferdinand

Yes, faith, and all his lords; the Duke of Milan
And his brave son being twain.

Prospero

Aside. The Duke of Milan
And his more braver daughter could control thee,
If now ’twere fit to do’t. At the first sight
They have changed eyes. Delicate Ariel,
I’ll set thee free for this. To Ferdinand. A word, good sir;
I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word.

Miranda

Why speaks my father so ungently? This
Is the third man that e’er I saw, the first
That e’er I sigh’d for: pity move my father
To be inclined my way!

Ferdinand

O, if a virgin,
And your affection not gone forth, I’ll make you
The queen of Naples.

Prospero

Soft, sir! one word more.
Aside. They are both in either’s powers; but this swift business
I must uneasy make, lest too light winning
Make the prize light. To Ferdinand. One word more; I charge thee
That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp
The name thou owest not; and hast put thyself
Upon this island as a spy, to win it
From me, the lord on’t.

Ferdinand No, as I am a man. Miranda

There’s nothing ill can dwell in such a temple:
If the ill spirit have so fair a house,
Good things will strive to dwell with’t.

Prospero

Follow me.
Speak not you for him; he’s a traitor. Come;
I’ll manacle thy neck and feet together:
Sea-water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be
The fresh-brook muscles, wither’d roots and husks
Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow.

Ferdinand

No;
I will resist such entertainment till
Mine enemy has more power. Draws, and is charmed from moving.

Miranda

O dear father,
Make not too rash a trial of him, for
He’s gentle and not fearful.

Prospero

What? I say,
My foot my tutor? Put thy sword up, traitor;
Who makest a show but darest not strike, thy conscience
Is so possess’d with guilt: come from thy ward,
For I can here disarm thee with this stick
And make thy weapon drop.

Miranda Beseech you, father. Prospero Hence! hang not on my garments. Miranda

Sir, have pity;
I’ll be his surety.

Prospero

Silence! one word more
Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What!
An advocate for an imposter! hush!
Thou think’st there is no more such shapes as he,
Having seen but him and Caliban: foolish wench!
To the most of men this is a Caliban
And they to him are angels.

Miranda

My affections
Are then most humble; I have no ambition
To see a goodlier man.

Prospero

Come on; obey:
Thy nerves are in their infancy again
And have no vigour in them.

Ferdinand

So they are;
My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.
My father’s loss, the weakness which I feel,
The wreck of all my friends, nor this man’s threats,
To whom I am subdued, are but light to me,
Might I but through my prison once a day
Behold this maid: all corners else o’ the earth
Let liberty make use of; space enough
Have I in such a prison.

Prospero

Aside. It works. To Ferdinand. Come on.
Thou hast done well, fine Ariel! To Ferdinand. Follow me.
To Ariel. Hark what thou else shalt do me.

Miranda

Be of comfort;
My father’s of a better nature, sir,
Than he appears by speech: this is unwonted
Which now came from him.

Prospero

Thou shalt be free
As mountain winds: but then exactly do
All points of my command.

Ariel To the syllable. Prospero Come, follow. Speak not for him. Exeunt. Act II Scene I

Another part of the island.

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

Beseech you, sir, be merry; you have cause,
So have we all, of joy; for our escape
Is much beyond our loss. Our hint of woe
Is common; every day some sailor’s wife,
The masters of some merchant and the merchant
Have just our theme of woe; but for the miracle,
I mean our preservation, few in millions
Can speak like us: then wisely, good sir, weigh
Our sorrow with our comfort.

Alonso Prithee, peace. Sebastian He receives comfort like cold porridge. Antonio The visitor will not give him o’er so. Sebastian Look he’s winding up the watch of his wit; by and by it will strike. Gonzalo Sir⁠— Sebastian One: tell. Gonzalo

When every grief is entertain’d that’s offer’d,
Comes to the entertainer⁠—

Sebastian A dollar. Gonzalo Dolour comes to him, indeed: you have spoken truer than you purposed. Sebastian You have taken it wiselier than I meant you should. Gonzalo Therefore, my lord⁠— Antonio Fie, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue! Alonso I prithee, spare. Gonzalo Well, I have done: but yet⁠— Sebastian He will be talking. Antonio Which, of he or Adrian, for a good wager, first begins to crow? Sebastian The old cock. Antonio The cockerel. Sebastian Done. The wager? Antonio A laughter. Sebastian A match! Adrian Though this island seem to be desert⁠— Sebastian Ha, ha, ha! So, you’re paid. Adrian Uninhabitable and almost inaccessible⁠— Sebastian Yet⁠— Adrian Yet⁠— Antonio He could not miss’t. Adrian It must needs be of subtle, tender and delicate temperance. Antonio Temperance was a delicate wench. Sebastian Ay, and a subtle; as he most learnedly delivered. Adrian The air breathes upon us here most sweetly. Sebastian As if it had lungs and rotten