A dozen years; within which space she died

And left thee there, where thou didst vent thy groans

280

As fast as mill-wheels strike. Then was this island,-
Save for the son that she gave birth to here,

A freckled whelp hag-born,-not honour'd with
A human shape.

Prospero. Dull thing, I say so; he, that Caliban,
Whom now I keep in service. Thou best know'st
What torment I did find thee in; thy groans
Did make wolves howl and penetrate the breasts
Of ever-angry bears: it was a torment
To lay upon the damn'd, which Sycorax
Could not again undo; it was mine art,
When I arriv'd and heard thee, that made gape
The pine, and let thee out.

I thank thee, master.

Ariel.
Prospero. If thou more murmur'st, I will rend an oak
And peg thee in his knotty entrails till
Thou hast howl'd away twelve winters.
Ariel.

I will be correspondent to command,
And do my spiriting gently.

Prospero.

I will discharge thee.

Ariel.

Pardon, master;

Do so; and after two days

That's my noble master!

What shall I do? say what? what shall I do?

285

290

295

300

Pros. Go make thyself like a nymph of the sea: be subject

To no sight but thine and mine; invisible

To every eyeball else. Go, take this shape,

305

And hither come in't go, hence with diligence! [Exit ARIEL.
Awake, dear heart, awake! thou hast slept well;
Awake!

Miranda. [Waking.] The strangeness of your story put Heaviness in me.

Prospero.

Shake it off. Come on;

We'll visit Caliban my slave, who never

Yields us kind answer.

Miranda.

I do not love to look on.

Prospero.

'Tis a villain, sir,

We cannot miss him he does make our fire,
Fetch in our wood; and serves in offices
That profit us.-What ho! slave! Caliban!
Thou earth, thou! speak.

314

Caliban. [Within.] There's wood enough within. Prospero. Come forth, I say; there's other business for

thee:

Come, thou tortoise! when?

Re-enter ARIEL, like a water-nymph.

Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel,

Hark in thine ear.

Ariel.

My lord, it shall be done.

Prospero. Thou poisonous slave, come forth!

Enter CALIBAN.

Caliban. As wicked dew as e'er my mother brush'd With raven's feather from unwholesome fen

Drop on you both! a south-west blow on ye,

And blister you all o'er!

[Exit.

320

Prospero. For this, be sure, to-night thou shalt have

cramps,

Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up; urchins
Shall forth at vast of night, that they may work
All exercise on thee: thou shalt be pinch'd

As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more stinging
Than bees that made them.

Caliban.

I must eat my dinner.

This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother,

325

330

Which thou tak'st from me. When thou camest first,

Thou strok'dst me, and mad'st much of me; wouldst give me Water with berries in't; and teach me how

To name the bigger light, and how the less,

335

That burn by day and night: and then I lov'd thee

And show'd thee all the qualities o' th' isle,

The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place, and fertile.
Cursed be I that did so!-All the charms

Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!
For I am all the subjects that you have,

340

Which first was mine own king; and here you sty me
In this hard rock,. whiles you do keep from me

The rest o' th' island.

Prospero.

Thou most lying slave,

Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have us'd thee, 345

Filth as thou art, with human care; and lodg'd thee
In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to hurt
My loved and only child. Abhorred slave,
Which any print of goodness will not take,
Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee,

Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour
One thing or other: when thou didst not, savage,
Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like
A thing most brutish, I endow'd thy purposes

352

355

With words that made them known: but thy vile race, Though thou didst learn, had that in't which good natures Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou Deservedly confin'd into this rock,

Who hadst deserv'd more than a prison.

360

Caliban. You taught me language; and my profit on't Is, I know how to curse: the red plague rid you. For learning me your language!

Prospero.

Hag-seed, hence !
Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou'rt best,

To answer other business. Shrug'st thou, malice?
If thou neglect'st, or dost unwillingly

What I command, I'll rack thee with old cramps,
Fill all thy bones with aches; make thee roar,
That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

:

Caliban.
No, pray thee!-
[Aside.] I must obey his art is of such power,
It would control my dam's god, Setebos,
And make a vassal of him.

Prospero.

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370

So, slave; hence! [Exit CALIBAN.

Re-enter ARIEL invisible, playing and singing; FERDINAND

following.

ARIEL'S SONG,

Come unto these yellow sands,

And then take hands:

Curtsied when you have, and kiss'd

The wild waves whist,

375

Foot it featly here and there;

And, sweet sprites, the burden bear.

380

Hark, hark! [Burden Bow, wow, dispersedly.

The watch-dogs bark:

[Burden: Bow, wow, dispersedly.

Hark, hark! I hear

The strain of strutting Chanticleer.

[Cry, Cock-a-diddle-dow.

Ferdinand. Where should this music be? i' th' air, or th'

earth?

It sounds no more;-and sure, it waits upon

Some god o' th' island. Sitting on a bank,
Weeping again the king my father's wrack,
This music crept by me upon the waters,
Allaying both their fury, and my passion,
With its sweet air: thence I have followed it,-
Or it hath drawn me rather, but 'tis gone.
No, it begins again.

ARIEL sings.

Full fathom five thy father lies;

Of his bones are coral made:

Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,

385

390

395

But doth suffer a sea-change

Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell :

400

[Burden ding-dong.

Hark! now I hear them,-ding-dong, bell.

Ferdinand. The ditty does remember my drown'd father. This is no mortal business, nor no sound

That the earth owes :-I hear it now above me.

Prospero. The fringed curtains of thine eye advance, 405 And say what thou seest yond.

Miranda.

What is't? a spirit?

Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,

It carries a brave form :-but 'tis a spirit.

Prospero. No, wench; it eats and sleeps, and hath such

senses

As we have, such; this gallant which thou see'st,

410

Was in the wrack; and, but he's something stain'd
With grief, that's beauty's canker,-thou might'st call him
A goodly person he hath lost his fellows

And strays about to find 'em.

Miranda.

I might call him

415

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;

420

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.

But certainly a maid.
Ferdinand.

No wonder, sir;

My language! heavens !

425

How the best ?

I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.

Prospero.
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,-ne'er since at ebb,-beheld
The king my father wrack'd.

Miranda.
Ferdinand.

Alack, for mercy!

430

434

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,

[Aside.]

I'll set thee free for this !-[To FERDINAND.] A word, good sir; I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word. 440 Miranda. [Aside.] Why speaks my father so ungently? This

Is the third man that e'er I saw; the first

That e'er I sighed for: pity move my father
To be inclin'd my way!

Ferdinand. [Aside.] O! if a virgin,

And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you
The Queen of Naples.

Prospero.

445

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 FER.] One word more I charge

thee

That thou attend me. Thou dost here usurp
The name thou ow'st 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.

450