All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minister'd,

No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-ey'd disdain and discord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
That you shall hate it both therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Ferdinand.

As I hope For quiet days, fair issue and long life,

With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,

The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
Our worser genius can, shall never melt

Mine honour into lust, to take away

The edge of that day's celebration

When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,
Or Night kept chain'd below.

Prospero.

Fairly spoke:

Sit then, and talk with her, she is thine own.
What, Ariel! my industrious servant Ariel!

Enter ARIEL.

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Ariel. What would my potent master? here I am. Prospero. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service 35 Did worthily perform; and I must use you

In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,

O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place :
Incite them to quick motion; for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

Ariel. Before you can say, 'Come,' and 'Go,' And breathe twice; and cry, 'so, so,'

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Prospero. Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach

Till thou dost hear me call.

Ariel.

Well, I conceive.

[Exit. 50

Prospero. Look thou be true; do not give dalliance
Too much the rein the strongest oaths are straw
To the fire i' the blood: be more abstemious,

Or else good-night your vow!

Ferdinand.

I warrant you, sir;

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The white cold virgin snow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.

Prospero.

Well.

Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,
Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly.
No tongue! all eyes! be silent.

A Masque. Enter IRIS.

[Soft music.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,

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To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves,
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;

And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,

Where thou thyself dost air: the queen o' the sky,
Whose watery arch and messenger am I,

Bids thee leave these; and with her sovereign grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,

To come and sport; her peacocks fly amain :
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter CERES.

Ceres. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;

Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers

Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers:

And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown

My bosky acres, and my unshrubb'd down,

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Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?
Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate,
And some donation freely to estate

On the bless'd lovers.

Ceres.

Tell me, heavenly bow,
If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
Do now attend the queen? since they did plot
The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
I have forsworn.

Be not afraid; I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son

Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done Some wanton charm upon this man and maid.

But all in vain.

The Queen of love is back return'd again;
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,

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Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, 100 And be a boy right out.

Ceres.

Highest queen of state,

Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.

Enter JUNO.

Juno. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me
To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be,
And honour'd in their issue.

Juno.

SONG.

Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance, and increasing,
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you.

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Ceres.

Ferdinand. This is a most majestic vision, and

Harmonious charmingly: May I be bold

To think these spirits?

Prospero.

I have from their confines call'd to enact

My present fancies.

Ferdinand.

Spirits, which by mine art

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Let me live here ever:

So rare a wonder'd father and a wise,

Makes this place Paradise.

[JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. Prospero.

Sweet, now, silence!

Juno and Ceres whisper seriously;

There's something else to do: hush, and be mute,

Or else our spell is marr'd.

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Iris. You nymphs, call'd Naiades, of the windring brooks, With your sedg'd crowns, and ever-harmless looks,

Leave your crisp channels, and on this green land
Answer your summons: Juno does command.
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate
A contract of true love: be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You sun-burn'd sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry:
Make holiday: your rye-straw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

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Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the
Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof
PROSPERO starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a
strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.
Prospero. [Aside.] I had forgot that foul conspiracy
Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates
Against my life: the minute of their plot

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Is almost come.-[To the Spirits.] Well done! avoid; no more!
Ferdinand. This is strange your father's in some passion
That works him strongly.

Miranda.
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.

Never till this day

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Prospero. You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort,

As if you were dismay'd be cheerful, sir :

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

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And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life

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Is rounded with a sleep.-Sir, I am vex'd:

Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled.
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity.

If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell

And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,

To still my beating mind.

Ferdinand. Miranda.

We wish your peace.

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[Exeunt.

Prospero. Come with a thought!--[To them.] I thank thee.

-Ariel, come !

Enter ARIEL.

Ariel. Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure? 165 Prospero.

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

Spirit,

Ariel. Ay, my commander; when I presented Ceres,
I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd
Lest I might anger thee.

Prospero. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?

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Ariel. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking; So full of valour that they smote the air

For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor;

At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
Advanc'd their eyelids, lifted up their noses
As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns,
Which enter'd their frail shins at last I left them
I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.

Prospero.

This was well done, my bird.

Thy shape invisible retain thou still
The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither,
For stale to catch these thieves.

I go, I go.

Ariel.
Prospero. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, are all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,

So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
Even to roaring.

Re-enter ARIEL, loaden with glistering apparel, &c.
Come, hang them on this line.

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[Exit.

PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet.

Caliban. Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not

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

Stephano. Monster, your fairy, which you say is a

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