But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours ; * Most busy-less, when I do it.

Enter Miranda, and Prospero at a distance.
Mira. Alas, now ! pray you,
Work not so hard : I would, the lightning had
Burnt up those logs, that you are enjoin'd to pile! -
Prav, fer it down, and rest you : when this burns,
'Twill weep for having weary'd you : My father
Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself ;
He's safe for these three hours.

Fer. O most dear mistress,
The sun will set before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.

Mira. If you'll sit down,
I'll bear your logs the while : Pray, give me that ;
I'll carry't to the pile.

Fer. No, precious creature;
I had rather crack my finews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,
While I fit lazy by.

Mira. It would become me
As well as it does you: and I should do it
With much more ease ; for my good will is to it,
And yours it is against s.

Pro. Poor worin! thou art infected;
This visitation shews it.

Mira. You look wearily.
Fer. No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with

me,
When you are by at night. I do beseech you,
4 The two first folios read:

Most busy left, when I do it. 'Tis true this reading is corrupt; but the corruption is so very little removed from the truth of the text, that I cannot afford to think well of my own fagacity for having discovered it.

THEOBALD. s And yours it is agains.] Perhaps we should read, And yours is it against. STELVENS. VOL. I.

(Chiefly

(Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers) What is your name?

Mira. Miranda :-O my father,
I have broke your hest to say so !

Fer. Admir'd Miranda!
Indeed, the top of admiration ; worth
What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have ey'd with best regard; and many a time
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear : for several virtues
Have I lik’d several women; never any
With so full soul, but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd, .
And put it to the foil : But you, o you,
So perfect, and so peerless, are created
7 Of every creature's best.

Mira. I do not know
One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men, than you, good friend,
And my dear father : how features are abroad,
I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,
(The jewel in my dower) I would not with
Any companion in the world but you;
Nor can imagination form a shape,
Besides yourself, to like of : But I prattle
Something too wildly, and my father's precepts
I therein do forget.

Fer. I am, in my condition, A prince, Miranda ; I do think, a king; (I would, not so !) and would no more endure This wooden slavery, than I would suffer 8 The flesh-fly blow my mouth:--Hear my soul speak;

6 -heft-] For bebeft ; i. e. coinmand. STEEVENS.

? Of every creature's beft.] Alluding to the picture of Venus by Apelles. Johnson.

8- than I would suffer, &c.] The old copy reads-Than to fuffer. The emendation is Mr. Pope's. STEEVENS,

The

The very instant that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service; there refides,

To make me flave to it; and, for your fake,
Am I this patient log-man.

Mira. Do you love me?

Fer. O heaven, o carih, bear witness to this found,
And crown what I profess with kind event,
If I speak true; if hollowly, invert
What best is boded me, to mischief ! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i' the world,
Do love, prize, honour you.

Mira. 9 I am a fool,
To weep at what I am glad of.

Pro. Fair encounter
Of two most rare affections ! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between them!

Fer. Wherefore weep you?

Mira. At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer What I desire to give ; and much less take, What I shall die to want : But this is trifling; And all the more it seeks to hide itself, The bigger bulk it Thews. Hence bashful cunning! And prompt me, plain and holy innocence ! I am your wife, if you will marry me ; If not, I'll die your maid : to be your fellow! You may deny me; but I'll be your servant, Whether you will or no. e I am a fool,

To weep at what I am glad of. ] This is one of those touches of nature that distinguish Shakespeare from all other writers. It was necessary, in support of the character of Miranda, to make her appear unconscious that excess of sorrow and excess of joy find alike their relief from tears; and as this is the first time that confummate pleasure had made any near approaches to her heart, the calls such a seeming contradictory expression of it, folly. The same thought occurs in Romeo and Juliet:

" Back foolish tears, back to your native spring,
" Your tributary drops belong to woe,
" Which you, miftaking, ofler up to joy.” STEEVENS.
your fellow,] i. e, companion. STEEVENS.

Fer.

F 2

Fer. My mistress, deareft, And I thus humble ever.

Mira. My husband then ?

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing As bondage e'er of freedoin : here's my hand. Mira. And mine, with my heart in't : And now

farewell, Till half an hour hence. · Fer. A thousand, thousand !

[Exeunt. Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, Who are surpriz'd with all; but my rejoicing At nothing can be more. I'll to my book ;. For yet, ere supper-time, must I perform Much business appertaining.

(Exit. SC EN E II.

Another part of the island.
Enter Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, with a bottle.

Ste. Tell not me ;—when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before : therefore bear up, and board 'em *: Servant-monster, drink to me.

Trin. Servant-monster ? the folly of this island ! They say, there's but five upon this isle : we are three of them, if the other two be brain'd like us, the state totters.

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee; thy eyes are almost set in thy head.

Trin. Where should they be fet else ? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail ?.

* Bear up, and board'em:) A metaphor alluding to a chace at sea. SIR J. HAWKINS.

? He were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.] I believe this to be an allusion to a story that is met with in Starve, and other writers of the time. It seems, in the year 1574, a whale was thrown ashore near Ramsgate. “ A monstrous fijh (says " the chronicler) but not so monstrous as some reported - for his “ eyes were in his head, and not in his back.”

Summary, 1575, p. 562.

FARMER.

Ste.

Ste. My man-monster hath drown'd his tongue in {ack : for my part, the sea cannot drown me: 'I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty leagues, off and on, by this light. --Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, 4 or my standard.

Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard.
Ste. We'll not run, monsieur monster.

Trin. Nor go neither : but you'll lie, like dogs; and yet say nothing neither.

Ste. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.

Cal. How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe: I'll not serve him, he is not valiant.

Trin. Thou ly'st, most ignorant monster ; I am in case to justle a constable : Why, 5 thou debolh'd fish

thou,

3 I fwam, &c.] This play was not published till 1623. Albu« wazar made its appearance in 1614, and has a passage relative to the escape of a sailor yet more incredible. Perhaps, in both in, stances, a sneer was meant at the Voyages of Ferdinando Mendez Pinto, or the exaggerated accounts of other lying travellers : '

“ five days I was under water; and at length
“ Got up and spread myself upon a chest,
“ Rowing with arms, and steering with my feet,
64 And thus in five days more got land.” Act III. sc. v.

STEEVENS. 4 or my standard.

Trin. Your lieutenant, if you lift; he's no standard.] Meaning, he is so much intoxicated, as not to be able to stand. The quibble between standard, an ensign, and standard, a fruit tree, that grows without support, is evident. Steevens. i s t hou debosh'd fish thou,-) I meet with this word, which I suppose to be the same as debauch'd, in Randolph's Jealous Lovers, 1634:

as See your house be stor’d

" With the deboishest roarers in this city." Again, All's Well that ends Well:

" With all the spots o'th' world tax'd and debosb’d," Again in Monsieur Thomas, 1639:.

faucy fellows, " Debosh'd and daily drunkards." The substantive occurs in the Partheneia Sacra, 1633

"s--A hater of men, rather than the deboishments of their * manners." F 3

When