SCENE II. Another part of the island.

Enter CALIBAN with a burden of wood. A noise of thunder heard.

Cal. All the infections that the sun sucks up

From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him
By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me,
And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor pinch,
Fright me with urchin-shows, pitch me i' the mire,
Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid 'em: but

For every trifle are they set upon me;

Sometime like apes, that mow and chatter at me,
And after bite me; then like hedgehogs, which
Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount
Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do hiss me into madness. - Lo, now, lo!
and to torment me
For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat;
Perchance he will not mind me.

Here comes a spirit of his;

Enter TRINCULO.

Trin. Here's neither bush nor shrub, to bear off any weather at all, and another storm brewing; I hear it sing i' the wind: yond same black cloud, yond huge one, looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor. If it should thunder as it did before, I know not where to hide my head: yond same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls. What have we here? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fish-like smell; a kind of, not of the newest, Poor-John. A strange fish! Were I in England now, as once I was, and had but this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give a piece of silver: there would this monster make a man; any strange beast there makes a man: when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian. Legged like a man! and his fins like arms! Warm, o' my troth! I

do now let loose my opinion, hold it no longer,

fish, but an islander, that hath lately suffered by a thunderbolt. [Thunder.] Alas, the storm is come again! my best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter hereabout: misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past.

[Creeps under Caliban's garment.

Enter STEPHANO, singing; a bottle in his hand.

Ste. I shall no more to sea, to sea,

Here shall I die a-shore,

--

This is a very scurvy tune to sing at a man's funeral: well, here's my comfort.

The master, the swabber, the boatswain, and I,
The gunner, and his mate,

Lov'd Mall, Meg, and Marian, and Margery,
But none of us car'd for Kate;

For she had a tongue with a tang,
Would cry to a sailor, Go hang!

She lov'd not the savour of tar nor of pitch;

[Drinks.

Yet a tailor might scratch her where'er she did itch.
Then, to sea, boys, and let her go hang!

O!

[Drinks.

This is a scurvy tune too: but here's my comfort. Cal. Do not torment me: Ste. What's the matter? Have we devils here? Do you put tricks upon 's with savages and men of Inde, ha? I have not scaped drowning, to be afeard now of your four legs; for it hath been said, As proper a man as ever went on four legs cannot make him give ground; and it shall be said so again, while Stephano breathes at's nostrils.

- O!

who

Cal. The spirit torments me: Ste. This is some monster of the isle with four legs, hath got, as I take it, an ague. Where the devil should he learn our language? I will give him some relief, if it be but for that. If I can recover him, and keep him tame, and get

to Naples with him, he's a present for any emperor that ever trod on neat's-leather.

Cal. Do not torment me, prithee;

I'll bring my wood home faster.

Ste. He's in his fit now, and does not talk after the wisest. He shall taste of my bottle: if he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit. If I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much for him; he shall pay for him that hath him, and that soundly.

Cal. Thou dost me yet but little hurt;

Thou wilt anon, I know it by thy trembling:
Now Prosper works upon thee.

Ste. Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is that which will give language to you, cat: open your mouth; this will shake your shaking, I can tell you, and that soundly [Gives Cal. drink]: you cannot tell who's your friend: open your chaps again [Gives Cal. drink].

Trin. I should know that voice: it should be drowned; and these are devils: -O, defend me!

but he is

Ste. Four legs and two voices, a most delicate monster! His forward voice, now, is to speak well of his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle will recover him, I will help his ague. [Gives Cal. drink.] Come, Amen! I will pour some in thy

other mouth.

Trin. Stephano!

Ste. Doth thy other mouth call me?

Mercy, mercy! This is a devil, and no monster: I will leave him; I have no long spoon.

Trin. Stephano!- if thou beest Stephano, touch me, and speak to me; for I am Trinculo, be not afeard,

good friend Trinculo.

thy

Ste. If thou beest Trinculo, come forth: I'll pull thee by the lesser legs: if any be Trinculo's legs, these are they. [Draws Trin. out by the legs from under Caliban's garment.] – Thou art very Trinculo indeed! How camest thou to be the siege of this moon-calf? can he vent Trinculos?

1

Trin. I took him to be killed with a thunder-stroke. But art thou not drowned, Stephano? I hope, now, thou art not drowned. Is the storm overblown? I hid me under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine for fear of the storm. And art thou living, Stephano? O Stephano, two Neapolitans scaped!

Ste. Prithee, do not turn me about; my stomach is not constant.

Cal. [aside] These be fine things, an if they be not sprites. That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor:

I will kneel to him.

Ste. How didst thou scape? How camest thou hither? swear, by this bottle, how thou camest hither. I escaped upon a butt of sack, which the sailors heaved o'erboard, by this bottle! which I made of the bark of a tree with mine own hands, since I was cast ashore.

Cal. I'll swear, upon that bottle, to be thy True subject; for the liquor is not earthly.

Ste. Here; swear, then, how thou escapedst.

Trin. Swam ashore, man, like a duck: I can swim like a duck, I'll be sworn.

Ste. Here, kiss the book [Gives Trin. drink]. Though thou canst swim like a duck, thou art made like a goose.

Trin. O Stephano, hast any more of this?

Ste. The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock by the sea-side, where my wine is hid. How now, moon-calf! how does thine ague?

Cal. Hast thou not dropp'd from heaven?

Ste. Out o' the moon, I do assure thee: I was the man-i'. the-moon when time was.

Cal. I've seen thee in her, and I do adore thee:

My mistress show'd me thee, and thy dog, and thy bush.
Ste. Come, swear to that; kiss the book:

it anon with new contents: swear.

- I will furnish

[Gives Cal. drink.

Trin. By this good light, this is a very shallow monster! -I afeard of him!

a very weak monster:- the man-i'-the

moon!-a most poor credulous monster! Well drawn, mon

ster, in good sooth.

Cal. I'll show thee every fertile inch o' th' island;

And I'll kiss thy foot: I prithee, be my god.

Trin. By this light, a most perfidious and drunken mon

ster! when 's god 's asleep, he'll rob his bottle.

Cal. I'll kiss thy foot; I'll swear myself thy subject.
Ste. Come on, then; down, and swear.

Trin. I shall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed monster: a most scurvy monster! I could find in my heart to beat him,

Ste. Come, kiss.

[Gives Cal. drink.

Trin. But that the poor monster's in drink: an abominable monster!

Cal. I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries; I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough.

A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!

I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,

Thou wondrous man.

Trin. A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder of a poor drunkard!

Cal. I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow;
And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts;
Show thee a jay's nest, and instruct thee how
To snare the nimble marmoset; I'll bring thee
To clustering filberts, and sometimes I'll get thee
Young scamels from the rock. Wilt thou go with me?

Ste. I prithee now, lead the way, without any more talk

ing. Trinculo, the king and all our company else being drowned, we will inherit here. Here, bear my bottle: fellow Trinculo, we'll fill him by and by again.

Cal. Farewell, master; farewell, farewell! [Sings drunkenly. Trin. A howling monster; a drunken monster!

Cal. No more dams I'll make for fish;

Nor fetch in firing

At requiring;