Freedom, hey-day! hey-day, freedom! freedom, hey-day,

freedom!

Ste. O brave monster! lead the way.

ACT III.

SCENE I. Before PROSPERO's cell.

Enter FERDINAND, bearing a log.

[Exeunt.

Fer. There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone; and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task would be
As heavy to me as 'tis odious, but

The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead,
And makes my labours pleasures: O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's compos'd of harshness! I must remove
Some thousands of these logs, and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress

Weeps when she sees me work; and says such baseness
Had never like executor. I forget:

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labour;
Most busiless when I do it.

Mir.

Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO behind.
Alas, now, pray you,
Work not so hard: I would the lightning had
Burnt up those logs that you're enjoin'd to pile!
Pray, set it down, and rest you: when this burns,
"Twill weep for having wearied 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.

Mir.

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 sinews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,
While I sit lazy by.

Mir.

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 'tis 'gainst.

Pros. [aside]

Poor worm,

thou art infected!

This visitation shows it.

Mir.

You look wearily.

Fer. No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me When you are by at night. I do beseech you,

Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers,

What is your name?

O my father,

Admir'd Miranda!

Indeed the top of admiration; worth

What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I've 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
Of every creature's best!

Mir.

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'm skilless of; but, by my modesty,

The jewel in my dower, I would not wish
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.
I am, in my condition,

Fer.

A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king, -
I would not so!

and would no more endure

This wooden slavery than to suffer tamely

The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak:
The very instant that I saw you, did

My heart fly to your service; there resides,

To make me slave to it; and for your sake

Am I this patient log-man.

Mir.

Do you love me?

Fer. O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,

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.

Mir.

I am a fool

To weep at what I'm glad of.

Pros. [aside]

Fair encounter

Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between 'em!

Fer.

Wherefore weep you?

Mir. 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 shows. 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.

Fer.

And I thus humble ever.

Mir.

My mistress, dearest;

My husband, then?

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing

As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.

Mir. And mine, with my heart in't: and now farewell Tili half an hour hence.

Fer.

A thousand thousand!

[Exeunt Fer. and Mir. severally.

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

SCENE II. Another part of the island.

[Exit.

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 th' other two be brained like us, the state totters.

Ste. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head. [Caliban drinks. Trin. Where should they be set else? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.

Ste. My man-monster hath drowned his tongue in sack: 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, or my standard. Trin. Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard. Shakespeare. VII.

8

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 liest, most ignorant monster: I am in case to justle a constable. Why, thou debauched fish, thou, was there ever man a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster?

Cal. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord? Trin. "Lord," quoth he!—that a monster should be such a natural!

Cal. Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I prithee.
Ste. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your

head: if you

prove a mutineer, the next tree! The poor monster's my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.

Cal. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas'd To hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?

Ste. Marry, will I: kneel and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.

Enter ARIEL, invisible.

Cal. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, — a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island. Ari. Thou liest.

Cal.

Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou:

I would my valiant master would destroy thee!

I do not lie.

Ste. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in 's tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.

Trin. Why, I said nothing.

[To Caliban] Proceed.

Ste. Mum, then, and no more.
Cal. I say, by sorcery he got this isle;
From me he got it. If thy greatness will