Ste. I pr'ythee now, lead the way, without any more talking. 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, farewell3.

[Sings drunkenly.

Trin. A howling monster; a drunken monster.

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

Nor fetch in firing

At requiring,

Nor scrape trenchering, nor wash dish;

'Ban 'Ban, Ca-Caliban,

Has a new master-Get a new man 6.

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

Ste. O brave monster! lead the way.

[Exeunt.

word is printed in all the original editions) Shakespeare intended a fish or a bird. Kamm-muschell (as Mr. Thoms observes to me) in German, means a scallop, and hence he supposes "scamel" may possibly have been derived: Holt also states, though the assertion may require to be confirmed, that in some parts of England limpets are called scams. On the other hand, Theobald altered "scamels” to sea-mells, and that reading Malone followed, on the ground (which is by no means clear) that a sea-mell is a species of gull, which builds its nest in the rock. Under these difficulties we adhere to the old orthography.

5 Farewell, master; farewell, farewell.] It may be doubted whether Caliban is to sing these words, and in the old copies they are not printed in italic type like his song, although we have the stage-direction," Caliban sings drunkenly," just above them. Neither is the line in the same measure as his song.

6 Get a new man.] We must suppose that this was meant by Caliban for Prospero, and that he turned towards the enchanter's cell.

VOL. I.

E

ACT III. SCENE I.

Before PROSPERO'S Cell.

Enter FERDINAND, bearing a log.

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 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 composed 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 labours; Most busy, least 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.

7 Most busy, LEAST when I do it.] The meaning of this passage seems to have been misunderstood by all the commentators. Ferdinand says that the thoughts of Miranda so refresh his labours, that when he is most busy he seems to feel his toil least. It is printed in the folio, 1623, "Most busy lest when I do it," a trifling error of the press, corrected in the folio, 1632, although Theobald tells us that both the oldest editions read lest. Not catching the poet's meaning, he printed "Most busy-less when I do it," and his supposed emendation has ever since been taken as the text: even Capell adopted it. I am happy to have Mr. Amyot's concurrence in this restoration.

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.

I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,
While I sit 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.

Pro.

This visitation shows it.

Mira.

Poor worm! thou art infected;

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?

Mira.

Miranda. O my father!

Admir'd Miranda!

I have broke your hest to say so.

Fer.
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
Of every creature's best.

I do not know

Mira.
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 skill-less 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.

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 to suffer

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.

Mira.

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.

Mira.

I am a fool,

To weep at what I am glad of.

Fair encounter

Pro.
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 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.

Mira.

My mistress, dearest,

My husband then?

Fer. Ay, with a heart as willing

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

Mira. And mine, with my heart in't: and now fare

well,

Till half an hour hence.

Fer.

A thousand thousand!

[Exeunt FER. and MIR.

Pro. So glad of this as they, I cannot be, Who are surpris'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.

SCENE II.

Another part of the Island.

Enter STEPHANO and TRINCULO; CALIBAN following 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.