Cal. That's not the tune. [Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe. Ste. What is this fame? Trin. This is the tune of our catch, play'd by the picture of nobody. Ste. If thou beft a man, fhew thyfelf in thy likenefs; if thou be’st a devil, take't as thou list. Trin. O, forgive me my fins! Ste. He that dies, pays all debts: I defy thee. Mercy upon us! Cal. Art thou afraid? Ste. No, monster, not I. Cal. Be not afraid; the ifle is full of noises, Sounds, and fweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twanging inftruments Will hum about mine ears, and fometimes voices ; That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep, Will make me fleep again; and then in dreaming, The clouds, methought, would open, and fhew riches Ready to drop upon me; that when I wak'd, I cry'd to dream again. Ste. This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I fhall have my mufick for nothing. Cal. When Profpero is destroy'd. Ste. That fhall be by and by: I remember the 'ftory. Trin. The found is going away; let's follow it, and after do our work. Ste. Lead, monfter; we'll follow. I would I could fee this taborer He lays it on. Trin. Wilt come? I'll follow Stephano. [Exeum. SCENE changes to another part of the Island. Enter Alonfo, Sebaftian, Anthonio,-Gonzalo, Adrian, Gon. B Francifco, &c. Y'R lakin, I can go no further, Sir, My old bones ake: here's a maze trod, indeed, Through forth-rights and meanders! by your patience I needs muft reft me. Alon. Old Lord, I cannot blame thee, Who Who am myself attach'd with wearinefs, Seb. The next advantage Ant. Let it be to-night; For, now they are opprefs'd with travel, they Seb.. I lay, to-night: no more. ble. Solemn and frange mufick; and Profpero on the top, invifiEnter feveral frange shapes, bringing in a banquet; and dance about it with gentle actions of faluta tian; and, inviting the King, &c. to eat, they depart. Alon. What harmony is this? my good friends, hark! Gon. Marvellous fweet mufick! Alon. Give us kind keepers heaven; what were thefet Seb. A living drollery. Now I will believe, That there are unicorns; that, in Arabia There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix At this hour reigning there. Ant. I'll believe both : And what does elfe want credit, come to me, And I'll be worn 'tis true. Travellers ne'er did lie, Though fools at home condemn 'em. Gon. If in Naples I should report this now, would they believe me? (For, certes, thefe are people of the island) Who tho' they are of monftrous fhape, yet, note, Pro Pro. Honest Lord, Thou haft faid well; for fome of you there prefent Are worse than devils. Alon. I cannot too much mufe, Such fhapes, fuch gefture, and fuch found, expreffing (Although they want the use of tongue) a kind Of excellent dumb difcourse. Pro. Praife, in departing. Fran. They vanish'd ftrangely. Seb. No matter, fince They've left their viands behind; for we have stomachs. Will't please you taste of what is here? Alon. Not I. Gon. Faith, Sir, you need not fear. When we were boys, Who would believe, that there were mountaineers, Dew-lapt like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em Wallets of flesh, or that there were fuch inen, Whofe heads ftood in their breafts? which now we find, Each putter out on five for one will bring us (22) Good warrant of. Aion. (22) Each putter out of five for one - By the variation of a Single letter, I think, I have fet the text right; and will therefore now proceed to explain it. I fresly confefs, that I once underflood this paffage thus; that every five travellers (or putters out) did bring authentic confirmation of thefe fto ies, for one that pretended to difpute the truth of them: but communicating my fenfe of the place to two ingenious friends. I found, I was not at the bottom of the meaning. Mr. Warburton obferv'd to me, that this was a fine piece of conceal'd fatire on the voyagers of that time, who had just d.fcover'd a new world; and, as was very natural, grew moft extravagant in difplaying the wonders of it. That, particularly, by each putter out of five for one, was meant the adventurers in the difcovery of the Weft Indies, who had for the money they advanc'd and contributed, 20 per cent. Dr Thirlby did not a little affift this explanation by his concurrence, and by instructing me, that it was afuel in those times for travellers to put out money, to receive a greater fum if they liv'd to return; and, for proof, he referr'd me to Morifan's Itinerary, part I. p. 198, &c. I cannot return my friends better thanks for the light they have given me upon this paffage, than by fubjoining a teftimony from a contemporary poet, that will put both their explanation, and my correction of the text, paft difpute. B. Johnson's Every Man out of his Humour, in the character of Puntarvelu. VOL. I. D I de Alon. I will stand to, and feed, Although my laft no matter, fince I feel The belt is paft. Brother, my Lord the Duke, Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy, claps his wings upon the table, and with a queint device the banquet rianifbes. 9 Ari. You are three men of fin, whom destiny Hath caufed to belch up; and on this Ifland (23) Of whom your fwords are temper'd, may as well One down that's in my plume:, my fellow-minifters I do intend, this year, of Jubilee ecming on, to travel: And (becaufe I will not altogether go upon expence,) I am determin'd to put forth fome five thousand found, to be paid me five for one, upon the return of myself, my wife, and my dog, from the Turk's Court in Conftantinople. If all, or either of us mifcarry in the journey, 'iis gone; if we be fuccessful, aby, there will be five and twenty thousand pounds to entertain time withal. If this was to be the return of the Knight's venture; 'tis obvious, he put out his money on five for one." Ben to heighten the ridicule of these projecting voyagers, makes Puntarvolo's wife averfe to accompany him and fo he is forc'd to put out his venture on the return of himself, his dog, and his cat.— Let me conclude with obferv ing on the different conduct of the two poets. Shakespeare (perhaps, out of a particular deference for Sir W. Raleigh) only fneers these adventurous voyagers obliquely, and, as it were, en paffant: The furly Ben, who would be tied up by no fuch serupulous regards, dreffes up the fashion in the most glaring colours of comic bumour; or, rather, brings down his fatire to the level of farcical ridicule. (23) Hath caus'd to belch you up;] Thus, the whole fet of editions; but 'tis obvious to every reader, that the Grammar's faulty; and therefore I have cur'd it by throwing out you. Are three Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt, ་།་ " You and your ways; whofe wrath to guard you from, He vanishes in thunder: then, to foft mufic, Enter the f foapes again, and dance with mops and mores, and VÀ carrying out the table. Pro. Bravely the figure of this harpy haft thou Young Ferdinand, (whom they fuppofe is drown'd,) com Alon. O, it is monftrous! monstrous ! I'll 130 |