ACT III. SCENE I.

Before Profpero's Cell.

Enter FERDINAND, bearing a log.

4

Fer. There be some sports are painful +; and their labour

Delight in them fets offs: fome kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone; and most poor matters
Point to rich ends, This my mean task would be s
As heavy to me, as odious; but

The miítress, which I ferve, quickens what's dead,
And makes my labours pleasures: O, fhe is
Ten times more gentle, than her father's crabbed ;
And he's compofed of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs, and pile them up,
Upon a fore injunction: My fweet mistress.

Weeps when the fees me work; and fays, fuch baseness
Had ne'er like éxecutor. I forget":

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours;
Moft bufy-lefs, when I do it?.

4 There be fome Sports are painful; and their labour
Delight in them fets off :]

Molliter aufterum ftudio fallente laborem.
Hor. fat. 2. lib. ii.

We have again the fame thought in Macbeth:
"The labour we delight in phyficks pain."

STEEVENS.

After "and," at the fame time must be understood. Mr. Pope, unneceffarily, reads " But their labour-," which has been followed by the fubfequent editors. MALONE.

5 This my mean task would be] The metre of this line is defective in the old copy, by the words would be being transferred to the next line. Our author and his contemporaries generally use odious as a trifyllable. MALONE.

I forget:] Perhaps Ferdinand means to fay-I forget my task; but that is not furprifing, for I am thinking on Miranda, and thefe fweet thoughts &c. He may however mean, that he forgets or thinks little of the bafenefs of bis employment. Whichfoever be the fenfe, And, or For, fhould feem more proper in the next line, than But. MALONE. 7 Moft bufy-lefs, when I do it.] The old copy has-bufy left. Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE.

Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO at a distance.

Mira. Alas, now! pray you,

Work not fo hard: I would, the lightning had
Burnt up thofe logs, that you are enjoin'd to pile!
Pray, fet it down, and reft you: when this burns,
"Twill weep for having weary'd you: My father
Is hard at fludy; pray now, reft yourself;
He's fafe for thefe three hours.

Fer, O moft dear miftrefs,

The fun will fet before I fhall discharge
What I muit ftrive to do.

Mira. If you'll fit down,

I'll bear your logs the while: Pray, give me that;
I'll carry it to the pile.

Fer. No, precious creature:

I had rather crack my finews, break my back,
Than you thould fuch dishonour undergo,

While I fit lazy by.

Mira. It would become me

As well as it does you

and I fhould do it

With much more eafe; for my good will is to it,

And yours it is against 8.

Pro. Poor worm! thou art infected;

This vifitation fhews it.

Mira. You look wearily.

Fer. No, noble miftrefs; 'tis frefh morning with me, When you are by at night 9. I do befeech you,

(Chiefly, that I might let it in my prayers,)

What is your name ?

Mira. Miranda :—

8 And

-O my father,

yours it is against.] Perhaps we should read, And yours is it against. STEEVENS.

tis fresh morning with me,

When you are

by at night.]

Tu mihi curarum requies, tu nocte vel atra

Lumen

Tibul. Lib. iv. El. xiii. MALONE.

I have broke your heft to fay fo!

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 beft 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 fo full foul, but fome defect in her
Did quarrel with the nobleft grace fhe ow'd,
And put it to the foil: But you, o you,
So perfect, and fo peerlefs, are created
Of every creature's best 2.

Mira. I do not know

One of my fex; no woman's face remember,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I feen
More that I may call men, than you, good friend,
And my dear father: how features are abroad,
I am skill-lefs 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 fhape,
Befides 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 fo!) and would no more endure

This wooden flavery, than I would fuffer

The flesh-fly blow my mouth :-Hear my foul speak ;The very inftant that I faw you, did

My heart fly to your fervice; there refides,

To make me flave to it; and, for your fake,

Am I this patient log-man.

beft] For bebeft; i. e. command. STEEVENS.

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

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

Mira. Do you love me?

Fer. O heaven, o earth, bear witness to this found, And crown what I profefs with kind event,

If I fpeak true; if hollowly, invert

What beft is boded me, to mischief! I,

Beyond all limit of what else i' the world*,
Do love, prize, honour you.

Mira. I am a fools,

To weep at what I am glad of.

Pro. Fair encounter

Of two moft 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 defire to give ; and much less take,
What I fhall die to want: But this is trifling;
And all the more it feeks 6 to hide itself,

The bigger bulk it fhews.

Hence bashful cunning!

And prompt me, plain and holy innocence !
I am your wife, if you will marry me 7;

If

4-of what elfe i' the world,] i. e. of aught elfe; of whatsoever elfe there is in the world. I once thought that we should read-aught elfe. But the old copy is right. So, in King Henry VI. P. III:

"With promife of his fifter, and what else,

"To ftrengthen and fupport king Edward's place."

5 I am a fool,

MALONE.

To weep at what I am glad of.] This is one of those touches of nature that diftinguifh Shakspeare from all other writers. It was necefiary, in fupport of the character of Miranda, to make her appear unconscious that excefs of forrow and excefs 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 expreffion of it, folly.

The fame thought occurs in Romeo and Juliet:

"Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring!
"Your tributary drops belong to woe,

"Which you, miftaking, offer up to joy." STEEVENS,
6-it feeks-] i. e. my affection feeks. MALONE.
7 I am your wife, if you will marry me, &c.]

Si tibi non cordi fuerant connubia nostra,
Attamen in veftras potuifti ducere fedes,
Quæ tibi jucundo famularer ferva labore ;

Candida

If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I'll be your fervant,
Whether you will or no.

Fer. My mistress, dearest,
And I thus humble ever.
Mira. 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 't9: And now farewell,

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 furpriz'd with all; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I'll to my book;
For yet, ere fupper-time, must I perform
Much bufinefs appertaining.

SCENE II.

Another part of the island.

[Exit.

Enter STEPHANO and TRINCULO; CALIBAN following with a bottle.

Ste. Tell not me ;-when the butt is out, we will drink

Candida permulcens liquidis veftigia lymphis,
Purpureave tuum confternens vefte cubile.

Catul. 62. MALONE.

8-your fellow,] i. e. companion. STEEVENS.

9 Ferd.

bere's my band.

Mira. And mine, with my beart in't.] It is ftill cuftomary in the weft of England, when the conditions of a bargain are agreed upon, for the parties to ratify it by joining their hands, and at the fame time for the purchafer to give an earnest. To this practice the poet alludes. So, in the Winter's Tale:

"Ere I could make thee open thy white hand,

"And clap thyself my love; then didst thou utter

"I am your's for ever."

Again, in the Two Gent. of Verona :

"Pro. Why then we'll make exchange; here, take you this. "Jul. And feal the bargain with a holy kiss.

"Pro. Here is my hand for my true conftancy." HENLEY.

water