To take my life; two of thefe fellows you
Muft know and own; this thing of darkness I
Acknowledge mine.
Cal. I fhall be pinch'd to death.
Alon. Is not this Stéphano, my drunken butler?
Seb. He's drunk now: where had he wine?
Alon. And Trinculo is reeling Fipe; where fhould they Find this grand 'fixir, that hath gilded 'em? How can't thou in this pickle?
Trin. I have been in fuch a pickle, fince I faw you laft, that, I fear hie, will never out of my bones: 1 fhall not fear Ay-blowing.
Seb. Why, how how, Stephano?
Ste. O, touch me not: I am not Stephano, but
Pro. You'd be King o' th' island, Sirrah?
Ste. I fhould have been a fore one then.
Alon. 'Tis a ftrange thing, as e'er I look'd on.
Pro. He is as difproportion'd in his manners,
As in his fhape: go, Sirtal, to my cell,
Take with you your companions; as you look
To have my pardon, trim it handfomely.
Cal. Ay, that I will; and I'll be wife hereafter,
And feek for grace.
What a thrice-double afs
Was 1, to take this drunkard for a god?
And worship this dull fool?
Pro. Go to, away!
Alon. Hence, and beftow your luggage where you found it:+
Pro. Sir, I invite your Highnefs, and your train,
To my poor cell; where you fhall take your reft
For this one night, which (part of it) I'll wafte
With fuch difcourfe, as, I not doubt, hall make it
Go quick away; the ftory of my life,
And the particular accidents gone by,
Since I came to this file; and in the morn
I'll bring you to your fhip; and fo to Naples;
Where I have hope to fee the nuptials
Of thefe our dear beloved folemniz'd;
And thence retire me to my Milan, where
Every third thought thall be my grave.
To hear the ftory of your life, which muit
Take the ear ftrangely.
Amd promife you calm feas, aufpicious gales,
And fail fo expeditious, that fhall catch
Your royal fleet far off. My Ariel, chick,
That is thy charge: then to the elements
Be free, and fare thou well! Please you, draw near.
Spoken by Profpero.
Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what firength I have's mine own;
Which is moft faint: and now, 'tis true,
I must be here confin'd by you,
Or fent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got,
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare ifland by your fpell:
But releafe me from my bands,
With the help of your good hands.
Gentle breath of yours my fails
Muft fill, or elfe my project fails,
Which was to pleafe. For now I want
Spirits t'enforce, art to inchant;
And my ending is defpair,
Unless I be reliev'd by prayer;
Which pierces fo, that it affaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence fet me free!
SCENE, Athens; and a wood not far from it.
ACT I. SCENE I.
The Duke's palace in Athens.
Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with attendants.
The. Now, fair Hippolitá, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how flow
This old moon wanes! fhe lingers my defires,
Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,
Long wintering on a young man's revenue.
Hip. Four days will quickly fteep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time: And then the moon, like to a filver bow,
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our folemnities,
The. Go, Philoftrate,
Stir up th' Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;
Turn melancholy forth to funerals,
The pale companion is not for our pomp.
Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my fword;
And won thy love, doing thee injuries:
But I will wed thee, in another key,
With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.
Enter Egeus, Hermia, Lyfander,, and Demetrius.
Ege. Happy be Thefeus, our renowned Duke!
The. Thanks, good Egeus; what's the news with thee?
Ege. Full of vexation, come I with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.
Stand forth, Demetrius.My Noble Lord,
This man hath my confent to marry her.
Stand forth, Lyfander.And, my gracious Duke,
This man hath witch'd the bofom of my child:
Thou, thou, Lyfander, thou haft giv'n her rhymes,
And interchang'd love-tokens with my child:"
Thou haft, by moon-light, at her window fung,
With feigning voice, verfes of feigning love;
And ftol'n th' impreffion of her fantasy,
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nofegays, fweet-meats; (meffengers
Of ftrong prevailment in unharden'd youth,)
With cunning haft thou filch'd my daughter's heart, :
Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,
To ftubborn harfhnefs: and, my gracious Duke,
Be't fo fhe will not, here before your Grace,
Confent to marry with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens;
As fhe is mine, I may difpofe of her:
Which fhall be either to this gentleman,.
Or to her death, according to our law
Immediately provided in that cafe.
The. What fay you, Fiermia? be advis'd, fair maid. you your father fhould be as a god; One that compos'd your beauties:
To whom you are but as a form in wax
By him imprinted; and within his power
To love the figure, or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
Her. So is Lyfander.
The. In himfelf he is;
But in this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other muft be held the worthier.
Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes.
The. Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.
Her. I do intreat your grace to pardon me:
I know not by what pow'r I am made bold;
Nor how it may concern my modefty,
In fuch a prefence here, to plead my thoughts:
But I beseech your Grace, that I may know
The worst that may befal me, in this cafe,
If I refufe to wed Demetrius.
The. Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the fociety of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, queftion your defires;
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, if you yield nct to your
father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun;
For ay to be in fhady cloifter mew'd,
To live a barren fister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless, moon?
Thrice bleffed they that master so their blood,
To undergo fuch maiden pilgrimage!
But earthlier happy is the rofe diftill'd,
Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies, in fingle bleffednefs.
Her. So will I grow, fo live, fo die, my Lord,
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his Lordship, to whofe unwith'd yoke
My foul confents not to give fov'reignty.
The. Take time to paufe; and by the next new moon, (The fealing day betwixt my love and me,
For everlafting bond of fellowship,)
Upon that day either prepare to die,
For difobedience to your father's will;
Or elfe to wed Demetrius, as he would;
Or on Diana's altar to proteft,
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