100

Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded, and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded
And with him there lie mudded.

[Exit. Seb.

But one fiend at a time,
I 'll fight their legions o'er.
Ant.

I'll be thy second.

[Exeunt Seb. and Ant. Gon. All three of them are desperate : their

great guilt,
Like poison given to work a great time after,
Now 'gins to bite the spirits. I do beseech you
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly
And hinder them from what this ecstasy
May now provoke them to.
Adr.

Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Before PROSPERO's cell. .

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA. Pros. If I have too austerely punish'd you, Your compensation makes amends, for I Have given you here a third of mine own life, Or that for which I live; who once again I tender to thy hand : all thy vexations Were but my trials of thy love, and thou Hast strangely stood the test: here, afore Heaven, I ratify this my rich gift. O Ferdinand Do not smile at me that I boast her off, 108. ecstasy, madness. 3. a third, i.e. a main portion.

For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise
And make it halt behind her.
Fer.

I do believe it
Against an oracle.
Pros. Then, as my gift and thine own acqui-

sition
Worthily purchased, take my daughter : but
If thou dost break her virgin-knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minister'd,
No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
That you shall hate it both : therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.
Fer.

As I hope
For quiet days, fair issue and long life,
With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,
The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
Our worser genius can, shall never melt
Mine honour into lust, to take away
The edge of that day's celebration
When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd, 30
Or Night kept chain'd below.

.

14. purchased, won.

now with his heroism (Ant. and 18. aspersion, sprinkling, as Cleo. ii. 3. 19), now with his of dew.

weakness (ib. ii. 3. 21). Here,

on the contrary, the evil impulses 26. suggestion, temptation.

of men are ascribed to a special 27. Our worser genius, the 'worser genius' whom a “better' demon within us. Elsewhere genius resists.

The passage Shakespeare's language suggests goes far to show that the whole a single genius or guardian doctrine was with Shakespeare spirit presiding over, but within, little more than inherited phraseeach man, and associating ology. itself now with his planning 30. founder'd, disabled (by intellect (Jul. Cæs. ii. 1. 66), over-riding).

Pros.

Fairly spoke. Sit then and talk with her; she is thine own. What, Ariel ! my industrious servant, Ariel !

Bestow upon

40

Enter ARIEL.
Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.
Pros. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last

service
Did worthily perform ; and I must use you
In such another trick. Go bring the rabble,
O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place :
Incite them to quick motion; for I must

the
eyes
of this

young couple
Some vanity of mine art: it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.
Ari.

Presently?
Pros. Ay, with a twink.
Ari. Before you can say 'come' and 'go,'

And breathe twice and cry 'so, so,'
Each one, tripping on his toe,
Will be here with mop and mow.
Do
you

love me, master ? no? Pros. Dearly, my delicate Ariel.

proach Till thou dost hear me call. Ari.

Well, I conceive. (Exit. so Pros. Look thou be true ; do not give dalliance Too much the rein : the strongest oaths are straw To the fire i’ the blood : be more abstemious, Or else, good night your vow ! Fer.

I warrant you, sir; The white cold virgin snow upon my heart Abates the ardour of my liver. Pros.

Well. Now come, my Ariel ! bring a corollary, 47. mop and mow, grimaces. 57. corollary, supernumerary.

Do not ap

50

Rather than want a spirit : appear, and pertly !
No tongue ! all eyes! be silent. [Soft music.

60

Enter IRIS.
Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats and pease;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;
Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,
Which spongy April at thy hest betrims,
To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy

broom-groves,
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,
Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard ;
And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,
Where thou thyself dost air ;—the queen o’the sky, 70
Whose watery arch and messenger am I,
Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign

grace,
Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,
To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain :
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

61. vetches, Ff fetches, an 'trimmed' with flowers. archaic and provincial form of Hence the less picturesque but the word.

are

Enter CERES.
Cer. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er
Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;
Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers
Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers,
And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown
My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down,
Rich scarf to my proud earth ; why hath thy queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd green?

Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate;
And some donation freely to estate
On the blest lovers.
Cer.

Tell me, heavenly bow,
If Venus or her son, as thou dost know,
Do now attend the queen ? Since they did plot
The means that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company
I have forsworn.
Iris.

Of her society
Be not afraid : I met her deity
Cutting the clouds towards Paphos and her son
Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have

done Some wanton charm upon this man and maid, Whose vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid Till Hymen's torch be lighted : but in vain; Mars's hot minion is return'd again; Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows, Swears he will shoot no more but play with sparrows 100 And be a boy right out. Cer.

High'st queen of state, Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

90

85. freely estate, liberally allusion to the story, Wint. bestow.

Tale, iv. 4. 118. 89. Dis, Pluto. Cf. Perdita's