SCENE III.—Another part of the Island. Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and others.

Gon. By'r lakin, I can go no further, sir; My old bones ache: here's a maze trod, indeed, Through forth-rights, and meanders! by your patience,

I needs must rest me.

Alon.

Old lord, I cannot blame thee, Who am myself attach'd with weariness, To the dulling of my spirits: sit down, and rest. Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it No longer for my flatterer: he is drown'd, Whom thus we stray to find; and the sea mocks Our frustrate search on land: Well, let him go. Ant. I am right glad that he's so out of hope.

[Aside to Sebastian.

Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose
That you resoly'd to effect.

The next advantage

Let it be to-night;

For, now they are oppress'd with travel, they
Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance,

As when they are fresh.

Seb.

I say, to-night: no more.

Solemn and strange music; and Prospero above, invisible. Enter several strange Shapes, bringing in a banquet; they dance about it with gentle actions of salutation; and inviting the king, &c. to eat, they depart.

Alon. What harmony is this? my good friends, hark!

Gon. Marvellous sweet music!

Alon. Give us kind keepers, heavens!-What were these?

(1) Our lady.

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 else want credit, come to me,

And I'll be sworn 'tis true: Travellers ne'er did lie,
Though fools at home condemn them.

Gon.
If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say I saw such islanders

(For, certes,2 these are people of the island,)
Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,
Their manners are more gentle-kind, than of
Our human generation you shall find

Many, nay, almost any.

Pro.

Honest lord,

Thou hast said well; for some of you there present, Are worse than devils.

[Aside. Alon. I cannot too much muse,3 Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, ex

pressing

(Although they want the use of tongue,) a kind Of excellent dumb discourse.

Pro.

Praise in departing.
Aside.

Fran. They vanish'd strangely.

Seb.

No matter, since

They have 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-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging

at them

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men, (3) Wonder.

(1) Show.

(2) Certainly.

Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we

find,

Each putter-out on five for one, will bring us

Good warrant of.

Alon.

I will stand to, and feed,

Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past:-Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand too, and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy: claps his wings upon the table, and with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom destiny (That hath to instrument this lower world, And what is in't,) the never-surfeited sea Hath caused to belch up; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; [Seeing Alon. Seb. &c. draw their swords. And even with such like valour, men hang and drown

Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows Are ministers of fate; the elements

Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

One dowle1 that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers
Are like invulnerable: if you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted: But, remember
(For that's my business to you,) that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him, and his innocent child; for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace: Thee, of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
(1) Down.

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 else want credit, come to me, And I'll be sworn 'tis true: Travellers ne'er did lie, Though fools at home condemn them.

Gon.
If in Naples
I should report this now, would they believe me?
If I should say I saw such islanders

(For, certes,2 these are people of the island,)
Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,
Their manners are more gentle-kind, than of
Our human generation you shall find

Many, nay, almost any.

Pro.

Honest lord,

Thou hast said well; for some of you there present, Are worse than devils.

Alon.

Aside.

I cannot too much muse,3 Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, ex

pressing

(Although they want the use of tongue,) a kind Of excellent dumb discourse.

Pro.

Praise in departing.

Aside.

No matter, since

Fran. They vanish'd strangely.

Seb.

They have 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-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at them

Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men, (3) Wonder.

(1) Show.

(2) Certainly.

Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we

find,

Each putter-out on five for one, will bring us

Good warrant of.

Alon.

I will stand to, and feed,
Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past:-Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand too, and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy: claps his wings upon the table, and with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom destiny (That hath to instrument this lower world, And what is in't,) the never-surfeited sea Hath caused to belch up; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad; [Seeing Alon. Seb. &c. draw their swords. And even with such like valour, men hang and drown

Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows Are ministers of fate; the elements

Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

One dowle1 that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers
Are like invulnerable: if you could hurt,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted: But, remember
(For that's my business to you,) that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;
Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it,
Him, and his innocent child; for which foul deed
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,
Against your peace: Thee, of thy son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
(1) Down.