To lay upon the damn'd, which Sycorax Ari. I thank thee, mafter. Pro. If thou more murmur'ft, I will rend an oak, I will be correfpondent to command, Pro. Do fo: and after two days Ari. That's my noble mafter: What fhall I do? fay what? what fhall I do? Pro. Go make thyself like to a nymph o'th' fea. Be fubject to no fight but mine: invifible To every eye-ball elfe. Go take this fhape, And hither come in it: go hence with diligence [Exit Ariel. Awake, dear heart, awake! thou haft flept well; Awake Mira. The ftrangeness of your ftory put Heavinefs in me. Pro. Shake it off: come on; We'll vifit Caliban my flave, who never Yields us kind answer. Mira. 'Tis a villain, Sir, I do not love to look on Pro. But, as 'tis, We cannot mifs him: he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood, and ferves in offices That profit us. What ho Thou earth, thou! speak. flave! Caliban! Cal. [within.] There's wood enough within. Pro. Come forth, I fay; there's other bufinefs for thee. Come, thou Tortoife! when? Emer Enter Ariel like a Water-Nymph. Fine apparition! my quaint Ariel, Ari. My lord, it shall be done. [Exit. Pro. Thou poifonous flave, got by the devil himself Upon thy wicked dam, come forth. Cal. A S* wicked dew, as e'er my mother brush'd With raven's feather from unwholfome fen, Drop on you both! a fouth-weft blow on ye, "And blifter you all o'er! 66 [cramps, Pro. For this, be fure, to night thou fhalt have Side-ftiches that fhall pen thy breath up; urchins Shall, for that vaft of night that they may work, All exercise on thee: thou fhalt be pinch'd As thick as honey-combs, each pinch more ftinging Than bees that made 'em. 66 Cal. I muft eat my dinner. "This Ifland's mine by Sycorax my mother, "Which thou tak'ft from me. When thou cameft first, "Thou froak’dst me, and mad’st much of me; and would't give me "Water with berries in't; and teach me how. "To name the bigger light, and how the less, "That burn by day and night: and then I lov'd thee, "And fhew'd thee all the qualities o'th' Ifle, "The fresh springs, brine-pits; barren place, and fertile. "Curs'd be I, that I did fo! all the charms * Cal. As wicked dew, &c.] Shakespear hath very artificially given the Air of the Antique to the Language of Caliban, in order to heighten the Grotefque of his Character. As here he ufes wicked for unwhelfome. "Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you! "For I am all the fubjects that you have, "Who first was mine own King; and here you fly me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me The reft of th'Island. Pro. Thou most lying flave, Whom ftripes may move, not kindness; I have us'd thee (Filth as thou art) with humane care, and lodg'd In mine own cell, 'till thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child. Cal. Oh ho, oh ho!—I wou'd, it had been done! Thou didft prevent me, I had peopled elfe This Ifle with Calibans. Pro. *Abhorred flave; Which any print of goodness wilt not take, Took pains to make thee fpeak, taught thee each hour race But thy vile [natures (Tho' thou didft learn) had that in't, which good Could not abide to be with; therefore waft thou Defervedly confin'd into this rock, Who hadft deferv'd more than a prison Cal. You taught me language, and my profit on't * Abhorred flave;] In fome of the former Editions this Speech was given to Miranda. Mr. Dryden in his Alteration of this Play rightly transferred it to Profpero. When thou didst not, favage, Know thy own meaning, &c.] Some of the ancient Editions have been printed as above expreffed. The Benefit which Profpero here upbraids Caliban with having beflowed, was teaching him Language. He fhews the Greatness of this Benefit by marking the Inconvenience Caliban lay under for want of it. What was the Inconvenience? This, that he did not know his own Meaning. Is, I know how to curfe: the red plague rid you, For learning me your language! Pro. Hag-feed, hence! Fetch us in fewel, and be quick (thou wert' beft) To answer other bufinefs. Shrug'ft thou, malice? If thou neglect ft, or doft unwillingly What I command, I'll rack thee with old cramps; Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar, That beasts shall tremble at thy din. Cal. No pray thee. I must obey; his art is of fuch pow'r, Pro. So, flave, hence! SCENE V. [Exit Caliban. Enter Ferdinand; and Ariel invisible, playing and finging. ARIEL'S SONG. Come unto thefe yellow fands, And then take hands: Curt'fied when you have, and kift (The wild waves whist;) Foot it featly here and there, And, fweet fprites, the burthen bear. Burthen, difperfedly. Hark, hark, baugh,-waugh: the watch-dogs bark, Baugh-waugh. Ari. Hark, hark, I hear The ftrain of ftrutting chanticlere Cry, Cock-a-doodle-do. Fer. Where fhould this Mufic be, i'th' air, or earth ? It founds no more: and, fure, it waits upon Some Some God o'th' Ifland. Sitting on a bank, ARIEL'S SONG. *Full fathom five thy father lies, Hark, now I hear them, ding-dong, bell. Burthen: ding-dong Fer. The ditty does remember my drown'd father; This is no mortal business, nor no found That the earth owns: I hear it now above me. Pro. THE HE fringed curtains of thine eyes advance, Mira. What is't, a fpirit? Lord, how it looks about! believe me, Sir, It carries a brave form. But 'tis a fpirit. Full fathom five thy father lies, &c.] Let us confider the Business Ariel is here upon, and his Manner of executing it. The Commiffion Profpero had intrufted to him, in a Whisper, was plainly this; to conduct Ferdinand to the Sight of Miranda, and to dispose him to the quick Sentiments of Love, while he, on the other Hand, prepared his Daughter for the fame Impreffions. Ariel fets about his Bufinefs by acquainting Ferdinand, in an extraordinary Manner, with the afflictive News of his Father's Death. A very odd Apparatus, one would think for a Love-fit. Pro. |