Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

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,
Lingring Perdition, worse than any Death
Can be at once, shall Step by Step attend

You and your Ways, whose Wraths to guard you from,
Which here, in this most desolate Isse, else falls
Upon your Heads, is nothing but Heart's-forrow,

And a clear Life ensuing.

He vanishes in Thunder: Then, to soft Musick, Enter the Shapes again, and dance with Mocks and Mowes, and carrying out the Table.

Pro. Bravely the Figure of this Harpy haft thou
Perform'd, my Ariel; a Grace it had devouring:
Of my Instruction haft thou nothing bated
In what thou hadst to say: So with good Life,'
And Observation strange, my meaner Ministers
Their feveral Kinds have done; my high Charms work,
And these, mine Enemies, are all knit up
In their Distractions: They now are in my Power;
And in these Fits I leave them, whilst I visit
Young Ferdinand, whom they suppose is drown'd,
And his, and my lov'd Darling.

Gon. I'th' Name of something holy, Sir, why stand you in this strange Stare?

Alon. O, it is monstrous! monstrous!
Methought the Billows spoke, and told me of it;
The Winds did fing it to me, and the Thunder,
That deep and dreadful Organ-pipe, pronounc'd
The Name of Profper: It did base my Trespass,
Therefore my Son i'th' Ooze is bedded; and
I'll feek him deeper than e'er Plummet sounded,

And with him there lye mudded.

[Exit:

Seb. But one Fiend at a time,

I'll fight their Legions o'er.

Ant. I'll be thy Second.

[Exeunt.

Gon. All three of them are defperate; their great Guilr,

Like Poison giv'n to work a great time after,

Now 'gins to bite the Spirits. I do beseech you,

That are of fuppler Joints, follow them swiftly,

And

And hinder them from what this Extafie
May now provoke them to.
Adri. Follow, I pray you.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

SCENEI.

ACTIV.

Enter Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.

:

Pro.

IF

I have too austerely punished 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 render to thy Hand: All thy Vexations
Were but my Trials of thy Love, and thou
Haft strangely stood the Test. Here afore Heaven
I ratifie this my rich Gift: O Ferdinand,
Do not smile at me that I boast her off;
For thou shalt find she will out-stirp all Praise,
And make it halt behind her.

Fer. I do believe it

Against an Oracle.

Pro. Then, as my Gift, and thine own Acquifition

:

Worthily purchas'd, take my Daughter.
If thou doft break her Virgin-knot before
All fanctimonious Ceremonies may,
With full and holy Rite, be ministred,
No sweet Afperfions shall the Heav'ns let fall
To make this Contract grow; but barren Hate,
Sour-ey'd Disdain, and Discord shall bestrew
The Union of your Bed with Weeds so lothly
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 worfer Genius can, shall never melt

Mine Honour into Luft, to take away

:

The Edge of that Day's Celebration,

:

When I shall think or Phœbus Steeds are founder'd,

Or Night kept chain'd below.

Pro

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

Enter Ariel.

Ari. What would my potent Master? here I am.
Pro. 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
Bestow upon the Eyes of this young Couple
Some Vanity of mine Art; it is my Promife,
And they expect it from me,

Ari. Presently?

Pro. Ay, with a Twink.

Ari. Before you can fay Come, and go,

And breathe twice; and cry, So, fo;

Each one tipping on his Toe,

Will be here with Mop and Mow.

Do you love me, Master? No.

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel; do not approach

Till thou do'st hear me call.

Ari. Well, I conceive.

Pro. Look thou be true; do not give Dalliance Too much the Rein; the strongest Oaths are Straw

To th' Fire i th' 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 Ardours of my Liver.

Pro. Well.

Now come my Ariel, bring a Corolary,

:

:

:

[Exit.

Rather than want a Spirit, appear, and pertly. [Soft Musick.

No Tongue; all Eyes; be filent.

Enter Iris.

Iris. Ceres, most bounteous Lady, the rich Leas
Of Wheat, Rye, Barley, Fetches, Oats, and Peases
Thy turfy Mountains, where live nibling Sheep,
And flat Medes thetch'd with Stover, them to keep;
Thy Barks with pioned, and tulip'd Brims,
Which spungy April, at thy Hest betrims,

:

i.

Го

To make cold Nymphs chaste Crowns; and thy Broom-groves,
Whose Shadow the dismissed Batchelor loves,
Being Lafs-lorn; thy pole-clipt Vineyard,
And thy Sea-marge steril, and rocky hard,
Where thou thy self do'st Air; the Queen o' the Sky,
Whose watry Arch, and Messenger, am I,
Bids thee leave these, and with her Sov'raign Grace,
Here on this Grass-plot, in this very place [Juno defcends.
To come, and sport; her Peacocks fly amain:
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter Ceres.

Cer. Hail many-colour'd Messenger, that ne'er

Do'st 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 do'st Crown
My bosky Acres, and my unshrub'd Down,
Rich Scarf to my proud Earth; why hath thy Queen
Summon'd me hither, to this short-grafs'd Green?

Iris. A Contract of true Love to celebrate,

And fome Donation freely to estate
On the bless'd Lovers.

Cer. Tell me heav'nly Bow,
If Venus or her Son, as thou do'st know,
Do now attend the Queen? fince 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,
And be a Boy right-out.

Cer. Highest Queen of State,

Great Juno comes, I know her by her Gate.

:

[ocr errors]

1

J. How does my bounteous Sifter? Go with me
To bless this Twain, that they may profperous be,
And honour'd in their Iffue.

Ju. Honour, Riches, Marriage Bleffing,
Long Continuance and encreasing,
Hourly Foys be still upon you,
Juno fings her Blessings on you:
Earth's Increase, and Foyfon plenty,
Barns and Garners never empty,
Vines, with cluftring Bunches growing,
Plants, with goodly Burthen bowing:
Spring come to you at the fartheft,
In the very End of Harvest:
Scarcity and Want shall shun you,
Ceres Bleffing so is on you.

Fer. This is a most majestick Vision, and
Harmonious charmingly; may I be bold
To think these Spirits?

Pro. Spirits, which by mine Art
I have from all their Confines call'd, to enact
My present Fancies.

Fer. Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd Father, and a Wife,

Makes this place Paradise.

Pro. Sweet now, Silence:

Juno and Ceres whisper serioufly;

There's something else to do; hush, and be mute,
Or else our Spell is marr'd.

[They fing

Juno and Ceres whisper, and send Iris on Imployment. Iris. You Nymphs call'd Nayades of the winding Brooks, With your fedg'd Crowns, and ever-harmless Looks, Leave your crisp Channels, and on this Green-land Answer your Summons, Juno does Command: Come, temperate Nymphs, and help to celebrate A Contract of true Love; be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You Sun-burn'd Sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the Furrow, and be merry;
Make Holy-day; your Rye-straw Hats put on,
And these fresh Nymphs encounter every one
In Country footing.

Enter

« AnteriorContinua »