Act 3 — Scene III.—Another part of the Island.

Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Adrian, Francisco, and Others.

Gonza. By’r lakin,430-1 I can go no further, sir; My old bones ache: here’s a maze trod, indeed, Through forth-rights430-2 and meanders!430-3 by your patience, I needs must rest me.

Alon. Old lord, I cannot blame thee, Who am myself attach’d with430-4 weariness, To th’ 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 frustrate430-5 search on land. Well, let him go.

Anto. [Aside to Sebas.] I am right glad that he’s so out of hope. Do not, for one repulse, forgo the purpose That you resolved t’ effect.

Sebas. [Aside to Anto.] The next advantage Will we take throughly.430-6

Anto. [Aside to Sebas.] Let it be to-night. For, now they are oppress’d with travel, they Will not, nor cannot, use such vigilance As when they’re fresh.

Sebas. [Aside to Anto.] I say, to-night: no more. [Solemn and strange music.

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

Gonza. Marvellous sweet music!

Enter Prospero above, invisible. Enter, below, 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. Give us kind keepers, Heavens!— What were these?

Sebas. A living drollery.431-7 Now I will believe That there are unicorns; that in Arabia There is one tree, the phœnix throne;431-8 one phœnix At this hour reigning there.

Anto. 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 ’em.

Gonza. If in Naples I should report this now, would they believe me? If I should say I saw such islanders,— For, certes,431-9 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.

Pros. [Aside.] Honest lord, Thou hast said well; for some of you there present Are worse than devils.

Alon. I cannot too much muse432-10 Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound, expressing— Although they want the use of tongue—a kind Of excellent dumb discourse.

Pros. [Aside.] Praise in departing.432-11

Fran. They vanish’d strangely.

Sebas. No matter, since They’ve left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.— Will’t please you taste of what is here?

Alon. Not I.

Gonza. 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 ’em Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men Whose heads stood in their breasts?432-12 which now we find, Each putter-out of one for five432-13 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 to, and do as we.

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

Ari. You are three men of sin, whom Destiny— That hath to instrument433-14 this lower world And what is in’t—the never-surfeited sea Hath caused to belch up; yea, and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you ’mongst men Being most unfit to live. I’ve made you mad; And even with such like valour men hang and drown Their proper selves. [Seeing Alon., Sebas., &c., draw their swords. 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-closing433-15 waters, as diminish One dowle434-16 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; Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit434-17 it, Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures, Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso, They have bereft; and do pronounce, by me, Lingering perdition—worse than any death Can be at once—shall step by step attend You and your ways; whose434-18 wraths to guard you from,— Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads,—is nothing, but heart-sorrow And a clear life ensuing.

He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mocks and mowes, and carry out the table.

Pros. [Aside.] Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou Perform’d, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: Of my instruction hast thou nothing ’bated In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life, And observation strange, my meaner ministers Their several kinds have done.435-19 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, while I visit Young Ferdinand,—who they suppose is drown’d,— And his and my loved darling. [Exit from above.

Gonza. I’ the 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;435-20 The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder, That deep and dreadful organ pipe, pronounced The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.435-21 Therefore my son i’ the ooze is bedded;435-22 and I’ll seek him deeper than e’er plummet sounded, And with him there lie mudded.435-23 [Exit.

Sebas. But one fiend at a time, I’ll fight their legions o’er.

Anto. I’ll be thy second.

[Exeunt Sebastian and Antonio.

Gonza. All three of them are desperate: their great guilt, Like poison given to work a long time after,436-24 Now ’gins to bite the spirits.—I do beseech you, That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly, And hinder them from what this ecstasy436-25 May now provoke them to.

Adri. Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt.