Act 3 — SCENE III.—Wild Island.
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Enter Alonzo, Antonio, and Gonzalo.
Gonz. I am weary, and can go no further, sir.
Alon. Old lord, I cannot blame thee, who am myself seized with a weariness, to the dulling of my spirits: [They sit.
Even here I will put off my hope, and keep it No longer for my flatterers: He is drowned, Whom thus we stray to find. I'm faint with hunger, And must despair of food. [Music without. What! harmony again? My good friends, hark! Anto. I fear some other horrid apparition. Give us kind keepers, heaven, I beseech thee!
Gonz. 'Tis chearful music this, unlike the first.
Ariel and Milcha invisible, sing.
Dry those eyes which are o'erflowing, All your storms are overblowing: While you in this isle are biding, You shall feast without providing: Every dainty you can think of, Every wine which you would drink of, Shall be yours; all want shall shun you, Ceres' blessing so is on you.
Alon. This voice speaks comfort to us.
Anto. Would 'twere come; There is no music in a song to me, My stomach being empty. Gonz. O for a heavenly vision of boiled, Baked, and roasted! [Dance of fantastic Spirits; after the dance, a table furnished with meat and fruit is brought in by two Spirits.
Anto. My lord, the duke, see yonder! A table, as I live, set out and furnished With all varieties of meats and fruits. Alon. 'Tis so indeed; but who dares taste this feast, Which fiends provide, to poison us? Gonz. Why that dare I; if the black gentleman Be so ill natured, he may do his pleasure. Anto. 'Tis certain we must either eat or famish: I will encounter it, and feed.
Alon. If both resolve, I will adventure too.
Gonz. The devil may fright me, yet he shall not starve me. [Two Spirits descend, and fly away with the table.
Alon. Heaven! behold, it is as you suspected: 'Tis vanished. Shall we be always haunted with these fiends?
Anto. Here we shall wander till we famish.
Gonz. Certainly one of you was so wicked as to say grace; this comes on it, when men will be godly out of season.
Anto. Yonder's another table, let's try that. [Exeunt.
Enter Trincalo and Caliban.
Trinc. Brother monster, welcome to my private palace. But where's thy sister? is she so brave a lass?
Calib. In all this isle there are but two more, the daughters of the tyrant Prospero; and she is bigger than them both. O, here she comes! now thou mayest judge thyself, my lord.
Enter Sycorax.
Trinc. She's monstrous fair indeed. Is this to be my spouse? Well, she's heir of all this isle (for I will geld monster). The Trincalos, like other wise men, have anciently used to marry for estate, more than for beauty.
Syc. I pr'ythee let me have the gay thing about thy neck, and that which dangles at thy wrist. [Sycorax points to his whistle and his bottle.
Trinc. My dear blubber-lips! this—observe, my chuck—is a badge of my sea-office; my fair fuss, thou dost not know it.
Syc. No, my dread lord.
Trinc. It shall be a whistle for our first babe, and when the next shipwreck puts me again to swimming, I'll dive to get a coral to it.
Syc. I'll be thy pretty child, and wear it first.
Trinc. I pr'ythee, sweet baby, do not play the wanton, and cry for my goods ere I'm dead. When thou art my widow, thou shalt have the devil and all.
Syc. May I not have the other fine thing?
Trinc. This is a sucking-bottle for young Trincalo.
Calib. Shall she not taste of that immortal liquor?
Trinc. Umph! that's another question: For if she be thus flippant in her water, what will she be in her wine?
Enter Ariel (invisible) and changes the Bottle which stands upon the Ground.
Ariel. There's water for your wine. [Exit Ariel.
Trinc. Well! since it must be so. [Gives her the bottle. How do you like it now, my queen that must be? [She drinks.
Syc. Is this your heav'nly liquor? I'll bring you to a river of the same.
Trinc. Wilt thou so, Madam Monster? What a mighty prince shall I be then! I would not change my dukedom to be great Turk Trincalo.
Syc. This is the drink of frogs.
Trinc. Nay, if the frogs of this island drink such, they are the merriest frogs in Christendom.
Calib. She does not know the virtue of this liquor: I pr'ythee, let me drink for her. [Caliban drinks.
Trinc. Well said, Subject Monster!
Calib. My lord, this is mere water.
Trinc. 'Tis thou hast changed the wine then, and drunk it up, like a debauched fish as thou art. Let me see't, I'll taste it myself—Element! mere element, as I live! It was a cold gulp, such as this, which killed my famous predecessor, old Simon the king[F].
Calib. How does thy honour? pr'ythee, be not angry, and I will lick thy shoe.
Trinc. I could find in my heart to turn thee out of my dominions, for a liquorish monster.
Calib. O, my lord, I have found it out; this must be done by one of Prospero's spirits.
Trinc. There's nothing but malice in these devils; I would it had been holy-water for their sakes!
Syc. 'Tis no matter, I will cleave to thee.
Trinc. Lovingly said, in troth: Now cannot I hold out against her. This wife-like virtue of her's has overcome me.
Syc. Shall I have thee in my arms?
Trinc. Thou shalt have Duke Trincalo in thy arms: But, pr'ythee, be not too boisterous with me at first; do not discourage a young beginner. [They embrace.] Stand to your arms, my spouse, and subject monster,—
Enter Stephano, Mustacho, and Ventoso.
The enemy is come to surprise us in our quarters. You shall know, rebels, that I am married to a witch, and we have a thousand spirits of our party.
Steph. Hold! I ask a truce; I and my viceroys (finding no food, and but a small remainder of brandy,) are come to treat a peace betwixt us, which may be for the good of both armies; therefore, Trincalo, disband.
Trinc. Plain Trincalo! methinks I might have been a duke in your mouth; I'll not accept of your embassy without my title.
Steph. A title shall break no squares betwixt us: Viceroys, give him his style of duke, and treat with him whilst I walk by in state. [Ventoso and Mustacho bow, whilst Trincalo puts on his Cap.
Must. Our lord and master, Duke Stephano, has sent us, in the first place, to demand of you, upon what ground you make war against him; having no right to govern here, as being elected only by your own voice.
Trinc. To this I answer, That, having in the face of the world espoused the lawful inheretrix of this island, Queen Blouze the First, and having homage done me by this hectoring spark her brother; from these two I claim a lawful title to this island.
Must. Who, that monster? He a Hector?
Calib. Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord?
Trinc. Viceroys! keep good tongues in your heads, I advise you, and proceed to your business.
Must. First and foremost, as to your claim, that you have answered.
Vent. But, second and foremost, we demand of you, that if we make a peace, the butt also may be comprehended in the treaty.
Trinc. I cannot treat with my honour, without your submission.
Steph. I understand, being present, from my ambassadors, what your resolution is, and ask an hour's time of deliberation, and so I take our leave; but first I desire to be entertained at your butt, as becomes a prince and his ambassadors.
Trinc. That I refuse, till acts of hostility be ceased. These rogues are rather spies than ambassadors. I must take heed of my butt. They come to pry into the secrets of my dukedom.
Vent. Trincalo, you are a barbarous prince, and so farewell. [Exeunt Steph. Must. and Vent.
Trinc. Subject-monster! stand you sentry before my cellar; my queen and I will enter, and feast ourselves within. [Exeunt.