Act 4 — SCENE III.—The wild Island.

Enter Trincalo, Caliban, and Sycorax.

Calib. My lord, I see 'em coming yonder.

Trinc. Whom?

Calib. The starved prince, and his two thirsty subjects, that would have our liquor.

Trinc. If thou wert a monster of parts, I would make thee my master of ceremonies, to conduct 'em in. The devil take all dunces! thou hast lost a brave employment, by not being a linguist, and for want of behaviour.

Syc. My lord, shall I go meet 'em? I'll be kind to all of 'em, just as I am to thee.

Trinc. No, that's against the fundamental laws of my dukedom: You are in a high place, spouse, and must give good example. Here they come; we'll put on the gravity of statesmen, and be very dull, that we may be held wise.

Enter Stephano, Ventoso, and Mustacho.

Vent. Duke Trincalo, we have considered.

Trinc. Peace or war?

Must. Peace, and the butt.

Steph. I come now as a private person, and promise to live peaceably under your government.

Trinc. You shall enjoy the benefits of peace; and the first fruits of it, amongst all civil nations, is to be drunk for joy: Caliban, skink about.

Steph. I long to have a rouse to her grace's health, and to the haunse in kelder, or rather haddock in kelder, for I guess it will be half fish. [Aside.

Trinc. Subject Stephano, here's to thee; and let old quarrels be drowned in this draught. [Drinks.

Steph. Great magistrate, here's thy sister's health to thee. [Drinks to Calib.

Syc. He shall not drink of that immortal liquor; my lord, let him drink water.

Trinc. O sweetheart, you must not shame yourself to-day. Gentlemen subjects, pray bear with her good huswifery: She wants a little breeding, but she's hearty.

Must. Ventoso, here's to thee. Is it not better to pierce the butt, than to quarrel and pierce one another's bellies?

Vent. Let it come, boy.

Trinc. Now would I lay greatness aside, and shake my heels, if I had but music.

Calib. O my lord! my mother left us in her will a hundred spirits to attend us, devils of all sorts, some great roaring devils, and some little singing spirits.

Syc. Shall we call? And thou shalt hear them in the air.

Trinc. I accept the motion: Let us have our mother-in-law's legacy immediately.

CALIBAN SINGS.

Trinc. What a merry tyrant am I, to have my music, and pay nothing for't!

A table rises, and four Spirits with wine and meat enter, placing it, as they dance, on the table: The dance ended, the bottles vanish, and the table sinks again.

Vent. The bottle's drunk.

Must. Then the bottle's a weak shallow fellow, if it be drunk first.

Trinc. Stephano, give me thy hand: thou hast been a rebel, but here's to thee: [Drinks.] Pr'ythee, why should we quarrel? Shall I swear two oaths? By bottle, and by butt, I love thee: In witness whereof I drink soundly.

Steph. Your grace shall find there's no love lost, for I will pledge you soundly.

Trinc. Thou hast been a false rebel, but that's all one; pledge my grace faithfully.—Caliban, go to the butt, and tell me how it sounds. [Exit Caliban.] Peer Stephano, dost thou love me?

Steph. I love your grace, and all your princely family.

Trinc. 'Tis no matter, if thou lov'st me; hang my family: Thou art my friend, pr'ythee tell me what thou think'st of my princess:

Steph. I look on her, as on a very noble princess.

Trinc. Noble! indeed she had a witch to her mother; and the witches are of great families in Lapland: but the devil was her father; and I have heard of the Monsieur De Villes in France: but look on her beauty,—is she a fit wife for Duke Trincalo? Mark her behaviour too,—she's tippling yonder with the serving-men.

Steph. An't please your grace, she's somewhat homely, but that's no blemish in a princess. She is virtuous.

Trinc. Umph! virtuous! I am loath to disparage her; but thou art my friend,—canst thou be close?

Steph. As a stopt bottle, an't please your grace.

Enter Caliban again with a bottle.

Trinc. Why then I'll tell thee,—I found her an hour ago under an elder-tree, upon a sweet bed of nettles, singing Tory Rory, and Rantum Scantum, with her own natural brother.

Steph. O Jew! make love in her own tribe?

Trinc. But 'tis no matter; to tell thee true, I married her to be a great man, and so forth: But make no words on't, for I care not who knows it, and so here's to thee again.—Give me the bottle, Caliban! did you knock the butt? How does it sound?

Calib. It sounds as though it had a noise within.

Trinc. I fear the butt begins to rattle in the throat, and is departing: give me the bottle. [Drinks.

Must. A short life and a merry, I say. [Steph. whispers Sycorax.

Syc. But did he tell you so?

Steph. He said you were as ugly as your mother, and that he married you only to get possession of the island.

Syc. My mother's devils fetch him for't!

Steph. And your father's too. Hem! skink about his grace's health again. O if you will but cast an eye of pity upon me—

Syc. I will cast two eyes of pity on thee; I love thee more than haws or blackberries. I have a hoard of wildings in the moss, my brother knows not of 'em; but I'll bring thee where they are.

Steph. Trincalo was but my man, when time was.

Syc. Wert thou his god, and didst thou give him liquor?

Steph. I gave him brandy, and drunk sack myself: Wilt thou leave him, and thou shalt be my princess?

Syc. If thou canst make me glad with this liquor.

Steph. I'll warrant thee; we'll ride into the country where it grows.

Syc. How wilt thou carry me thither?

Steph. Upon a hackney-devil of thy mother's.

Trinc. What's that you will do? Ha! I hope you have not betrayed me? How does my pigsnye? [To Sycorax.

Syc. Begone! thou shalt not be my lord; thou say'st I'm ugly.

Trinc. Did you tell her so?—ha! he's a rogue, do not believe him, chuck.

Steph. The foul words were yours: I will not eat 'em for you.

Trinc. I see, if once a rebel, then ever a rebel. Did I receive thee into grace for this? I will correct thee with my royal hand. [Strikes Steph.

Syc. Dost thou hurt my love? [Flies at Trinc.

Trinc. Where are our guards? Treason! Treason! [Vent. Must. Calib. run betwixt.

Vent. Who took up arms first, the prince or the people?

Trinc. This false traitor has corrupted the wife of my bosom. [Whispers Mustacho hastily.] Mustacho, strike on my side, and thou shalt be my viceroy.

Must. I am against rebels. Ventoso, obey your viceroy.

Vent. You a viceroy? [They two fight off from the rest.

Steph. Ha! Hector monster! do you stand neuter?

Calib. Thou would'st drink my liquor, I will not help thee.

Syc. 'Twas his doing that I had such a husband, but I'll claw him. [Syc. and Calib. fight, Syc. beating him off the stage.

Trinc. The whole nation is up in arms, and shall I stand idle? [Trinc. beats off Steph. to the door. Exit Steph.

I'll not pursue too far, for fear the enemy will rally again, and surprise my butt in the citadel. Well, I must be rid of my Lady Trincalo, she will be in the fashion else; first, cuckold her husband, and then sue for a separation, to get alimony. [Exit.