Make holiday: your rye-straw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof PROSPERO starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.

Pro. [Aside.] I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates, Against my life; the minute of their plot

Is almost come. [To the Spirits.] Well done: avoid; no more.

Fer. This is strange: your father's in some passion That works him strongly.

Mira.

Never till this day,

Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
Pro. You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort,
As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir.
Our revels now are ended: These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,"
Leave not a rack behind.16 We are such stuff

15 i. e. vanished, from the Latin rado. The ancient English pageants were shows, on the reception of princes or other festive occasions; they were exhibited on stages in the open air.

16 Rack, according to Horne Tooke, is vapour, from reek. It here means, apparently, the highest and therefore lightest clouds. Lord Bacon says: "The winds which wave the clouds above, which we call the rack, are not perceived below, pass without noise."

H

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep."— Sir, I am vex'd: Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled Be not disturb'd with my infirmity.

If

you

be pleas'd, retire into my cell,

And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,

To still my beating mind.

We wish your peace.

[Exeunt.

Pro. Come with a thought: - I thank thee:—

Ariel, come!

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to: What's thy pleasure? Pro.

Spirit,

18

We must prepare to meet with Caliban.'s

17 In the tragedy of Darius, by Lord Sterline, printed in 1603, is a passage that has something of the same train of thought with Shakespeare:

"And when the eclipse comes of our glory's light

Then what avails the adoring of a name?

A mere illusion made to mock the sight,
Whose best was but the shadow of a dream.

-

Let greatness of her glassy sceptres vaunt, -
Not sceptres, no, but reeds, soon bruis'd, soon broken;
And let this worldly pomp our wits enchant, -
All fades, and scarcely leaves behind a token.
Those golden palaces, those gorgeous halls,
With furniture superfluously fair,

Those stately courts, those sky-encountering walls,
Evanish all, like vapours in the air."

It is evident that one poet wrote somewhat from the other, and Shakespeare was doubtless the borrower; it being far more credible that he should thus glorify what he took, than that any one could thus deflower in taking. Besides, The Tempest was written after 1603.

H.

18 To meet with was anciently the same as to counteract, or uppose. So in Herbert's "Country Parson:" "He knows the temper and pulse of every one in his house, and accordingly either meets with their vices, or advanceth their virtues."

H.

Ari. Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it; but I fear'd, Lest I might anger thee.

Pro. Say again, where didst thou leave these varlets?

Ari. I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking;

So full of valour, that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces; beat the ground
For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project: Then I beat my tabor,
At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
Advanc'd their eye-lids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt music :"
SO I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd, through
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking gorse, and

thorns,

19

Which enter'd their frail shins: at last I left them I' the filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,

There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake O'er-stunk their feet.

Pro.

This was well done, my bird •

Thy shape invisible retain thou still:

The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,

For stale 20 to catch these thieves.

Ari.

I go, I go. [Exu.

Pro. A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,

19 This, we are told, is an accurate description of the effect music has upon colts. "On first hearing even a trumpet, instead of being terrified, they will often advance, and thrust their nose up to the very mouth" (bell?)" of the instrument, while it is olown, provided this be done with some consideration."

H.

20 Stale, in the art of fowling, signified a bait or lure to decoy

So his mind cankers: I will plague them all,

Re-enter ARIEL louden with glistering apparel, &c. Even to roaring: - Come, hang them on this line

PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter CALI BAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet.

Cal. Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not

Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your fairy, which, you say, is a harmless fairy, has done little better than play'd the Jack with us.21

Trin. Monster, I do smell all horse-piss; at which my nose is in great indignation.

Ste. So is mine. Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you, look you, Trin. Thou wert but a lost monster.

Cal. Good my lord, give me thy favour still: Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to

Shall hood-wink this mischance therefore, speak softly;

All's hush'd as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool, Ste. There is not only disgrace and dishonour

in that, monster, but an infinite loss.

Trin. That's more to me than my wetting: yet this is your harmless fairy, monster.

Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be over ears for my labour.

Cal. Pr'ythee, my king, be quiet: Seest thou here? This is the mouth of the cell: no noise, and enter

To play the Jack, was to play the Knare; or it may have been, to play the Jack o' lantern, by leading them astray. H.

Do that good mischief, which may make this island Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,

For aye thy foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy hand: I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Trin. O king Stephano! O peer!" O worthy Stephano! look, what a wardrobe here is for thee! Cal. Let it alone, thou fool: it is but trash.

Trin. O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery: 23-O king Stephano!

Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo: by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Trin. Thy grace shall have it.

Cal. The dropsy drown this fool! what do you

mean,

To dote thus on such luggage? Let's along,"
And do the murder first: if he awake,

From toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches :
Make us strange stuff.

Ste. Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair. and prove a bald jerkin.

Trin. Do, do: We steal by line and level, an't like your grace.

Ste. I thank thee for that jest; here's a garment for't: wit shall not go unrewarded, while I am king of this country: "Steal by line and level," is an excellent pass of pate; there's another garment for't.

25

Trin. Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest.

22 This is a humourous allusion to the old ballad “King Stephen was a worthy peer," of which lago sings a verse in Othello. 23 A shop for the sale of old clothes. Fripperie, FR. 4 The old copy reads, "Let's alone." 25 i. e. bird-lime.