The jewel in my dower,—I would not wish
Any companion in the world but you;
Nor can imagination form a shape,
Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle
Something too wildly, and my father’s precepts
I therein do forget.
FERDINAND.
I am, in my condition,
A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;—
I would not so!—and would no more endure
This wooden slavery than to suffer
The flesh-fly blow my mouth.—Hear my soul speak:—
The very instant that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service; there resides,
To make me slave to it; and for your sake
Am I this patient log-man.
MIRANDA.
Do you love me?
FERDINAND.
O heaven! O earth! bear witness to this sound,
And crown what I profess with kind event,
If I speak true: if hollowly, invert
What best is boded me to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i’ the world,
Do love, prize, honour you.
MIRANDA.
I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.
PROSPERO.
[Aside] Fair encounter
Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between them!
FERDINAND.
Wherefore weep you?
MIRANDA.
At mine unworthiness, that dare not offer
What I desire to give; and much less take
What I shall die to want. But this is trifling;
And all the more it seeks to hide itself,
The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I’ll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I’ll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.
FERDINAND.
My mistress, dearest;
And I thus humble ever.
MIRANDA.
My husband, then?
FERDINAND.
Ay, with a heart as willing
As bondage e’er of freedom: here’s my hand.
MIRANDA.
And mine, with my heart in’t: and now farewell
Till half an hour hence.
FERDINAND.
A thousand thousand!
[Exeunt FERDINAND and MIRANDA severally.]
PROSPERO.
So glad of this as they, I cannot be,
Who are surpris’d withal; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I’ll to my book;
For yet, ere supper time, must I perform
Much business appertaining.
[Exit]
SCENE II. Another part of the island
[Enter CALIBAN, with a bottle, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO.]
STEPHANO. Tell not me:—when the butt is out we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and board ‘em.—Servant-monster, drink to me.
TRINCULO. Servant-monster! The folly of this island! They say there’s but five upon this isle; we are three of them; if th’ other two be brained like us, the state totters.
STEPHANO. Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head.
TRINCULO. Where should they be set else? He were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail.
STEPHANO. My man-monster hath drown’d his tongue in sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me; I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five-and-thirty leagues, off and on, by this light. Thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard.
TRINCULO.
Your lieutenant, if you list; he’s no standard.
STEPHANO.
We’ll not run, Monsieur monster.
TRINCULO. Nor go neither: but you’ll lie like dogs, and yet say nothing neither.
STEPHANO. Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf.
CALIBAN.
How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe.
I’ll not serve him: he is not valiant.
TRINCULO. Thou liest, most ignorant monster: I am in case to justle a constable. Why, thou deboshed fish thou, was there ever man a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half fish and half a monster?
CALIBAN.
Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord?
TRINCULO. ‘Lord’ quoth he!—That a monster should be such a natural!
CALIBAN.
Lo, lo again! bite him to death, I prithee.
STEPHANO. Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if you prove a mutineer, the next tree! The poor monster’s my subject, and he shall not suffer indignity.
CALIBAN. I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleas’d to hearken once again to the suit I made to thee?
STEPHANO. Marry will I; kneel, and repeat it: I will stand, and so shall Trinculo.
[Enter ARIEL, invisible]
CALIBAN. As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.
ARIEL.
Thou liest.
CALIBAN.
Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou;
I would my valiant master would destroy thee;
I do not lie.
STEPHANO. Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in his tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth.
TRINCULO.
Why, I said nothing.
STEPHANO.
Mum, then, and no more.—[To CALIBAN] Proceed.
CALIBAN.
I say, by sorcery he got this isle;
From me he got it: if thy greatness will ,
Revenge it on him,—for I know, thou dar’st;
But this thing dare not,—
STEPHANO.
That’s most certain.
CALIBAN.
Thou shalt be lord of it and I’ll serve thee.
STEPHANO. How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the