_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,
in by two a table furnished with meat and fruit
is brought 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._