LITMIR.BIZ

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SEBASTIAN.

       What stuff is this!—How say you?

       ‘Tis true, my brother’s daughter’s Queen of Tunis;

       So is she heir of Naples; ‘twixt which regions

       There is some space.

       ANTONIO.

       A space whose every cubit

       Seems to cry out ‘How shall that Claribel

       Measure us back to Naples?—Keep in Tunis,

       And let Sebastian wake.’—Say this were death

       That now hath seiz’d them; why, they were no worse

       Than now they are. There be that can rule Naples

       As well as he that sleeps; lords that can prate

       As amply and unnecessarily

       As this Gonzalo: I myself could make

       A chough of as deep chat. O, that you bore

       The mind that I do! What a sleep were this

       For your advancement! Do you understand me?

       SEBASTIAN.

       Methinks I do.

       ANTONIO.

       And how does your content

       Tender your own good fortune?

       SEBASTIAN.

       I remember

       You did supplant your brother Prospero.

       ANTONIO.

       True.

       And look how well my garments sit upon me;

       Much feater than before; my brother’s servants

       Were then my fellows; now they are my men.

       SEBASTIAN.

       But, for your conscience,—

       ANTONIO.

       Ay, sir; where lies that? If ‘twere a kibe,

       ‘Twould put me to my slipper: but I feel not

       This deity in my bosom: twenty consciences

       That stand ‘twixt me and Milan, candied be they

       And melt ere they molest! Here lies your brother,

       No better than the earth he lies upon,

       If he were that which now he’s like, that’s dead:

       Whom I, with this obedient steel,—three inches of it,—

       Can lay to bed for ever; whiles you, doing thus,

       To the perpetual wink for aye might put

       This ancient morsel, this Sir Prudence, who

       Should not upbraid our course. For all the rest,

       They’ll take suggestion as a cat laps milk:

       They’ll tell the clock to any business that

       We say befits the hour.

       SEBASTIAN.

       Thy case, dear friend,

       Shall be my precedent: as thou got’st Milan,

       I’ll come by Naples. Draw thy sword: one stroke

       Shall free thee from the tribute which thou pay’st,

       And I the king shall love thee.

       ANTONIO. Draw together:

       And when I rear my hand, do you the like,

       To fall it on Gonzalo.

       SEBASTIAN.

       O! but one word.

       [They converse apart.]

       [Music. Re-enter ARIEL, invisible.]

       ARIEL.

       My master through his art foresees the danger

       That you, his friend, are in; and sends me forth—

       For else his project dies—to keep thee living.

       [Sings in GONZALO’S ear]

       While you here do snoring lie,

       Open-ey’d Conspiracy

       His time doth take.

       If of life you keep a care,

       Shake off slumber, and beware.

       Awake! awake!

       ANTONIO.

       Then let us both be sudden.

       GONZALO.

       Now, good angels

       Preserve the King!

       [They wake]

       ALONSO.

       Why, how now! Ho, awake! Why are you drawn?

       Wherefore this ghastly looking?

       GONZALO.

       What’s the matter?

       SEBASTIAN.

       Whiles we stood here securing your repose,

       Even now, we heard a hollow burst of bellowing

       Like bulls, or rather lions; did’t not wake you?

       It struck mine ear most terribly.

       ALONSO.

       I heard nothing.

       ANTONIO.

       O! ‘twas a din to fright a monster’s ear,

       To make an earthquake: sure it was the roar

       Of a whole herd of lions.

       ALONSO.

       Heard you this, Gonzalo?

       GONZALO.

       Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming,

       And that a strange one too, which did awake me.

       I shak’d you, sir, and cried; as mine eyes open’d,

       I saw their weapons drawn:—there was a noise,

       That’s verily. ‘Tis best we stand upon our guard,

       Or that we quit this place: let’s draw our weapons.

       ALONSO.

       Lead off this ground: and let’s make further search

       For my poor son.

       GONZALO.

       Heavens keep him from these beasts!

       For he is, sure, i’ th’ island.

       ALONSO.

       Lead away.

       [Exit with the others.]

       ARIEL.

       Prospero my lord shall know what I have done:

       So, King, go safely on to seek thy son.

       [Exit]

       SCENE II. Another part of the island

       [Enter CALIBAN, with a burden of wood. A noise of thunder heard]

       CALIBAN.

       All the infections that the sun sucks up

       From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him

       By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me,

       And yet I needs must curse. But they’ll nor pinch,

       Fright me with urchin-shows, pitch me i’ the mire,

       Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark

       Out of my way, unless he bid ‘em; but

       For every trifle are they set upon me:

       Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at me,

       And after bite me; then like hedgehogs which

      

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