Or night kept chain'd below.
Pro. Fairly fpoke.

Sit then, and talk with her, fhe is thine own.
What, Ariel; my industrious fervant, Ariel

Enter Ariel.

8

Ari. What would my potent master? here I am. Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your laft fervice Did worthily perform; and I must use you In fuch another trick; go, bring the rabble, O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place: Incite them to quick motion, for I must Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple Some vanity of mine art; it is my promife, And they expect it from me.

Ari. Presently.

Pro. Ay, with a twink.

Ari. Before you can fay, Come, and go,
And breathe twice; and cry, fo, so;
Each one, tripping on his toe,
Will be here with mop and mow.
Do you love me, mafter? no?

Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel; do not approach, 'Till thou dost hear me call.

Ari. Well, I conceive.

[Exit.

Pro. Look, thou be true; do not give dalliance
Too much the rein; the ftrongeft oaths are ftraw
To th' fire i'th' blood: be more abftemious,
Or elfe, good night, your vow! -
Fer. I warrant you, Sir;

The white, cold, virgin-fnow upon my heart
Abates the ardour of my liver.

Pro. Well.

Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary.
Rather than want a fpirit, appear; and pertly

The Rabble.] The crew of meaner Spirits.

No.

9 No tongue; all eyes; be filent.

[To Ferdinand. [Soft Mufick.

III.

SCENE
A MAS QUE.

Enter Iris.

Iris. Ceres, moft bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and pease; : Thy turfy mountains, where live nibling sheep, And flat meads thatch'd with ftover, them to keep;

I

1 Thy banks with pionied, and tulip'd brims, Which fpungy April at thy heft betrims,

To make cold nymphs chafe crowns: and thy broom

groves,

Whose shadow the difmiffed bachelor loves,
Being lafs-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard,
And thy fea-marge fteril, and rocky hard,
Where thou thyfelf do'ft air; the Queen o' th' fky,.
Whofe wat❜ry arch and meffenger am I,
Bids thee leave thefe; and with her Sov'reign Grace,
Here on this grafs-plot, in this very place,
To come and fport; her peacocks fly amain:
Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

Enter Ceres.

Cer. Hail, many colour'd meffenger, that ne'er Do'ft. difobey the wife of Jupiter: Who, with thy faffron, wings, upon my flowers Diffufeft honey drops, refreshing fhowers; And with each end of thy blue bow do'ft crown. My bofky acres, and my unfhrub'd down, Rich fcarf to my proud earth; why hath thy Queen Summon'd me hither, to this fhort grafs'd green?

9 No Tongue.] Those who are prefent at incantations, are o bliged to be strictly filent, elfe, as we are afterwards told, the Spell is marred.

• With thatch'd ftover, Oxford

Edit. Stover feems to be hay laid up.

The old Edition reads pienied and twilled brims, which I do not understand.

Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate,
And fome donation freely to estate
On the blefs'd lovers.

Cer. Tell me, heav'nly bow,
If Venus or her fon, as thou do'st know,
Do now attend the Queen: fince they did plot
The means, that dusky Dis my daughter got,
Her and her blind boy's fcandal'd company
I have forfworn.

Iris. Of her fociety

Be not afraid; I met her deity

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her fon
Dove-drawn with her; here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
Whofe vows are, that no bed-right fhall be paid
'Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain..
Mars's hot minion is return'd again,
Her wafpifh-headed fon has broke his arrows,
Swears, he will shoot no more, but play with fparrows,
And be a boy right out.

Cer. High Queen of state,

Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

[Juno defcends, and enters. Jun. How does my bounteous sister? go with me To blefs this twain, that they may profperous be, And honour'd in their iffue."

Jun. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing,
Long continuance and increasing,
Hourly joys be ftill upon you!
Juno fings her bleffings on you:
Cer. Earth's increase, and foyfon-plenty,
Barns and garners never empty,

2 Earth's Increase.] All the Editions, that I have ever feen, concur in placing this whole SonVOL. I.

Vines,

net to Juno: but very absurdly, in my opinion. I believe every accurate Reader, who is acquaint

F

ed

Vines, with claftring bunches growing,
Plants, with goodly burden bowing,
Spring come to you, at the fartheft,
In the very end of harvest!
Scarcity and want fhall fhun you;
Ceres' bleffing fo is on you.

0

Fer. This is a moft majestic vifion, and
Harmonious charmingly may I be bold
To think there fpirits?

Pro. Spirits, which by mine art
I have from their confines call'd to enact
My prefent fancies.

Fer. Let me live here ever;

So rare a wonder'd father, and a wife,
Make this place paradise.

Pro. Sweet; now filence:

Juno and Ceres whisper feriously;
There's fomething elfe to do; hufh, and be mute,
Or else our spell is marr'd.

Juno and Ceres whisper, and fend Iris on employment. ́Iris, You nymphs, call'd Nayads, of the winding brooks,

With your fedg'd crowns, and ever-harmlefs looks, Leave your crifp channels, and on this green land Answer your fummons, Juno does command: Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love; be not too late.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You fun-burn'd ficklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be merry;

ed with poetical Hiftory, and the diftin& Offices of thefe two Goddeffes, and who then ferioufly reads over our Author's Lines,

will agree with Me, that Ceres's Name ought to have been placed where I have now prefix'd it. THEOBALD.

Make

Make holy-day; your rye-ftraw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

SCENE

IV.

Enter certain reapers, properly habited; they join with the nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof, Profpero ftarts fuddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they vanish heavily.

Pro. [afide] I had forgot that foul confpiracy Of the beaft Caliban, and his confed'rates, Against my life; the minute of their plot Is almoft come.. [To the fpirits.] Well done-avoid

no more.

Fer. This is most strange; your father's in fome paffion That works him ftrongly.

Mira. Never 'till this day

Saw I him touch'd with anger fo distemper'd.
Pro. You look, my fon, in a mov'd fort,
As if you were difmay'd; be chearful, Sir:
Our revels now are ended: thefe our actors,
As I foretold you, were all fpirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabrick of this vifion,
The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The folemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, fhall diffolve;
And, like this infubftantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind! we are fuch ftuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a fleep.Sir, I am vext; 3

3

Sir, 1 am vext, Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled:] Profpero here difcovers a great

Bear

emotion of anger on his fudden recollection of Caliban's plot. This appears from the admirable reflection he makes on the infignificancy

F 2