Journeys Through Bookland Volume Viii Part 42

Each one, tripping on his toe, Will be here with mop[437-3] and mow.[437-4]

Do you love me, master?--no? [_Exit._

_Pros._ Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary,[437-5]

Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly![437-6]

No tongue; all eyes; be silent.

[_Soft music._

_Enter IRIS._[437-7]

_Iris._ Ceres,[437-8] most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas; Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, And flat meads thatch'd with stover,[438-9] them to keep; Thy banks with peoned[438-10] and twilled[438-11] brims, Which spongy[438-12] April at thy best betrims, To make cold nymphs chaste crowns;[438-13] and thy brown groves, Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves, Being la.s.s-lorn;[438-14] thy pole-clipt vineyard;[438-15]

And thy sea-marge, steril, and rocky-hard, Where thou thyself dost air;--the Queen o' the Sky,[438-16]

Whose watery arch[438-17] and messenger am I, Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign Grace, Here on this gra.s.s-plot, in this very place, To come and sport. Her peac.o.c.ks[438-18] fly amain: Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

_Enter CERES._

_Cer._ Hail, many-color'd messenger, that ne'er Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;[438-19]

Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers; And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown My bosky[440-20] acres and my unshrubb'd down,[440-21]

Rich scarf to my proud Earth;--why hath thy Queen Summon'd me hither, to this short-gra.s.s'd green?

[Ill.u.s.tration: CERES ENTERS, AT IRIS' CALL]

_Iris._ A contract of true love to celebrate; And some donation freely to estate On the bless'd lovers.

_Cer._ Tell me, heavenly Bow, If Venus[440-22] or her son, as thou dost know, Do now attend the Queen? Since they did plot The means that dusky Dis[440-23] my daughter got,[440-24]

Her and her blind boy's[440-25] scandal'd company I have forsworn.

_Iris._ Of her society Be not afraid: I met her deity Cutting the clouds towards Paphos,[440-26] and her son Dove-drawn with her.

_Cer._ Here, Queen of highest state, Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait.[440-27]

_Enter JUNO._[440-28]

_Juno._ How does my bounteous sister? Go with me To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be, And honour'd in their issue.

SONG.

Juno. _Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, Long continuance, and increasing, Hourly joys be still upon you!

Juno sings her blessings on you._

Cer. _Earth's increase, and foison plenty,[441-29]

Barns and garners never empty; Vines with cl.u.s.tering bunches growing; Plants with goodly burden bowing; Spring come to you at the farthest In the very end of harvest![441-30]

Scarcity and want shall shun you; Ceres' blessing so is on you._

_Ferd._ This is a most majestic vision, and Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold To think these spirits?[441-31]

_Pros._ Spirits, which by mine art I have from their confines call'd to enact My present fancies.

_Ferd._ Let me live here ever; So rare a wonder'd[442-32] father and a wife Make this place Paradise. [_JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment._

_Pros._ Sweet, now, silence!

Juno and Ceres whisper seriously; There's something else to do: hush, and be mute, Or else our spell is marr'd.

_Iris._ You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the winding brooks, With your sedge crowns and ever-harmless looks, Leave your crisp[442-33] channels, and on this green land Answer our summons; Juno does command: Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love; be not too late.--

_Enter certain_ Nymphs.

You sun-burn'd sicklemen,[442-34] of August weary, Come hither from the furrow, and be merry: 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._

_Pros._ [_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;[443-35] no more!

_Ferd._ This is most strange: your father's in some pa.s.sion That works him strongly.

_Mira._ Never till this day Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.

_Pros._ You do, my son, look in a moved 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[443-36] behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on,[443-37] and our little life Is rounded[443-38] 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 pleased, retire into my cell, And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk, To still my beating mind.

_Ferd._ } _Mira._ } We wish you peace.

_Pros._ [_To ARIEL._] Come with a thought!-- I thank ye.[444-39] [_Exeunt FERD. and MIRA._]--Ariel, come!

_Re-enter ARIEL._

_Ari._ Thy thoughts I cleave to: what's thy pleasure?

_Pros._ Spirit, We must prepare to meet with[444-40] Caliban.

_Ari._ Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres, I thought t' have told thee of it; but I fear'd Lest I might anger thee.

_Pros._ Well, 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[444-41] 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[444-42] colts, they p.r.i.c.k'd their ears, Advanced[444-43] their eyelids, 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, p.r.i.c.king goss, and thorns, Which enter'd their frail shins: at last I left them I' the filthy-mantled[445-44] pool beyond your cell, There dancing up to th' chins, that[445-45] the foul lake O'erstunk their feet.

_Pros._ This was well done, my bird.

Thy shape invisible retain thou still: The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither, For stale[445-46] to catch these thieves.

_Ari._ I go, I go. [_Exit._

_Pros._ A devil, a born-devil,[445-47] on whose nature Nurture can never stick;[445-48] on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all are lost, quite lost; And as with age his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers.[445-49] I will plague them all, Even to roaring.--

_Re-enter ARIEL loaden with glistering apparel, &c._

Come, hang them on this line.[445-50]

_PROSPERO and ARIEL remain invisible. Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, all wet._