SCENE III.

_The island in the Middle Seas._

FERDINAND _and_ MIRANDA _discovered sleeping on a grassy mound. Soft music heard._

FERDINAND [_awaking_] With poppies mix’d--O, I did dream--but where Am I? ’Tis strange, and yet not strange. This place I do remember. Here Miranda saw I first--

MIRANDA [_awaking_] How say you, husband, I have slept, And all I look on now is chang’d, and yet Not so, for surely here I dwelt of old With Prospero, my father.

FERDINAND. ’Tis naught else But the same place, and we transported hence Perchance as playthings of some kindly god, Hearing thy tale and loving thee.

MIRANDA. Sweet prince, My Ferdinand, then do we wake indeed, Or is’t enchantment, and a sleep?

FERDINAND. I deem It truth, and be it thus, or not, in truth ’Tis pleasant seeming, and we twain will fleet The time as happily as when each knew The other first.

[CALIBAN _approaches, groveling_

CALIBAN [_aside_] O Setebos, ’tis she, Damn’d Prospero’s daughter.--Mistress, if it be Thou’rt come to rule the isle I’ll serve thee well, And Prospero be absent. Him I fear As I do dread the awesome thunderstone.

FERDINAND. Lo! here come other of his company.

[TRINCULO _and_ STEPHANO _approach_.

TRINCULO. Behold us, gentles, two as unhappy wights as ever ’scaped a hanging, or death by attorney.

STEPHANO. He speaks very true, as ’t were, now and then, and we two honest men from Naples be now in most wretched case--slaves to the man-monster, Caliban.

_Thunder heard._ CALIBAN, STEPHANO _and_ TRINCULO _disperse by several ways and_ FERDINAND _and_ MIRANDA _retire to a cave near by_.