SCENE III.--_Wild Island.

_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._