• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

To clust'ring filberts, and sometimes I'll get thee

Young scamels from the rock. Wilt thou go with me?

STEPHANO.

I prithee now, lead the way without any more

talking. Trinculo, the King and all our company else

being drown'd, we will inherit here. Here, bear my bottle.

Fellow Trinculo, we'll fill him by and by again.

CALIBAN.

[Sings drunkenly] Farewell, master; farewell, farewell!

TRINCULO.

A howling monster; a drunken monster!

CALIBAN.

No more dams I'll make for fish;

Nor fetch in firing

At requiring,

Nor scrape trenchering, nor wash dish.

'Ban 'Ban, Ca-Caliban,

Has a new master-Get a new man.

Freedom, high-day! high-day, freedom! freedom, high-

day, freedom!

STEPHANO.

O brave monster! Lead the way. Exeunt

ACT III. SCENE 1

Before PROSPERO'S cell

Enter FERDINAND, hearing a log

FERDINAND.

There be some sports are painful, and their labour

Delight in them sets off; some kinds of baseness

Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters

Point to rich ends. This my mean task

Would be as heavy to me as odious, but

The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead,

And makes my labours pleasures. O, she is

Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed;

And he's compos'd of harshness. I must remove

Some thousands of these logs, and pile them up,

Upon a sore injunction; my sweet mistress

Weeps when she sees me work, and says such baseness

Had never like executor. I forget;

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,

Most busy, least when I do it.

Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO at a distance, unseen

MIRANDA.

Alas, now; pray you,

Work not so hard; I would the lightning had

Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile.

Pray, set it down and rest you; when this burns,

'Twill weep for having wearied you. My father

Is hard at study; pray, now, rest yourself;

He's safe for these three hours.

FERDINAND.

O most dear mistress,

The sun will set before I shall discharge

What I must strive to do.

MIRANDA.

If you'll sit down,

I'll bear your logs the while; pray give me that;

I'll carry it to the pile.

FERDINAND.

No, precious creature;

I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,

Than you should such dishonour undergo,

While I sit lazy by.

MIRANDA.

It would become me

As well as it does you; and I should do it

With much more ease; for my good will is to it,

And yours it is against.

PROSPERO.

[Aside] Poor worm, thou art infected!

This visitation shows it.

MIRANDA.

You look wearily.

FERDINAND.

No, noble mistress; 'tis fresh morning with me

When you are by at night. I do beseech you,

Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers,

What is your name?

MIRANDA.

Miranda-O my father,

I have broke your hest to say so!

FERDINAND.

Admir'd Miranda!

What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady

I have ey'd with best regard; and many a time

Th' harmony of their tongues hath into bondage

Brought my too diligent ear; for several virtues

Have I lik'd several women, never any

With so full soul, but some defect in her

Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd,

And put it to the foil; but you, O you,

So perfect and so peerless, are created

Of every creature's best!

MIRANDA.

I do not know

One of my sex; no woman's face remember,

Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen

More that I may call men than you, good friend,

And my dear father. How features are abroad,

I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,

The jewel in my dower, I would not wish

Any companion in the world but you;

Nor can imagination form a shape,

Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle

Something too wildly, and my father's precepts

I therein do forget.

FERDINAND.

I am, in my condition,

A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king-

I would not so!-and would no more endure

This wooden slavery than to suffer

The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak:

The very instant that I saw you, did

My heart fly to your service; there resides

To make me slave to it; and for your sake

Am I this patient log-man.

MIRANDA.

Do you love me?

FERDINAND.