Shakespeare's The Tempest 2.1 - Winding up the watch of his wit

The Tempest

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ACT II SCENE I	Another part of the island.
[ Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others ]
GONZALO	Beseech you, sir, be merry; you have cause,
	So have we all, of joy; for our escape
	Is much beyond our loss. Our hint of woe
	Is common; every day some sailor's wife,
	The masters of some merchant and the merchant	5
	Have just our theme of woe; but for the miracle,
	I mean our preservation, few in millions
	Can speak like us: then wisely, good sir, weigh
	Our sorrow with our comfort.
ALONSO	Prithee, peace.	10
SEBASTIAN	He receives comfort like cold porridge.
ANTONIO	The visitor will not give him o'er so.
SEBASTIAN	Look he's winding up the watch of his wit;
	by and by it will strike.
GONZALO	Sir,--	15
SEBASTIAN	One: tell.
GONZALO	When every grief is entertain'd that's offer'd,
	Comes to the entertainer--
SEBASTIAN	A dollar.
GONZALO	Dolour comes to him, indeed: you	20
	have spoken truer than you purposed.
SEBASTIAN	You have taken it wiselier than I meant you should.
GONZALO	Therefore, my lord,--
ANTONIO	Fie, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue!
ALONSO	I prithee, spare.	25
GONZALO	Well, I have done: but yet,--
SEBASTIAN	He will be talking.
ANTONIO	Which, of he or Adrian, for a good
	wager, first begins to crow?
SEBASTIAN	The old cock.	30
ANTONIO	The cockerel.
SEBASTIAN	Done. The wager?
ANTONIO	A laughter.
SEBASTIAN	A match!
ADRIAN	Though this island seem to be desert,--	35
SEBASTIAN	Ha, ha, ha! So, you're paid.
ADRIAN	Uninhabitable and almost inaccessible,--
SEBASTIAN	Yet,--
ADRIAN	Yet,--
ANTONIO	He could not miss't.	40
ADRIAN	It must needs be of subtle, tender and delicate
	temperance.
ANTONIO	Temperance was a delicate wench.
SEBASTIAN	Ay, and a subtle; as he most learnedly delivered.
ADRIAN	The air breathes upon us here most sweetly.	45
SEBASTIAN	As if it had lungs and rotten ones.
ANTONIO	Or as 'twere perfumed by a fen.
GONZALO	Here is everything advantageous to life.
ANTONIO	True; save means to live.
SEBASTIAN	Of that there's none, or little.	50
GONZALO	How lush and lusty the grass looks! how green!
ANTONIO	The ground indeed is tawny.
SEBASTIAN	With an eye of green in't.
ANTONIO	He misses not much.
SEBASTIAN	No; he doth but mistake the truth totally.	55
GONZALO	But the rarity of it is,--which is indeed almost
	beyond credit,--
SEBASTIAN	As many vouched rarities are.
GONZALO	That our garments, being, as they were, drenched in
	the sea, hold notwithstanding their freshness and	60
	glosses, being rather new-dyed than stained with
	salt water.
ANTONIO	If but one of his pockets could speak, would it not
	say he lies?
SEBASTIAN	Ay, or very falsely pocket up his report	65
GONZALO	Methinks our garments are now as fresh as when we
	put them on first in Afric, at the marriage of
	the king's fair daughter Claribel to the King of Tunis.
SEBASTIAN	'Twas a sweet marriage, and we prosper well in our return.
ADRIAN	Tunis was never graced before with such a paragon to	70
	their queen.
GONZALO	Not since widow Dido's time.
ANTONIO	Widow! a pox o' that! How came that widow in?
	widow Dido!
SEBASTIAN	What if he had said 'widower AEneas' too? Good Lord,	75
	how you take it!
ADRIAN	'Widow Dido' said you? you make me study of that:
	she was of Carthage, not of Tunis.
GONZALO	This Tunis, sir, was Carthage.
ADRIAN	Carthage?	80
GONZALO	I assure you, Carthage.
SEBASTIAN	His word is more than the miraculous harp; he hath
	raised the wall and houses too.
ANTONIO	What impossible matter will he make easy next?
SEBASTIAN	I think he will carry this island home in his pocket	85
	and give it his son for an apple.
ANTONIO	And, sowing the kernels of it in the sea, bring
	forth more islands.
GONZALO	Ay.
ANTONIO	Why, in good time.	90
GONZALO	Sir, we were talking that our garments seem now
	as fresh as when we were at Tunis at the marriage
	of your daughter, who is now queen.
ANTONIO	And the rarest that e'er came there.
SEBASTIAN	Bate, I beseech you, widow Dido.	95
ANTONIO	O, widow Dido! ay, widow Dido.
GONZALO	Is not, sir, my doublet as fresh as the first day I
	wore it? I mean, in a sort.
ANTONIO	That sort was well fished for.
GONZALO	When I wore it at your daughter's marriage?	100
ALONSO	You cram these words into mine ears against
	The stomach of my sense. Would I had never
	Married my daughter there! for, coming thence,
	My son is lost and, in my rate, she too,
	Who is so far from Italy removed	105
	I ne'er again shall see her. O thou mine heir
	Of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish
	Hath made his meal on thee?
FRANCISCO	Sir, he may live:
	I saw him beat the surges under him,	110
	And ride upon their backs; he trod the water,
	Whose enmity he flung aside, and breasted
	The surge most swoln that met him; his bold head
	'Bove the contentious waves he kept, and oar'd
	Himself with his good arms in lusty stroke	115
	To the shore, that o'er his wave-worn basis bow'd,
	As stooping to relieve him: I not doubt
	He came alive to land.
ALONSO	No, no, he's gone.
SEBASTIAN	Sir, you may thank yourself for this great loss,	120
	That would not bless our Europe with your daughter,
	But rather lose her to an African;
	Where she at least is banish'd from your eye,
	Who hath cause to wet the grief on't.
ALONSO	Prithee, peace.	125
SEBASTIAN	You were kneel'd to and importuned otherwise
	By all of us, and the fair soul herself
	Weigh'd between loathness and obedience, at
	Which end o' the beam should bow. We have lost your
	son,	130
	I fear, for ever: Milan and Naples have
	More widows in them of this business' making
	Than we bring men to comfort them:
	The fault's your own.
ALONSO	So is the dear'st o' the loss.	135
GONZALO	My lord Sebastian,
	The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness
	And time to speak it in: you rub the sore,
	When you should bring the plaster.
SEBASTIAN	Very well.	140
ANTONIO	And most chirurgeonly.
GONZALO	It is foul weather in us all, good sir,
	When you are cloudy.
SEBASTIAN	Foul weather?
ANTONIO	Very foul.	145
GONZALO	Had I plantation of this isle, my lord,--
ANTONIO	He'ld sow't with nettle-seed.
SEBASTIAN	Or docks, or mallows.
GONZALO	And were the king on't, what would I do?
SEBASTIAN	'Scape being drunk for want of wine.	150
GONZALO	I' the commonwealth I would by contraries
	Execute all things; for no kind of traffic
	Would I admit; no name of magistrate;
	Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
	And use of service, none; contract, succession,	155
	Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;
	No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
	No occupation; all men idle, all;
	And women too, but innocent and pure;
	No sovereignty;--	160
SEBASTIAN	Yet he would be king on't.
ANTONIO	The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the
	beginning.
GONZALO	All things in common nature should produce
	Without sweat or endeavour: treason, felony,	165
	Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,
	Would I not have; but nature should bring forth,
	Of its own kind, all foison, all abundance,
	To feed my innocent people.
SEBASTIAN	No marrying 'mong his subjects?	170
ANTONIO	None, man; all idle: whores and knaves.
GONZALO	I would with such perfection govern, sir,
	To excel the golden age.
SEBASTIAN	God save his majesty!
ANTONIO	Long live Gonzalo!	175
GONZALO	And,--do you mark me, sir?
ALONSO	Prithee, no more: thou dost talk nothing to me.
GONZALO	I do well believe your highness; and
	did it to minister occasion to these gentlemen,
	who are of such sensible and nimble lungs that	180
	they always use to laugh at nothing.
ANTONIO	'Twas you we laughed at.
GONZALO	Who in this kind of merry fooling am nothing
	to you: so you may continue and laugh at
	nothing still.	185
ANTONIO	What a blow was there given!
SEBASTIAN	An it had not fallen flat-long.
GONZALO	You are gentlemen of brave metal; you would lift
	the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue
	in it five weeks without changing.	190
[Enter ARIEL, invisible, playing solemn music]
SEBASTIAN	We would so, and then go a bat-fowling.
ANTONIO	Nay, good my lord, be not angry.
GONZALO	No, I warrant you; I will not adventure
	my discretion so weakly. Will you laugh
	me asleep, for I am very heavy?	195
ANTONIO	Go sleep, and hear us.
[All sleep except ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, and ANTONIO]
ALONSO	What, all so soon asleep! I wish mine eyes
	Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find
	They are inclined to do so.
SEBASTIAN	Please you, sir,	200
	Do not omit the heavy offer of it:
	It seldom visits sorrow; when it doth,
	It is a comforter.
ANTONIO	We two, my lord,
	Will guard your person while you take your rest,	205
	And watch your safety.
ALONSO	Thank you. Wondrous heavy.
[ALONSO sleeps. Exit ARIEL]
SEBASTIAN	What a strange drowsiness possesses them!
ANTONIO	It is the quality o' the climate.
SEBASTIAN	Why	210
	Doth it not then our eyelids sink? I find not
	Myself disposed to sleep.
ANTONIO	Nor I; my spirits are nimble.
	They fell together all, as by consent;
	They dropp'd, as by a thunder-stroke. What might,	215
	Worthy Sebastian? O, what might?--No more:--
	And yet me thinks I see it in thy face,
	What thou shouldst be: the occasion speaks thee, and
	My strong imagination sees a crown
	Dropping upon thy head.	220
SEBASTIAN	What, art thou waking?
ANTONIO	Do you not hear me speak?
SEBASTIAN	I do; and surely
	It is a sleepy language and thou speak'st
	Out of thy sleep. What is it thou didst say?	225
	This is a strange repose, to be asleep
	With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving,
	And yet so fast asleep.
ANTONIO	Noble Sebastian,
	Thou let'st thy fortune sleep--die, rather; wink'st	230
	Whiles thou art waking.
SEBASTIAN	Thou dost snore distinctly;
	There's meaning in thy snores.
ANTONIO	I am more serious than my custom: you
	Must be so too, if heed me; which to do	235
	Trebles thee o'er.
SEBASTIAN	Well, I am standing water.
ANTONIO	I'll teach you how to flow.
SEBASTIAN	Do so: to ebb
	Hereditary sloth instructs me.	240
ANTONIO	O,
	If you but knew how you the purpose cherish
	Whiles thus you mock it! how, in stripping it,
	You more invest it! Ebbing men, indeed,
	Most often do so near the bottom run	245
	By their own fear or sloth.
SEBASTIAN	Prithee, say on:
	The setting of thine eye and cheek proclaim
	A matter from thee, and a birth indeed
	Which throes thee much to yield.	250
ANTONIO	Thus, sir:
	Although this lord of weak remembrance, this,
	Who shall be of as little memory
	When he is earth'd, hath here almost persuade,--
	For he's a spirit of persuasion, only	255
	Professes to persuade,--the king his son's alive,
	'Tis as impossible that he's undrown'd
	And he that sleeps here swims.
SEBASTIAN	I have no hope
	That he's undrown'd.	260
ANTONIO	O, out of that 'no hope'
	What great hope have you! no hope that way is
	Another way so high a hope that even
	Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,
	But doubt discovery there. Will you grant with me	265
	That Ferdinand is drown'd?
SEBASTIAN	He's gone.
ANTONIO	Then, tell me,
	Who's the next heir of Naples?
SEBASTIAN	Claribel.	270
ANTONIO	She that is queen of Tunis; she that dwells
	Ten leagues beyond man's life; she that from Naples
	Can have no note, unless the sun were post--
	The man i' the moon's too slow--till new-born chins
	Be rough and razorable; she that--from whom?	275
	We all were sea-swallow'd, though some cast again,
	And by that destiny to perform an act
	Whereof what's past is prologue, what to come
	In yours and my discharge.
SEBASTIAN	What stuff is this! how say you?	280
	'Tis true, my brother's daughter's queen of Tunis;
	So is she heir of Naples; 'twixt which regions
	There is some space.
ANTONIO	A space whose every cubit
	Seems to cry out, 'How shall that Claribel	285
	Measure us back to Naples? Keep in Tunis,
	And let Sebastian wake.' Say, this were death
	That now hath seized them; why, they were no worse
	Than now they are. There be that can rule Naples
	As well as he that sleeps; lords that can prate	290
	As amply and unnecessarily
	As this Gonzalo; I myself could make
	A chough of as deep chat. O, that you bore
	The mind that I do! what a sleep were this
	For your advancement! Do you understand me?	295
SEBASTIAN	Methinks I do.
ANTONIO	And how does your content
	Tender your own good fortune?
SEBASTIAN	I remember
	You did supplant your brother Prospero.	300
ANTONIO	True:
	And look how well my garments sit upon me;
	Much feater than before: my brother's servants
	Were then my fellows; now they are my men.
SEBASTIAN	But, for your conscience?	305
ANTONIO	Ay, sir; where lies that? if 'twere a kibe,
	'Twould put me to my slipper: but I feel not
	This deity in my bosom: twenty consciences,
	That stand 'twixt me and Milan, candied be they
	And melt ere they molest! Here lies your brother,	310
	No better than the earth he lies upon,
	If he were that which now he's like, that's dead;
	Whom I, with this obedient steel, three inches of it,
	Can lay to bed for ever; whiles you, doing thus,
	To the perpetual wink for aye might put	315
	This ancient morsel, this Sir Prudence, who
	Should not upbraid our course. For all the rest,
	They'll take suggestion as a cat laps milk;
	They'll tell the clock to any business that
	We say befits the hour.	320
SEBASTIAN	Thy case, dear friend,
	Shall be my precedent; as thou got'st Milan,
	I'll come by Naples. Draw thy sword: one stroke
	Shall free thee from the tribute which thou payest;
	And I the king shall love thee.	325
ANTONIO	Draw together;
	And when I rear my hand, do you the like,
	To fall it on Gonzalo.
SEBASTIAN	O, but one word.
[They talk apart]
[Re-enter ARIEL, invisible]
ARIEL	My master through his art foresees the danger	330
	That you, his friend, are in; and sends me forth--
	For else his project dies--to keep them living.
[Sings in GONZALO's ear]
	While you here do snoring lie,
	Open-eyed conspiracy
	His time doth take.	335
	If of life you keep a care,
	Shake off slumber, and beware:
	Awake, awake!
ANTONIO	Then let us both be sudden.
GONZALO	Now, good angels	340
	Preserve the king.
[They wake]
ALONSO	Why, how now? ho, awake! Why are you drawn?
	Wherefore this ghastly looking?
GONZALO	What's the matter?
SEBASTIAN	Whiles we stood here securing your repose,	345
	Even now, we heard a hollow burst of bellowing
	Like bulls, or rather lions: did't not wake you?
	It struck mine ear most terribly.
ALONSO	I heard nothing.
ANTONIO	O, 'twas a din to fright a monster's ear,	350
	To make an earthquake! sure, it was the roar
	Of a whole herd of lions.
ALONSO	Heard you this, Gonzalo?
GONZALO	Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming,
	And that a strange one too, which did awake me:	355
	I shaked you, sir, and cried: as mine eyes open'd,
	I saw their weapons drawn: there was a noise,
	That's verily. 'Tis best we stand upon our guard,
	Or that we quit this place; let's draw our weapons.
ALONSO	Lead off this ground; and let's make further search	360
	For my poor son.
GONZALO	Heavens keep him from these beasts!
	For he is, sure, i' the island.
ALONSO	Lead away.
ARIEL	Prospero my lord shall know what I have done:	365
	So, king, go safely on to seek thy son.
[Exeunt]