SCENE I. On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard. Enter a Ship-Master and a Boatswain. Mast. Boatswain ! Boats. Here, master: what cheer? Mast. Good, speak to the mariners fall to't, yarely, or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. Enter Mariners. [Exit. Boats. Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough! Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others. Alon. Good boatswain, have care. Play the men. Boats. I pray now, keep below. Where's the master? Ant. Where is the master, boatswain? 11 [ACT I. Boats. Do you not hear him? You mar our labor: keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. Gon. Nay, good, be patient. Boats. When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not. Gon. Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard. Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a 21 counsellor ; if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more; use your authority: if you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap. Cheerly, good hearts! Out of our way, I say. [Exit. Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage. If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable. [Exeunt. Re-enter Boatswain. Boats. Down with the topmast! Bring her to try with main-course. plague upon this howling! they are ther or our office. yare! lower, lower! louder than the wea[A cry within.] A Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO. 40 Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er and drown? Have you a mind to sink? Seb. A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog! Boats. Work you then. Ant. Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker! We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art. Gon. I'll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an unstanched wench. Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses off to sea again; lay her off. Enter Mariners wet. Mariners. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost! Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let's assist them, Seb. I'm out of patience. Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards: This wide-chapp'd rascal—would thou mightst lie drown He'll be hang'd yet, Though every drop of water swear against it [A confused noise within: “ Mercy on us!"— 60 "We split, we split "-" Farewell my wife and children !"Farewell, brother!"-" We split, we split, we split !"] Ant. Let's all sink with the king. Seb. Let's take leave of him. [Exeunt Ant. and Seb. Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze, any thing The wills above be done! but I would fain die a dry death. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The island. Before PROSPERO'S cell. Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mir. If by your art, my dearest father, you have Have sunk the sea within the earth or ere It should the good ship so have swallow'd and Pros. Be collected: No more amazement: tell your piteous heart Mir. Pros. O, woe the day! No harm. I have done nothing but in care of thee, Mir. More to know Did never meddle with my thoughts. Pros. 'Tis time I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand, 10 20 |