| [Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO] | |
| STEPHANO | Tell not me; when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and board 'em. Servant-monster, drink to me. |
| TRINCULO | Servant-monster! the folly of this island! They say there's but five upon this isle: we are three of them; if th' other two be brained like us, the state totters. |
| STEPHANO | Drink, servant-monster, when I bid thee: thy eyes are almost set in thy head. |
| TRINCULO | Where should they be set else? he were a brave monster indeed, if they were set in his tail. |
| STEPHANO | My man-monster hath drown'd his tongue in sack: for my part, the sea cannot drown me; I swam, ere I could recover the shore, five and thirty leagues off and on. By this light, thou shalt be my lieutenant, monster, or my standard. |
| TRINCULO | Your lieutenant, if you list; he's no standard. |
| STEPHANO | We'll not run, Monsieur Monster. |
| TRINCULO | Nor go neither; but you'll lie like dogs and yet say nothing neither. |
| STEPHANO | Moon-calf, speak once in thy life, if thou beest a good moon-calf. |
| CALIBAN | How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe. I'll not serve him; he's not valiant. |
| TRINCULO | Thou liest, most ignorant monster: I am in case to justle a constable. Why, thou deboshed fish thou, was there ever man a coward that hath drunk so much sack as I to-day? Wilt thou tell a monstrous lie, being but half a fish and half a monster? |
| CALIBAN | Lo, how he mocks me! wilt thou let him, my lord? |
| TRINCULO | 'Lord' quoth he! That a monster should be such a natural! |
| CALIBAN | Lo, lo, again! bite him to death, I prithee. |
| STEPHANO | Trinculo, keep a good tongue in your head: if you prove a mutineer,--the next tree! The poor monster's my subject and he shall not suffer indignity. |
| CALIBAN | I thank my noble lord. Wilt thou be pleased to hearken once again to the suit I made to thee? |
| STEPHANO | Marry, will I kneel and repeat it; I will stand, and so shall Trinculo. |
| [Enter ARIEL, invisible] | |
| CALIBAN | As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island. |
| ARIEL | Thou liest. |
| CALIBAN | Thou liest, thou jesting monkey, thou: I would my valiant master would destroy thee! I do not lie. |
| STEPHANO | Trinculo, if you trouble him any more in's tale, by this hand, I will supplant some of your teeth. |
| TRINCULO | Why, I said nothing. |
| STEPHANO | Mum, then, and no more. Proceed. |
| CALIBAN | I say, by sorcery he got this isle; From me he got it. if thy greatness will Revenge it on him,--for I know thou darest, But this thing dare not,-- |
| STEPHANO | That's most certain. |
| CALIBAN | Thou shalt be lord of it and I'll serve thee. |
| STEPHANO | How now shall this be compassed? Canst thou bring me to the party? |
| CALIBAN | Yea, yea, my lord: I'll yield him thee asleep, Where thou mayst knock a nail into his bead. |
| ARIEL | Thou liest; thou canst not. |
| CALIBAN | What a pied ninny's this! Thou scurvy patch! I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows And take his bottle from him: when that's gone He shall drink nought but brine; for I'll not show him Where the quick freshes are. |
| STEPHANO | Trinculo, run into no further danger: interrupt the monster one word further, and, by this hand, I'll turn my mercy out o' doors and make a stock-fish of thee. |
| TRINCULO | Why, what did I? I did nothing. I'll go farther off. |
| STEPHANO | Didst thou not say he lied? |
| ARIEL | Thou liest. |
| STEPHANO | Do I so? take thou that. |
| [Beats TRINCULO] | |
| As you like this, give me the lie another time. | |
| TRINCULO | I did not give the lie. Out o' your wits and bearing too? A pox o' your bottle! this can sack and drinking do. A murrain on your monster, and the devil take your fingers! |
| CALIBAN | Ha, ha, ha! |
| STEPHANO | Now, forward with your tale. Prithee, stand farther off. |
| CALIBAN | Beat him enough: after a little time I'll beat him too. |
| STEPHANO | Stand farther. Come, proceed. |
| CALIBAN | Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him, I' th' afternoon to sleep: there thou mayst brain him, Having first seized his books, or with a log Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake, Or cut his wezand with thy knife. Remember First to possess his books; for without them He's but a sot, as I am, nor hath not One spirit to command: they all do hate him As rootedly as I. Burn but his books. He has brave utensils,--for so he calls them-- Which when he has a house, he'll deck withal And that most deeply to consider is The beauty of his daughter; he himself Calls her a nonpareil: I never saw a woman, But only Sycorax my dam and she; But she as far surpasseth Sycorax As great'st does least. |
| STEPHANO | Is it so brave a lass? |
| CALIBAN | Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant. And bring thee forth brave brood. |
| STEPHANO | Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen--save our graces!--and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou like the plot, Trinculo? |
| TRINCULO | Excellent. |
| STEPHANO | Give me thy hand: I am sorry I beat thee; but, while thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head. |
| CALIBAN | Within this half hour will he be asleep: Wilt thou destroy him then? |
| STEPHANO | Ay, on mine honour. |
| ARIEL | This will I tell my master. |
| CALIBAN | Thou makest me merry; I am full of pleasure: Let us be jocund: will you troll the catch You taught me but while-ere? |
| STEPHANO | At thy request, monster, I will do reason, any reason. Come on, Trinculo, let us sing. |
| [Sings] | |
| Flout 'em and scout 'em And scout 'em and flout 'em Thought is free. |
|
| CALIBAN | That's not the tune. |
| [Ariel plays the tune on a tabour and pipe] | |
| STEPHANO | What is this same? |
| TRINCULO | This is the tune of our catch, played by the picture of Nobody. |
| STEPHANO | If thou beest a man, show thyself in thy likeness: if thou beest a devil, take't as thou list. |
| TRINCULO | O, forgive me my sins! |
| STEPHANO | He that dies pays all debts: I defy thee. Mercy upon us! |
| CALIBAN | Art thou afeard? |
| STEPHANO | No, monster, not I. |
| CALIBAN | Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open and show riches Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked, I cried to dream again. |
| STEPHANO | This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I shall have my music for nothing. |
| CALIBAN | When Prospero is destroyed. |
| STEPHANO | That shall be by and by: I remember the story. |
| TRINCULO | The sound is going away; let's follow it, and after do our work. |
| STEPHANO | Lead, monster; we'll follow. I would I could see this tabourer; he lays it on. |
| TRINCULO | Wilt come? I'll follow, Stephano. |
| [Exeunt] |