Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

As proper a man as ever went on four legs, cannot make him give ground and it fhall be faid fo again, while Stephano breathes at noftrils.

CAL. The spirit torments me: O!

STE. This is fome monster of the ifle, with four legs; who hath got, as I take it, an ague: Where the devil fhould he learn our language? I will give him fome relief, if it be but for that: If I can recover him, and keep him tame, and get to Naples with him, he's a prefent for any emperor that ever trod on neat's-leather.

CAL. Do not torment me, pr'ythee;

I'll bring my wood home fafter.

:

STE. He's in his fit now; and does not talk after the wifeft. He hall tafte of my bottle if he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit if I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much for him; he fhall pay for him that hath him, and that foundly.

CAL. Thou doft me yet but little hurt; thou wilt Anon, I know it by thy trembling: '

8

too much) Too much means, any fum, ever fo much. So, in the Letters from the Pafton Family, Vol. II. p. 219: And ye be beholdyng unto my Lady for hyr good wurde, for sche hath never preyfyd yowe to much. i. e. though she has praised you much, her praife is not above your merit.

[ocr errors]

It has, however, been obferved to me, that when the vulgar mean to ask an extravagant price for any thing, they fay, with a laugh, I won't make him pay twice for it. This fenfe fufficiently accommodates itfelf to Trinculo's expreffion. Mr. M. Mafon explains the paffage differently. «I will not take for him even more than he is worth." STEEVENS.

I think the meaning is, Let me take what sum I will, however great, I shall not take too much for him: it is impoffible for me to fell him too dear. MALONE.

[ocr errors]

I know it by thy trembling:) This tremor is always

Now Profper works upon thee.

2

STE. Come on your ways; open your mouth; here is that which will give language to you, cat; open your mouth this will shake your shaking, I can tell you, and that foundly: you cannot tell who's your friend; open your chaps again.

TRIN. I fhould know that voice: It fhould be But he is drown'd; and thefe are devils: O! defend me!

STE. Four legs, and two voices; a moft delicate monfter! His forward voice' now is to speak well of his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul fpeeches, and to detract. If all the wine in my bottle will recover him, I will help his ague: Come, Amen! I will pour fome in thy other mouth.

TRIN. Stephano,➡

STE. Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy! mercy! This is a devil, and no monfter: I will leave him; I have no fpoon.'

reprefented as the effect of being poffefs'd by the devil. So, in the Comedy of Errors :

2

Mark how he trembles in his extacy!" STEEVENS.

cat;) Alluding to an old proverb, that good liquor will make a cat speak.

STEEVENS.

3 His forward voice, &c.) The perfon of Fame was anciently defcribed in this manner. So, in Penelope's Web, by, Greene, 1601 Fame hath two faces, readie as well to back-bite as to flatter." STEEVENS.

4 -Amen!) Means, ftop your draught: come to a conclufion. I will pour fone, &c. STEEVENS.

5 I have no long Spoon.) Alluding to the proverb, A longspoon to eat with the devil. STEEVENS.

See Comedy of Errors, A& IV. fc. iii. and Chaucer's Squier's Tale, 10916 of the late edit.

Therefore behoveth him a full long fponé, "That fhall ete with a feud.

VOL. III.

TYRWHITT.

G

TRIN. Stephano!-if thou beeft Stephano, touch me, and speak to me; for I am Trinculo;-be not afeard, thy good friend Trinculo.

[ocr errors]

STE. If thou beeft Trinculo, come forth; I'll pull thee by the leffer legs: if any be Trinculo's legs, these are they. Thou art very Trinculo, indeed: How cam'ft thou to be the fiege of this moon-calf? Can he vent Trinculos?

TRIN. I took him to be kill'd with a thunderftroke-But art thou not drown'd, Stephano? I hope now, thou art not drown'd. Is the ftorm over-blown? I hid me under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine, for fear of the ftorm: And art thou living, Stephano? O Stephano, two Neapolitans 'fcap'd!

STE. Pr'ythee, do not turn me about; my fto mach is not conftant.

CAL. These be fine things, an if they be not fprites.

That's a brave god, and bears celestial liquor:
I will kneel to him.

STE. How did't thou 'fcape? How cam'st thou hither? fwear by this bottle, how thou cam'st hither. I efcap'd upon a butt of fack, which the failors heav'd over-board, by this bottle! which I made of the bark of a tree, with mine own hands, fince I was caft a-fhore.

6 to be the fiege of this moon-calf?) Siege fignifies tool in every fenfe of the word, and is here ufed in the dirtieft.

So, in Holinfhed, p. 705: In this yeare alfo, a house on London-bridge, called the common fege, or privie, fell downe

into the Thames.,,

A moon-calf is an inanimate fhapeless mafs, fuppofed by Pliny to be engendered of woman only. See his Nat. Hift. b. x. ch. 64. ASTEEVENS.

CAL. I'll fwear, upon that bottle, to be thy True fubject; for the liquor is not earthly.

STE. Here; fwear then how thou escap'dft." TRIN. Swam a-fhore, man, like a duck; I can fwim like a duck, I'll be sworn.

7

STE. Here, kifs the book: Though thou canst fwim like a duck, thou art made like a goofe.

TRIN. O Stephano, haft any more of this?

STE. The whole butt, man; my cellar is in a rock by the fea-fide, where my wine is hid. How now, moon-calf? how does thine ague ?

CAL. Haft thou not dropp'd from heaven? $ STE. Out o' the moon, I do affure thee: I was the man in the moon, when time was.

CAL. I have seen thee in her, and I do adore

thee;

My mistress fhew'd me thee, thy dog, and bush.,

Cal. I'll fwear, upon that bottle, to be thy

True fubject, &c.

Ste. Here; fwear then how thou efcap'dft.) The paffage fhould probably be printed thus:

Ste. (to Cal.) Here, fwear then. (to Trin.) How escap'df thou?

The fpeaker would naturally take notice of Caliban's proffered allegiance. Befides, he bids Trinculo kifs the book after he has anfwered the queftion; a fufficient proof of the reditude of the propofed arrangement. RITSON.

7 I can fwim-) I believe Trinculo is fpeaking of Caliban, and that we fhould read-'a can fwim," &c. See the next fpeech. MALONE.

8 Haft thou not dropp'd from heaven?) The new-difcovered Indians of the island of St. Salvador, afked, by figns, whether Co. lumbus and his companions were not come down from heaven.

TOLLET.

9 My mistress shew'd me thee, thy dog, and bush.) The old copy, which exhibits this and feveral preceding fpeeches of Caliban as

STE. Come, fwear to that; kifs the book: I will furnish it anon with new contents; fwear.

TRIN. By this good light, this is a very fhallow monfter;-I afeard of him?-a very weak monfter-The man i' the moon ?-a moft dulous monfter :-Well drawn, monster, in good footh.

poor cre

CAL. I'll fhew thee every fertile inch o' the ifland;

And kifs thy foot: I pr'ythec, be my god. 3

TRIN. By this light, a moft perfidious and drunken monster; when his god's afleep, he'll rob his bottle,

CAL. I'll kifs thy foot: I'll fwear myself thy fubject.

STE. Come on then; down, and swear.

TRIN. Ifhall laugh myself to death at this puppy-headed monfter: A moft fcurvy monfter! I could find in my heart to beat him,—

STE. Come, kiss.

TRIN. But that the poor monfter's in drink: An abominable monfter!

CAL. I'll fhew thee the beft fprings; I'll pluck thee berries;

profe (though it be apparent they were defigned for verfe,) readsMy mistress fhew'd me thee, and thy dog and thy bush." Let the editor who laments the lofs of the words-and and thy, compofe their elegy. STEEVENS.

2 I afeard of him?-a very weak monster &c.) It is to be ob ferved, that Trinculo the fpeaker is not charged with being afraid; but it was his confcioufnefs that he was fo that drew this brag from him. This is nature. WARBURTON.

3 And kifs thy foot: I pr'ythee be my god.) The old copy reduadantly reads:

"And I will kifs thy foot," &c, RITSON.

« FöregåendeFortsätt »