Tempest by William Shakespeare
Act 3 - Scene 1
Before PROSPERO’S Cell.
Ferdinand : There be some sports are painful, and their labour
[p]Delight in them
sets off: some kinds of baseness
[p]Are nobly undergone and most poor
matters
[p]Point to rich ends. This my mean task
[p]Would be as heavy
to me as odious, but
[p]The mistress which I serve quickens what's
dead
[p]And makes my labours pleasures: O, she is
[p]Ten times more
gentle than her father's crabbed,
[p]And he's composed of harshness. I
must remove
[p]Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
[p]Upon
a sore injunction: my sweet mistress
[p]Weeps when she sees me work,
and says, such baseness
[p]Had never like executor. I forget:
[p]But
these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,
[p]Most busy lest,
when I do it.
Miranda : Alas, now, pray you,
[p]Work not so hard: I would the lightning
had
[p]Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile!
[p]Pray, set
it down and rest you: when this burns,
[p]'Twill weep for having
wearied you. My father
[p]Is hard at study; pray now, rest
yourself;
[p]He's safe for these three hours.
Ferdinand : O most dear mistress,
[p]The sun will set before I shall
discharge
[p]What I must strive to do.
Miranda : If you'll sit down,
[p]I'll bear your logs the while: pray, give me
that;
[p]I'll carry it to the pile.
Ferdinand : No, precious creature;
[p]I had rather crack my sinews, break my
back,
[p]Than you should such dishonour undergo,
[p]While I sit lazy
by.
Miranda : It would become me
[p]As well as it does you: and I should do
it
[p]With much more ease; for my good will is to it,
[p]And yours it
is against.
Prospero : Poor worm, thou art infected!
[p]This visitation shows it.
Miranda : You look wearily.
Ferdinand : No, noble mistress;'tis fresh morning with me
[p]When you are by at
night. I do beseech you--
[p]Chiefly that I might set it in my
prayers--
[p]What is your name?
Miranda : Miranda.--O my father,
[p]I have broke your hest to say so!
Ferdinand : Admired Miranda!
[p]Indeed the top of admiration! worth
[p]What's
dearest to the world! Full many a lady
[p]I have eyed with best regard
and many a time
[p]The harmony of their tongues hath into
bondage
[p]Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues
[p]Have I
liked several women; never any
[p]With so fun soul, but some defect in
her
[p]Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed
[p]And put it to
the foil: but you, O you,
[p]So perfect and so peerless, are
created
[p]Of every creature's best!
Miranda : I do not know
[p]One of my sex; no woman's face remember,
[p]Save,
from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen
[p]More that I may call men
than you, good friend,
[p]And my dear father: how features are
abroad,
[p]I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,
[p]The jewel in my
dower, I would not wish
[p]Any companion in the world but you,
[p]Nor
can imagination form a shape,
[p]Besides yourself, to like of. But I
prattle
[p]Something too wildly and my father's precepts
[p]I therein
do forget.
Ferdinand : I am in my condition
[p]A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;
[p]I
would, not so!--and would no more endure
[p]This wooden slavery than
to suffer
[p]The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak:
[p]The
very instant that I saw you, did
[p]My heart fly to your service;
there resides,
[p]To make me slave to it; and for your sake
[p]Am I
this patient log--man.
Miranda : Do you love me?
Ferdinand : O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound
[p]And crown what I
profess with kind event
[p]If I speak true! if hollowly,
invert
[p]What best is boded me to mischief! I
[p]Beyond all limit of
what else i' the world
[p]Do love, prize, honour you.
Miranda : I am a fool
[p]To weep at what I am glad of.
Prospero : Fair encounter
[p]Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain
grace
[p]On that which breeds between 'em!
Ferdinand : Wherefore weep you?
Miranda : At mine unworthiness that dare not offer
[p]What I desire to give, and
much less take
[p]What I shall die to want. But this is
trifling;
[p]And all the more it seeks to hide itself,
[p]The bigger
bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!
[p]And prompt me, plain and
holy innocence!
[p]I am your wife, it you will marry me;
[p]If not,
I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
[p]You may deny me; but I'll be
your servant,
[p]Whether you will or no.
Ferdinand : My mistress, dearest;
[p]And I thus humble ever.
Miranda : My husband, then?
Ferdinand : Ay, with a heart as willing
[p]As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my
hand.
Miranda : And mine, with my heart in't; and now farewell
[p]Till half an hour
hence.
Ferdinand : A thousand thousand!
Prospero : So glad of this as they I cannot be,
[p]Who are surprised withal; but
my rejoicing
[p]At nothing can be more. I'll to my book,
[p]For yet
ere supper-time must I perform
[p]Much business appertaining.
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