And use of service, none; contract, succession,

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—

SEBASTIAN (to Antonio) Yet he would be king on’t.

ANTONIO The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning.

GONZALO (to Alonso)

All things in common nature should produce

Without sweat or endeavour. Treason, felony,

Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,

Would I not have; but nature should bring forth

Of it own kind all foison, all abundance,

To feed my innocent people.

SEBASTIAN (to Antonio) No marrying ’mong his subjects?

ANTONIO None, man, all idle: whores and knaves.

GONZALO (to Alonso)

I would with such perfection govern, sir,

T’excel the Golden Age.

SEBASTIAN

Save his majesty!

ANTONIO

Long live Gonzalol

GONZALO (to Alonso) 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 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.

ANTONIO What a blow was there given!

SEBASTIAN An it had not fallen flat-long.

GONZALO You are gentlemen of brave mettle. You would lift the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue in it five weeks without changing.

Enter Ariel, invisible, playing solemn music

SEBASTIAN We would so, and then go a-bat-fowling.

ANTONIO (to Gonzalo) 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.

ANTONIO Go sleep, and hear us.

Gonzalo, Adrian, and Francisco sleep

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,

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,

And watch your safety.

ALONSO

Thank you. Wondrous heavy.

He sleeps. ⌈Exit Ariel⌉

SEBASTIAN

What a strange drowsiness possesses them!

ANTONIO

It is the quality o’th’ climate.

SEBASTIAN

Why

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 dropped as by a thunderstroke. What might,

Worthy Sebastian, O, what might—? No more!—

And yet methinks I see it in thy face.

What thou shouldst be th’occasion speaks thee, and

My strong imagination sees a crown

Dropping upon thy head.

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?

This is a strange repose, to be asleep

With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving,

And yet so fast asleep.

ANTONIO

Noble Sebastian,

Thou letst thy fortune sleep, die rather; wink’st

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

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.

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

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.

ANTONIO

Thus, sir.

Although this lord of weak remembrance, this,

Who shall be of as little memory

When he is earthed, hath here almost persuaded—

For he’s a spirit of persuasion, only

Professes to persuade—the King his son’s alive,

’Tis as impossible that he’s undrowned

As he that sleeps here swims.

SEBASTIAN

I have no hope

That he’s undrowned.

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

That Ferdinand is drowned?

SEBASTIAN

He’s gone.

ANTONIO

Then tell me,

Who’s the next heir of Naples?

SEBASTIAN

Claribel.

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’th’ moon’s too slow—till new-born chins

Be rough and razorable; she that from whom

We all were sea-swallowed, 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?

‘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