SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S Cell. The Tempest  Shakespeare homepage  |  The Tempest  | Act 3, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S Cell. 

 Enter FERDINAND, bearing a log  FERDINAND  There be some sports are painful, and their labour 

 Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness 

 Are nobly undergone and most poor matters 

 Point to rich ends. This my mean task 

 Would be as heavy to me as odious, but 

 The mistress which I serve quickens what's dead 

 And makes my labours pleasures: O, she is 

 Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed, 

 And he's composed of harshness. I must remove 

 Some thousands of these logs and pile them up, 

 Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress 

 Weeps when she sees me work, and says, such baseness 

 Had never like executor. I forget: 

 But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours, 

 Most busy lest, when I do it. 



 Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO at a distance, unseen  MIRANDA  Alas, now, pray you, 

 Work not so hard: I would the lightning had 

 Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile! 

 Pray, set it down and rest you: when this burns, 

 'Twill weep for having wearied you. My father 

 Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself; 

 He's safe for these three hours. 

 FERDINAND  O most dear mistress, 

 The sun will set before I shall discharge 

 What I must strive to do. 

 MIRANDA  If you'll sit down, 

 I'll bear your logs the while: pray, give me that; 

 I'll carry it to the pile. 

 FERDINAND  No, precious creature; 

 I had rather crack my sinews, break my back, 

 Than you should such dishonour undergo, 

 While I sit lazy by. 

 MIRANDA  It would become me 

 As well as it does you: and I should do it 

 With much more ease; for my good will is to it, 

 And yours it is against. 

 PROSPERO  Poor worm, thou art infected! 

 This visitation shows it. 

 MIRANDA  You look wearily. 

 FERDINAND  No, noble mistress;'tis fresh morning with me 

 When you are by at night. I do beseech you-- 

 Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers-- 

 What is your name? 

 MIRANDA  Miranda.--O my father, 

 I have broke your hest to say so! 

 FERDINAND  Admired Miranda! 

 Indeed the top of admiration! worth 

 What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady 

 I have eyed with best regard and many a time 

 The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage 

 Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues 

 Have I liked several women; never any 

 With so fun soul, but some defect in her 

 Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed 

 And put it to the foil: but you, O you, 

 So perfect and so peerless, are created 

 Of every creature's best! 

 MIRANDA  I do not know 

 One of my sex; no woman's face remember, 

 Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen 

 More that I may call men than you, good friend, 

 And my dear father: how features are abroad, 

 I am skilless of; but, by my modesty, 

 The jewel in my dower, I would not wish 

 Any companion in the world but you, 

 Nor can imagination form a shape, 

 Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle 

 Something too wildly and my father's precepts 

 I therein do forget. 

 FERDINAND  I am in my condition 

 A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king; 

 I would, not so!--and would no more endure 

 This wooden slavery than to suffer 

 The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak: 

 The very instant that I saw you, did 

 My heart fly to your service; there resides, 

 To make me slave to it; and for your sake 

 Am I this patient log--man. 

 MIRANDA  Do you love me? 

 FERDINAND  O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound 

 And crown what I profess with kind event 

 If I speak true! if hollowly, invert 

 What best is boded me to mischief! I 

 Beyond all limit of what else i' the world 

 Do love, prize, honour you. 

 MIRANDA  I am a fool 

 To weep at what I am glad of. 

 PROSPERO  Fair encounter 

 Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace 

 On that which breeds between 'em! 

 FERDINAND  Wherefore weep you? 

 MIRANDA  At mine unworthiness that dare not offer 

 What I desire to give, and much less take 

 What I shall die to want. But this is trifling; 

 And all the more it seeks to hide itself, 

 The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning! 

 And prompt me, plain and holy innocence! 

 I am your wife, if you will marry me; 

 If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow 

 You may deny me; but I'll be your servant, 

 Whether you will or no. 

 FERDINAND  My mistress, dearest; 

 And I thus humble ever. 

 MIRANDA  My husband, then? 

 FERDINAND  Ay, with a heart as willing 

 As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand. 

 MIRANDA  And mine, with my heart in't; and now farewell 

 Till half an hour hence. 

 FERDINAND  A thousand thousand! 



 Exeunt FERDINAND and MIRANDA severally  PROSPERO  So glad of this as they I cannot be, 

 Who are surprised withal; but my rejoicing 

 At nothing can be more. I'll to my book, 

 For yet ere supper-time must I perform 

 Much business appertaining. 



 Exit  Shakespeare homepage  |  The Tempest  | Act 3, Scene 1 

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