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On a ship at sea; a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard
[Enter a SHIPMASTER and a BOATSWAIN severally]
MASTER.
Boatswain.
BOATSWAIN.
Here master: what cheer?
MASTER.
Good: Speak to the mariners: fall to it, yarely, or we run ourselves aground,
bestir, bestir.
[Exit. Enter MARINERS]
BOATSWAIN.
Heigh my hearts, cheerly, cheerly, my hearts: Yare, yare: Take in the
topsail: Tend to the master's whistle: Blow till thou burst thy wind, if
room enough.
[Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO, and OTHERS]
ALONSO.
Good boatswain have care: where's the master? Play the men.
BOATSWAIN.
I pray now keep below.
ANTONIO.
Where is the master, boson?
BOATSWAIN.
Do you not hear him? You mar our labor, keep your cabins: you do assist the
storm.
GONZALO.
Nay, good be patient.
BOATSWAIN.
When the sea is: Hence, What cares these roarers for the name of king? To
cabin; silence: Trouble us not.
GONZALO.
Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.
BOATSWAIN.
None that I more love than myself. You are counsellor, if you can command
these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not
hand a rope more, use your authority: if you cannot, give thanks you have
lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of
the hour, if it so hap. Cheerly good hearts: Out of our way I say.
[Exit]
GONZALO.
I have great comfort from this fellow: Methinks he hath no drowning mark
upon him, his complexion is perfect gallows: Stand fast good Fate to his
hanging, make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little
advantage: If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable.
[Exeunt. Enter BOATSWAIN]
BOATSWAIN.
Down with the topmast: yare, lower, lower, Bring her to try with the
maincourse. [a cry within] A plague upon this howling: They are louder than
the weather, or our office:
[Enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO]
Yet again? What do you here? Shall we give ore and drown, Have you a mind
to sink?
SEBASTIAN.
A pox on your throat, you bawling, blasphemous incharitable dog.
BOATSWAIN.
Work you then.
ANTONIO.
Hang cur, hang, you whoreson insolent noisemaker, we are less afraid to be
drowned, than thou art.
GONZALO.
I'll warrant him for drowning: though the ship were no stronger than a
nutshell, and as leaky as an unstanched wench.
BOATSWAIN.
Lay her a-hold, a-hold, set her two courses off to sea again, lay her off.
[Enter MARINERS, Wet]
MARINERS.
All lost, to prayers, to prayers, all lost.
[Exeunt]
BOATSWAIN.
What must our mouths be cold?
GONZALO.
The King, and Prince, at prayers, let's assist them, for our case is as
theirs.
SEBASTIAN.
I am out of patience.
ANTONIO.
We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards, This wide-chapped
rascal, would thou might'st lie drowning the washing of ten tides.
GONZALO.
He'll be hanged yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gape at widst to glut him.
[A confused noise within]
Mercy on us.
We split, we split, Farewell
my wife, and children, Farewell brother: We split, we split, we split.
ANTONIO.
Let's all sink with the King.
[Exit]
SEBASTIAN.
Let's take leave of him.
[Exit]
GONZALO.
Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea, for an acre of barren ground:
long heath, brown furze, anything: the wills above be done, but I would
fain die a dry death.
[Exit]