Act 1, Scene 1: On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise

SCENE I. On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise

    of thunder and lightning heard.

    Enter a Master and a Boatswain

Master

    Boatswain!

Boatswain

    Here, master: what cheer?

Master

    Good, speak to the mariners: fall to't, 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, boatswain?

Boatswain

    Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: 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 a
    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

    Re-enter Boatswain

Boatswain

    Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring
    her to try with main-course.

    A cry within
    A plague upon this howling! they are louder than
    the weather or our office.

    Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO
    Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er
    and drown? Have you a mind to sink?

SEBASTIAN

    A pox o' 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!

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'm out of patience.

ANTONIO

    We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:
    This wide-chapp'd rascal--would thou mightst lie drowning
    The washing of ten tides!

GONZALO

    He'll be hang'd yet,
    Though every drop of water swear against it
    And gape at widest 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.

SEBASTIAN

    Let's take leave of him.

    Exeunt ANTONIO and SEBASTIAN

GONZALO

    Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an
    acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze, any
    thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain
    die a dry death.

    Exeunt