William Shakespeare: The Tempest

ACT 1 1. SCENE I. On a ship at sea; a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard (continued)

[Re-enter BOATSWAIN]

BOATSWAIN.
Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower!
Bring her to try wi' th' maincourse. [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!

[Exeunt]

BOATSWAIN.
What, must our mouths be cold?

GONZALO.
The King and Prince at prayers! let us 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-chapp'd rascal--would thou might'st 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 wid'st 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 wi' the King.

[Exit]

SEBASTIAN.
Let's take leave of him.

[Exit]