'WE are now introduced to a new personage called Caliban, the son of a certain witch, whose services Prospero thus recounteth: 'We cannot miss him: he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices That profit us. What, ha! slave! Caliban! Thou earth, thou! speak!' 'It would seem, however, that _fetching in wood_ was his principal occupation, for, without asking what his master wanted, he replies: 'There's wood enough within. PROS. Come forth, I say; there's other business for thee.' 'Yet it turns out that it is none other than this very business on which he was to be employed: 'PROS. Hag-seed, hence! Fetch us in fuel, and be quick, (thou wert best,' etc.) 'Ferdinand, the son of the king of Naples, who had been just 'cooling the air with sighs' for his father, whom he supposed to be drowned, now enters, accompanied by Ariel, _invisible_, who sings a charming song of his own composition, of which we can only afford to give the conclusion: 'Hark! hark! Bow-wow; the watch-dogs bark. Bow-wow. Hark! hark! I hear The strain of strutting chanticleer Cry cock-a-doodle-doo!' 'Ferdinand calls this a 'sweet air!' * * * 'The second act introduces us to the king of Naples and his lords, who have escaped from drowning; but his majesty, happening to miss his son, is very naturally made to express a strong curiosity to know what kind of fish had eaten him: 'O thou, mine heir Of Naples and of Milan, what strange fish Hath made his meal of thee?' 'After some farther conversation, Mr. S., not knowing what to do with the personages he has brought on the stage, devises the notable expedient of making them all fall suddenly asleep: 'GONZ. Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very heavy! ALON. What! all so soon asleep? I wish mine eyes Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find They are inclined to do so. SEB. Please you, Sir, Do not omit the heavy offer of it, etc. ALON. Thank you. Wondrous heavy. SEB. What a strange drowsiness oppresses them! ANT. It is the quality o' the climate.' 'The invention of that author who bethought him of sending his characters off _kneeling_ was great, but it was nothing to this. It is evidently a favorite contrivance of the author for terminating a scene, and is here employed in order to introduce Caliban at his everlasting work of _fetching in wood_. 'Enter Caliban _with a bundle of wood_. He sees a sailor: 'CAL. Here comes a spirit of his now to torment me For bringing wood in slowly.' 'Supposing every body to be as fond of wood as Prospero, he adds: 'I'll show thee the best springs, I'll pluck thee berries; I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough.'