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In contemplating these beautiful islands, and the peaceful sea around them, I could hardly realize that these were the "still vexed Bermoothes" of Shakspeare, once the dread of mariners, and infamous in the narratives of the early discoverers, for the dangers and disasters which beset them.
Twelve o'clock, and latitude just reported 30° 24' the parallel of New-Orleans; longitude 68° 01'. Are getting past the Bermudas, as usual, the "still vexed Bermoothes," though what continues to keep Bermoothes out of temper I cannot imagine. Tuesday, June 15th.
A narrative of the whole matter, from which most of the foregoing particulars are extracted, was published at the time in London, in a pamphlet form, and could not fail to be eagerly perused by Shakspeare, and to make a vivid impression on his fancy. His expression, in the Tempest, of "the still vext Bermoothes," accords exactly with the storm-beaten character of those islands.
And it requires no prophet's eye to see, that, when England needs posts farther eastward, she will find them among the innumerable green coral islets which stud the Pacific. Turn now your steps homeward, and pause a moment at the Bermudas, "the still vexed Bermoothes." Beautiful isles, with their fresh verdure, green gems in the ocean, with airs soft and balmy as Eden's were!
Treasure Island is somewhere on the seas, the still-vex'd Bermoothes feel the wind of some southern ocean, the coast of Bohemia lies on the furthermost shore of fairyland all of these wonderful, like white towers in the mind.
Richard sprang from his boat into the water. Pressing a hand beneath her foot, which she had thrust against the crumbling wet sides of the bank to save herself, he enabled her to recover her balance, and gain safe earth, whither he followed her. He had landed on an island of the still-vexed Bermoothes.
It was now known that they had arrived at the stormy Bermoothes, or as some call them the "Devil's Islands," owing to the fearful storms which rage round them, and the numerous dangers they present to navigators. Islands, many hundreds in number, extended three or four leagues on either side of the one towards which the ship's course was directed.
Stephen Hopkins alone understood the trap, and cutting from it a piece of smooth fine cord twisted of wood fibres handed it to Bradford, saying, "Here, man, keep it by way of horn-book to teach thee wood-lore in these salvage countries. It is the moral of what we used to see among the Bermoothes some ten years gone by. Ay, and the traps too.
'Still vex'd Bermoothes. Bermudas, spelled in several ways in Shakespeare's time, and called 'still vex'd, from accounts of tempests prevailing there. 7. 'Argier. The name of Algiers till after the Restoration. 8. 'One thing she did. What? Are we anywhere told what? Does the long monologue of Prospero in this act detract from its dramatic force?
When the dogwood and the strawberry bloomed, England-in-America had a population of but sixty. Somewhat later than this time there came from the pen of Shakespeare a play dealing with a tempest and shipwreck and a magical isle and rescue thereon. The bright spirit Ariel speaks of "the still-vex'd Bermoothes."
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