Dost thou hear?

Mir.

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

Pros. To have no screen between this part he play'd
And him he play'd it for, he needs will be
Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library
Was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties
He thinks me now incapable; confederates,

So dry he was for sway, wi' the King of Naples
To give him annual tribute, do him homage,
Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend
The dukedom, yet unbow'd,-alas, poor Milan!—
To most ignoble stooping.

Pros. Mark his condition, and th' event; then tell me If this might be a brother.

110

115

Now the condition.

120

This King of Naples, being an enemy
To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;
Which was, that he, in lieu o' the premises,
Of homage and I know not how much tribute,
Should presently extirpate me and mine.
Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan,
With all the honours, on my brother: whereon,
A treacherous army levied, one midnight
Fated to the purpose, did Antonio open
The gates of Milan; and, i' the dead of darkness,
The ministers for the purpose hurried thence
Me and thy crying self.

Mir.

Alack, for pity!

I, not remembering how I cried out then,

106. hear?] hear, child? Hanmer. 109. Milan] Millanie F, (Capell's copy).

112. withe] Capell. with Ff. wi' th' Rowe. with the Steevens. 116: most] F much F2 F3 F4. 119. but] not Pope. 120. Good... sons] Theobald sug

gested that these words should be given to Prospero. Hanmer prints them so. 122. hearkens] hears Pope. hearks Theobald.

129. Fated] Mated Dryden's version. purpose] practise Collier MS. 131. ministers] minister Rowe. 133. out] on't Steevens conj.

125

130

Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint

That wrings mine eyes to't.

Pros.

Hear a little further,

And then I'll bring thee to the present business

Which now's upon's; without the which, this story

135

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not,

140

So dear the love my people bore me; nor set

A mark so bloody on the business; but

With colours fairer painted their foul ends.

In few, they hurried us aboard a bark,

Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared

145

A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,

Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats

Instinctively have quit it: there they hoist us,

To cry to the sea that roar'd to us; to sigh
To the winds, whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mir.

Was I then to you!

Pros.

Alack, what trouble

O, a cherubin

Thou didst smile,

Thou wast that did preserve me.

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burthen groan'd; which raised in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up

Against what should ensue.

Mir.

How came we ashore?

Pros. By Providence divine.

Some food we had, and some fresh water, that

150

155

160

A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

Out of his charity, who being then appointed
Master of this design, did give us, with

Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries,

Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness,
Knowing I loved my books, he furnish'd me
From mine own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

Mir.

But ever see that man!

Pros.

165

Would I might

170

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arrived; and here

Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit

Than other princesses can, that have more time

For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

Mir. Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you, sir, 175 For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reason

For raising this sea-storm?

Pros.

Know thus far forth.

By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune,
Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies.

Brought to this shore; and by my prescience

I find my zenith doth depend upon

180

A most auspicious star, whose influence

If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes

Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions:
Thou art inclined to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,
And give it way: I know thou canst not choose.

[Miranda sleeps.

Come away, servant, come. I am ready now.
Approach, my Ariel, come.

Enter Ariel.

Ari. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come

162.who]om. Pope. he Steevens conj. 169. Now I arise] Continued to Miranda. Blackstone conj.

[Resumes his mantle] om. Ff. [Put on robe again. Collier MS.

173. princesses] princesse F, F2 F3.
princess F4 princes Rowe. princess'
Dyce (S. Walker conj.). See note (11).
186. [M. sleeps] Theobald.
189. SCENE III. Pope.

185

To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,

To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

On the curl'd clouds, to thy strong bidding task

Ariel and all his quality.

Perform'd to point the tempest that I bade thee?

Ari. To every article.

I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak,
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,
I flamed amazement: sometime I'ld divide,
And burn in many places; on the topmast,
The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,
Then meet and join. Jove's lightnings, the precursors
O' the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary
And sight-outrunning were not: the fire and cracks.
Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune
Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,
Yea, his dread trident shake.

Pros.

My brave spirit! Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil

Would not infect his reason?

Not a soul

Ari.
But felt a fever of the mad, and play'd
Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners
Plunged in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel,
Then all afire with me: the king's son, Ferdinand,
With hair up-staring, then like reeds, not hair,—
Was the first man that leap'd; cried, "Hell is empty,
And all the devils are here."

190

195

200

205

210

215

Ari.

Close by, my master.

Not a hair perish'd;

Pros. But are they, Ariel, safe?

Ari.

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,
But fresher than before: and, as thou badest me,
In troops I have dispersed them 'bout the isle.
The king's son have I landed by himself;
Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs
In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting,
His arms in this sad knot.

Pros.

The mariners, say how thou hast disposed,
And all the rest o' the fleet.

Ari.

220

Of the king's ship

225

Safely in harbour

Is the king's ship; in the deep nook, where once
Thou call'dst me up at midnight to fetch dew
From the still-vex'd Bermoothes, there she's hid:
The mariners all under hatches stow'd;
Who, with a charm join'd to their suffer'd labour,
I have left asleep and for the rest o' the fleet,
Which I dispersed, they all have met again,
And are upon the Mediterranean flote,

Bound sadly home for Naples;

Supposing that they saw the king's ship wreck'd,
And his great person perish.

Pros.

Ariel, thy charge

Exactly is perform'd: but there's more work.

What is the time o' the day?

Ari.

Past the mid season.

230

235

Pros. At least two glasses. The time 'twixt six and now 240 Must by us both be spent most preciously.

Ari. Is there more toil? Let me remember thee what

218. sustaining] sea-stained Edwards conj. unstaining or sea-staining Spedding conj.

229. Bermoothes] Bermudas Theobald.

231. Who] Whom Hanmer. 234. are] all Collier MS.

Since thou dost give me pains,
thou hast promised,

upon] on Pope.

239-240. Ari. Past the mid season. Pros. At least two glasses] Ari. Past the mid season at least two glasses. Warburton. Pros.... Past the mid season? Ari. At least two glasses Johnson conj.