Mira.

I might call him

It goes on,

[Aside.

A thing divine; for nothing natural
I ever saw so noble.

Pro.

As my soul prompts it:- Spirit, fine spirit! I'll

free thee

Within two days for this.

Fer. Most sure, the goddess On whom these airs attend !—Vouchsafe my prayer May know, if you remain upon this island; And that you will some good instruction give, How I may bear me here: My prime request, Which I do last pronounce, is, Ō you wonder! If you be maid, or no?

Mira.

But, certainly a maid.
Fer.

No wonder, sir;

My language! heavens !

I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.

How! the best?

Pro. What wert thou, if the king of Naples heard thee? Fer. A single thing, as I am now, that wonders To hear thee speak of Naples: He does hear me; And, that he does, I weep: myself am Naples ; Who with mine eyes, ne'er since at ebb, beheld The king my father wreck'd.

Mira.

Alack, for mercy!

Fer. Yes, faith, and all his lords; the duke of

Milan,

And his brave son, being twain.

Pro.

The duke of Milan,

And his more braver daughter, could control9 thee, If now 'twere fit to do't:— At the first sight

[Aside.

They have chang'd eyes:- Delicate Ariel,
I'll set thee free for this! - A word, good sir;
I fear, you have done yourself some wrong: a word.

9 Confute.

Mira. Why speaks my father so ungently? This Is the third man that e'er I saw; the first That e'er I sigh'd for: pity move my father To be inclin'd my way!

Fer.

O, if a virgin,

And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you The queen of Naples!

Pro. Soft, sir; one word more. They are both in either's powers; but this swift business

I must uneasy make, lest too light winning [Aside. Make the prize light. One word more; I charge

thee,

That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp
The name thou ow'st not; and has put thyself
Upon this island, as a spy, to win it

From me, the lord on't.

Fer.

No, as I am a man.

Mira. There's nothing ill can dwell in such a

temple :

If the ill spirit have so fair an house,
Good things will strive to dwell with't.

Pro.

Follow me.[TO FERD.

Speak not you for him; he's a traitor.

I'll manacle thy neck and feet together:

.Come.

Sea-water shalt thou drink, thy food shall be
The fresh-brook muscles, wither'd roots, and husks
Wherein the acorn cradled: Follow.

Fer.

I will resist such entertainment, till

Mine enemy has more power.

Mira.

No;

[He draws.

O dear father,

Make not too rash a trial of him, for
He's gentle, and not fearful.1

Pro.

What, I say,

Put thy sword up, traitor;

1 Frightful.

Who mak'st a show, but dar'st not strike, thy con

science

Is so possess'd with guilt: come from thy ward;2
For I can here disarm thee with this stick,
And make thy weapon drop.

Mira.

Beseech you,

father!

Sir, have pity;

Pro. Hence; hang not on my garments.

Mira.

I'll be his surety.

Pro.

Silence: one word more

Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What! An advocate for an impostor? hush!

Thou think'st, there are no more such shapes as he, Having seen but him and Caliban; foolish wench! To the most of men this is a Caliban,

And they to him are angels.

Mira.

My affections

Are then most humble; I have no ambition
To see a goodlier man.

Pro.

Come on; obey;

[TO FERD.

Thy nerves are in their infancy again,
And have no vigour in them.

Fer.
So they are:
My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.
My father's loss, the weakness which I feel,
The wreck of all my friends, or this man's threats,
To whom I am subdued, are but light to me,
Might I but through my prison once a day
Behold this maid; all corners else o' the earth
Let liberty make use of; space enough
Have I in such a prison.

Pro.

It works:

Thou hast done well, fine Ariel ! - Follow me.

Come on.

[To FERD. and MIR. [To ARIEL.

Hark, what thou else shalt do me.

2 Guard.

Mira.

Be of comfort;

My father's of a better nature, sir,

Than he appears by speech; this is unwonted,
Which now came from him.

Pro.

Thou shalt be as free

As mountain winds: but then exactly do
All points of my command.

Ari.

To the syllable.

Pro. Come, follow: speak not for him. [Exeunt.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

Another part of the Island.

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others.

Gon. 'Beseech you, sir, be merry: you have

cause

(So have we all) of joy; for our escape

Is much beyond our loss: our hint of woe
Is common; every day, some sailor's wife,
The masters of some merchant, and the merchant,
Have just our theme of woe: but for the miracle,
I mean our preservation, few in millions

Can speak like us: then wisely, good sir, weigh
Our sorrow with our comfort.

Alon.

Pr❜thee, peace! Seb. He receives comfort like cold porridge. Ant. The visitor will not give him o'er so.

Seb. Look, he's winding up the watch of his wit! by and by it will strike.

Gon. Sir,

Seb. One:

Tell.

Gon. When every grief is entertain'd, that's

offer'd,

Comes to the entertainer.

Seb.

A dollar.

Gon. Dolour comes to him, indeed; you have spoken truer than you purposed.

Seb. You have taken it wiselier than I meant you should.

Gon. Therefore, my lord,—

Ant. Fie, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue! Alon. I pr'ythee, spare.

Gon. Well, I have done: But yet

Seb. He will be talking.

Ant. Which of them, he, or Adrian, for a good wager, first begins to crow?

Seb. The old cock.

Ant. The cockrel.

Seb. Done: The wager?

Ant. A laughter.

Seb. A match.

Adr. Though this island seem to be desert,-
Seb. Ha, ha, ha!

Ant. So you've pay'd.

Adr. Uninhabitable, and almost inaccessible,
Seb. Yet.

Adr. Yet

Ant. He could not miss it.

Adr. The air breathes upon us here most sweetly.
Gon. Here is every thing advantageous to life.
Ant. True; save means to live.

Seb. Of that there's none, or little.

Gon. How lush and lusty the grass looks! how green!

Ant. The ground, indeed, is tawney.

Seb. With an eye 4 of green in't.

Ant. He misses not much.

Seb. No: he doth but mistake the truth totally.

3 Rank.

4 Shade of colour.