O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my false brother
Awak'd an evil nature; and my trust,
Like a good parent, did beget of him
A falsehood, in its contrary as great

As my trust was; which had indeed no limit,
A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,
Not only with what my revenue yielded,

--

But what my power might else exact, like one
Who having into truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie, he did believe

-

He was indeed the duke; out o' the substitution,
And executing th' outward face of royalty,

With all prerogative: - hence his ambition growing, -
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

with 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,

To most ignoble stooping.

Mir.

alas, poor Milan!

O the heavens!

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

To think but nobly of my grandmother:
Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Pros.

Now the condition.

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 practice, 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 on't then,
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 Were most impertinent.

Mir.

That hour destroy us?

Pros.

Wherefore did they not

Well demanded, wench:

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, 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 prepar'd
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,

Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively had 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 wast that did preserve me! Thou didst smile,
Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,

Under my burden groan'd; which rais'd 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
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 lov'd 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.

Would I might

Now 1 arise: :

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

Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit
Than other princess' can, that have more time
For vaincr hours, and tutors not so careful.

Mir. Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you, sir,-
For still 'tis beating in my mind,
For raising this sea-storm?

Pros.

your reason

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

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 inclin'd to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,
And give it way: - I know thou canst not choose.

[Miranda sleeps.

Come away, servant, come! I'm ready now:
Approach, my Ariel; come!

Enter ARIEL.

Ari. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,

To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

On the curl'd clouds,

Ariel and all his quality.

Pros.

to thy strong bidding task

Hast thou, spirit,

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 flam'd amazement: sometime I'd 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'd 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?

But felt a fever of the mad, and play'd

Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners
Plung'd in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel,
Then all a-fire 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."

Pros.

But was not this nigh shore?

Why, that's my spirit!

--

Ari.

Close by, my master.

Pros. But are they, Ariel, safe?

Ari.

Not a hair perish'd;
On their sustaining garments not a blemish,
But fresher than before: and, as thou bad'st me,
In troops I have dispers'd 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.

Of the king's ship

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

Ari.
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 ail under hatches stow'd;

Who, with a charm join'd to their suffer'd labour,
I've left asleep: and for the rest o' the fleet,
Which I dispers'd, 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.

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

Ari. Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains, Let me remember thee what thou hast promis'd, Which is not yet perform'd me.

Pros.

What is't thou canst demand?

Ari.

How now,

moody!

My liberty.

Pros. Before the time be out? no more!