Holy Gonzalo, honourable man,

Mine eyes, even sociable to the show of thine,
Fall fellowly drops. The charm dissolves apace;
And as the morning steals upon the night,
Melting the darkness, so their rising senses
Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle
Their clearer reason. O good Gonzalo,
My true preserver, and a loyal sir

To him thou follow'st! I will pay thy graces
Home both in word and deed. Most cruelly
Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter:
Thy brother was a furtherer in the act.

75

Thou art pinch'd for't now, Sebastian. Flesh and blood,
You, brother mine, that entertain'd ambition,
Expell'd remorse and nature; who, with Sebastian,—
Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong,—
Would here have kill'd your king; I do forgive thee,
Unnatural though thou art. Their understanding
Begins to swell; and the approaching tide
Will shortly fill the reasonable shore,

That now lies foul and muddy. Not one of them
That yet looks on me, or would know me: Ariel,
Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell:

I will discase me, and myself present

62 Holy] Noble Collier, ed. 2 (Collier MS.).

63 show] shew Ff. flow Collier, ed. 2 (Collier MS.). dew Long MS.

64 fellowly] fellow Pope. fellowy Rowe (ed. 2).

68 0] 0 my Pope. O thou Dyce, ed. 2 (S. Walker conj.).

69 sir] servant Collier MS. suitor D. Wilson conj.

72 Didst] F, (catchword) F3F4. Did F1 (text) Fg.

80

85

74 Sebastian. Flesh and blood,] Sebas-
tian, flesh and blood. Theobald.

75 entertain'd] entertaine F1.
76 who] Rowe. whom Ff.

81, 82 shore...lies] shores...lie Malone.
82 lies] F3F4 ly F1F2.

83 That yet] E'en yet D. Wilson conj.

or] ere Collier MS. e'er Keightley. 84 Theobald gives as stage direction 'Exit Ariel, and returns immediately.'

As I was sometime Milan: quickly, spirit;
Thou shalt ere long be free.

ARIEL sings and helps to attire him.

Where the bee sucks, there suck I:

In a cowslip's bell I lie;

90

There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat's back I do fly

After summer merrily.

Merrily, merrily shall I live now

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

Pros. Why, that's my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee;

But yet thou shalt have freedom: so, so, so.

96

To the king's ship, invisible as thou art:
There shalt thou find the mariners asleep

Under the hatches; the master and the boatswain
Being awake, enforce them to this place,

100

And presently, I prithee.

Ari. I drink the air before me, and return Or ere your pulse twice beat.

[Exit.

Gon. All torment, trouble, wonder and amazement Inhabits here: some heavenly power guide us

Out of this fearful country!

Pros.

Behold, sir king,

The wronged Duke of Milan, Prospero:

For more assurance that a living prince

Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body;
And to thee and thy company I bid

A hearty welcome.

Alon.

88 suck] lurk Theobald.

Whether thou be'st he or no,

90 There...cry.] There I couch: when owls do cry, Capell (Heath conj.). couch] crowch F3F4

90, 91 There...fly] There...cry On the

bat's back. I do fly Knight conj.

92 summer] sun-set Theobald.

105

110

Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me,

As late I have been, I not know: thy pulse

Beats, as of flesh and blood; and, since I saw thee,
The affliction of my mind amends, with which,

I fear, a madness held me: this must crave

An if this be at all-a most strange story.
Thy dukedom I resign, and do entreat

Thou pardon me my wrongs.-But how should Prospero
Be living and be here?

Pros.

First, noble friend,

Let me embrace thine age, whose honour cannot

Be measured or confined.

Gon.

Or be not, I'll not swear.

Pros.

Whether this be

You do yet taste

Some subtilties o' the isle, that will not let you

Believe things certain. Welcome, my friends all!

115

120

125

[Aside to Seb. and Ant.] But you, my brace of lords, were I

so minded,

I here could pluck his Highness' frown upon you,

And justify you traitors: at this time

I will tell no tales.

Seb. [Aside]
Pros.

The devil speaks in him.

No.

130

For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother
Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive
Thy rankest fault,-all of them; and require
My dukedom of thee, which perforce, I know,
Thou must restore.

thou be'st Capell.

he or no] Prospero Cartwright
conj. he Jervis conj.

112 trifle] diuell Collier MS.

rival

Bailey conj. model Id. conj. 119 my] thy Collier, ed. 2 (Collier MS.).

124 not] F3F4 nor F1F2.

126 [Aside to Seb. and Ant.] Johnson. 129 [Aside] Johnson.

Vo.] om. Hanmer. Now, Hudson (Allen conj.).

132 fault] faults F

Alon.

If thou be'st Prospero,

Give us particulars of thy preservation;
How thou hast met us here, who three hours since
Were wreck'd upon this shore; where I have lost-
How sharp the point of this remembrance is !—

My dear son Ferdinand.

Pros.

I am woe for't, sir.

Alon. Irreparable is the loss; and patience

Says it is past her cure.

You have not sought her help, of whose soft grace
For the like loss I have her sovereign aid,

And rest myself content.

Alon

You the like loss!

Pros. As great to me as late; and, supportable To make the dear loss, have I means much weaker Than you may call to comfort you, for I

O heavens, that they were living both in Naples,
The king and queen there! that they were, I wish
Myself were mudded in that oozy bed

135

140

145

150

Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter? Pros. In this last tempest. I perceive, these lords admire,

At this encounter do so much

That they devour their reason, and scarce think 155 Their eyes do offices of truth,

136 who] FF3F4 whom F1.
142 soft] sought Theobald conj.
145 late] late you Gould conj.
and,] sir, and Capell.
supportable] FF2. insupportable
FF portable Steevens (1793). re-
parable D. Wilson conj.
148 my] my only Hanmer.

their words

A daughter?] Only daughter? Hanmer. Daughter? Capell. Did you say a daughter? Cartwright conj. A daughter? I a son Nicholson conj. 155 devour] demure Gould conj. scarce] scare F2.

156 eyes] eies F1. eie F. eye F3F4their] these Capell.

Are natural breath: but, howsoe'er you have

Been justled from your senses, know for certain
That I am Prospero, and that very duke

Which was thrust forth of Milan; who most strangely 160
Upon this shore, where you were wreck'd, was landed,

To be the lord on't. No more yet of this;
For 'tis a chronicle of day by day,
Not a relation for a breakfast, nor

Befitting this first meeting. Welcome, sir;
This cell's my court: here have I few attendants,
And subjects none abroad: pray you, look in.
My dukedom since you have given me again,
I will requite you with as good a thing;
At least bring forth a wonder, to content ye
As much as me my dukedom.

Here Prospero discovers FERDINAND and MIRANDA playing at chess.

Mir. Sweet lord, you play me false.

Fer.

I would not for the world.

165

170

No, my dear'st love,

Mir. Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, And I would call it fair play.