I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicate 1o
To closeness, and the bettering of my mind
With that, which, but by being so retir'd,
O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my false brother
Awak'd an evil nature and my trust,
Like a good parent 13, 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, unto truth 14, 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 of the substitution,
And executing the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative :-Hence his ambition
Growing, Dost thou hear?

Mira.

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness. Pro. 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;

12 The old copy has, dedicated.

13 Alluding to the observation that a father above the common rate of men has generally a son below it. Heroum filii noxæ.

41 Unto truth. The old copy reads into truth. The correction is by Warburton. The meaning is, 'Who having made his memory such a sinner to truth as to credit his own lie.' Shadwell, in his preface to the Sullen Lovers, has the following passage which may serve to show that the idea was familiar at least to him. "I freely confess my theft, and am asham'd on't, tho' I have the example of some that never wrote a play without stealing most of it, and (like men that Lye so long, till they believe themselves,) at length by continual thieving reckon their stolen goods their own too."

Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend
The dukedom, yet unbow'd, (alas, poor Milan!)
To much ignoble stooping.

Mira.

O the heavens !

Pro. Mark his condition, and the event; then tell me, If this might be a brother.

I should sin

Mira.
To think but 15 nobly of my grandmother:
Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Pro.

Now the condition.

This king of Naples, being an enemy

To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;
Which was, that he in lieu 16 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 mid-night
Fated to the purpose, 17 did Antonio open

The gates of Milan; and, i̇' the dead of darkness,
The ministers for the purpose hurried thence

15 But is here used in its exceptive sense of be out, i. e. otherwise than. Tooke, in his Diversions of Purley, has clearly shown that we use one word, But, in modern English, for two words Bot and Būt, originally (in the Anglo Saxon) very different in signification, though (by repeated abbreviation and corruption) approaching in sound. Bot is the imperative of the A. S. Botan to boot. But is the imperative of the A. S. Be-utan, to be out. By this means all the seemingly anomalous uses of But may be explained; I must however content myself with referring the reader to the Diversions of Purley, vol. i. p. 190. Merely remarking that BUT (as distinguished from Bot) and BE-OUT have exactly the same meaning, viz. in modern English, except.

16 In lieu of the premises; that is, " in consideration of the premises,&c." This seems to us a strange use of this French word, yet it was not then unusual.

"But takes their oaths in lieu of her assistance."

Beaumont and Fletcher's Prophetess.

17 The corrector of Mr. Collier's folio substitutes practice.

Me, and thy crying self.

Mira.

Alack, for pity!

I, not remembʼring how I cried out then,

Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint 18,

That wrings mine eyes to't.

Pro.

Hear a little further,

And then I'll bring thee to the present business

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

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 boat19, not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively have quit 20 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.

Mira.

Was I then to you!

Pro.

Alack! what trouble

O! a cherubim

Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst smile, Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

18 Hint is here for cause or subject suggesting. Thus in a future passage we have:-" Our hint of woe.'

19 The old editions read-butt. Rowe made the necessary correction. To think of the CARCASS of a BUTT not RIGG'D, without tackle, sail, or mast, is surely absurd. Yet the two last Editors have restored it! Whoever looks at the whole context with attention must see the necessity of reading boat.

20 Quit was commonly used for quitted,

When I have deck'd 21 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.

Mira.

Pro. By Providence divine,

How came we ashore?

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.

Mira.

But ever see that man!

'Would I might

Pro. [Puts on his robe] Now I arise :-
Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arriv'd; and here
Have I, thy school-master, made thee more profit
Than other princes can, that have more time
For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.
Mira. Heavens thank you for't! And now, I
you, sir,

(For still 'tis beating in my mind,) your reason
For raising this sea-storm?

Pro.

pray

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,

21 To deck, or deg, is still used in the northern counties for to sprinkle. a The old copy has princesse.

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

To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

On the curl'd clouds 22: to thy strong bidding, task Ariel, and all his quality 23.

Pro.

Hast thou, spirit, Perform'd to point 24 the tempest that I bade thee? Ari. To every article.

I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak 25.
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,
I flam'd amazement: Sometimes, I'd divide,

22 This

imitated in Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdess:

66

tell me, sweetest,

What new service now is meetest

For the satyre; shall I stray

In the middle air, and stay

The sailing racke, or nimbly take

Hold by the moon, and gently make
Suit to the pale queen of night,
For a beame to give thee light?
Shall I dive into the sea,

And bring thee coral, making way
Through the rising waves, &c."

23 Ariel's quality is not his confederates, but the powers of his nature as a spirit, his qualification in sprighting.

24 i. c. to the minutest article, literally from the French à point, so in the Chances,

66

are you all fit?

To point, Sir."

25 The beak was a strong pointed body at the head of ancient galleys, it is used here for the forecastle or boltsprit. The waist is the part between the quarter-deck and the forecastle.