.

85 And left me to a bootless inquisition, Concluding, Stay: not yet.

Pro. The hour's now come; The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; Obey, and be attentive. Canst thou remember

A time before we came unto this cell?
40 I do not think thou canst; for then thou wast not
Out three years old.

Mir. Certainly, Sir, I can.
Pro. By what? by any other house, or person?
Of any thing the image tell me that
Hath kept with thy remembrance.

Mir. 'Tis far off 45 And rather like a dream than an assurance

That my remembrance warrants. Had I not
Four or five women once, that tended me?

Pro. Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it, That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else 50 In the dark backward and abysm of time?

If thou remember'st aught ere thou cam’st here,
How thou cam'st here thou mayst.

Mir. But that I do not.
Pro. Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since,
Thy father was the Duke of Milan and
55 A prince of power.

Mir. Sir, are not you my father? Pro. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan; thou his only heir, And princess; no worse issued.

Mir. O, the heavens! 60 What foul play had we, that we came from thence ? Or blessed was 't we did ?

Pro. Both, both, my girl:

53

By foul play, as thou say'st, were we heav'd thence, But blessedly holp hither.

Mir. O, my heart bleeds To think o' the teen that I have turn'd you to, 65 Which is from my remembrance! Please you, farther.

Pro. My brother, and thy uncle, call’d Antonio, –
I pray thee, mark me,- that a brother should
Be so perfidious!-he whom, next thyself,

Of all the world I lov’d, and to him put
70 The manage of my state; as, at that time,

Through all the signiories it was the first,
And Prospero the prime duke; being so reputed
In dignity, and, for the liberal arts,

Without a parallel; those being all my study, 75 The government I cast upon my brother,

And to my state grew stranger, being transported
And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle-
Dost thou attend me?

Mir. Sir, most heedfully. Pro. Being once perfected how to grant suits, 80 How to deny them, who to advance, and who

To trash for over-topping, new-created
The creatures that were mine; I say, or changed 'em
Or else new-form’d 'em: having both the key

Of officer and office, set all hearts i' the state 85 To what tune pleas’d his ear; that now he was

The ivy, which had hid my princely trunk,
And suck'd my verdure out on't. — Thou attend'st not.
Mir. O, good Sir, I do.

Pro. I pray thee, mark me.. I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicate 90 To closeness and the bettering of my mind

With that which, but by being so retired,

77

81

rapt F, wrapt many Edd. 80 who (in both places) F, whom F2 and most Edd.

plash Hanmer cj. 84 The words i' the state should, perhaps, be omitted. O yes Capell cj. 89 dedicate Ritson cj., dedicated F.

88

O'erpriz'd all popular rate, in my false brother
Awak’d an evil nature: and my trust,

Like a good parent, did beget of him 95 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, 100 Who having, unto truth, by telling of it,

Made such a sinner of his memory,
To credit his own lie,—he did believe
He was the duke; out o' the substitution,

And executing the outward face of royalty 105 With all prerogative; hence his ambition Growing, -dost hear?

Mir. 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
110 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
115 The dukedom, yet unbow'd (alas, poor Milan!)
To most ignoble stooping.

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

Mir. I should sin To think but nobly of my grandmother: 120 Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Pro. Now the condition.

100 into F., corr. by Warburton. We should probably follow Hanmer in reading who, loving an untruth.

103 indeed the duke F, indeed om. Steevens. sq. Ambition growing Do'st thou heare F, corr. by Steevens, 112 with King F, corr. by Capell.

105

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, 125 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
130 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,

Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint 135 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's; without the which, this story
Were most impertinent.

Mir. Wherefore did they not
That hour destroy us?

Pro. Well demanded, wench; 140 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,
145 Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared

A rotten carcass of a butt 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
150 To the winds whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.
129 Mated Dryden.

a-boord F. 146 Butt F (see H. von Friesen, Shakspere-Studien, III. p. 536), boat Dryden. 148 have F, had Dryden,

144

Mir. Alack! what trouble Was I then to you!

Pro. O! a cherubin Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst smile,

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,
155 When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,

Under my burthen groan'd; which rais’d in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up
Against what should ensue.

Mir. How came we ashore? Pro. By providence divine. 160 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, 165 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. Would I might
But ever see that man!

Pro. Now I arise.

[Resumes his mantle. 170 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 vainer 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), your reason For raising this sea-storm?

Pro. Know thus far forth. By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune (Now my dear lady) hath mine enemies

175

156 burthen F, not burden. 162 he being Steevens cj. 165 steeded F. 173 Princesse F, princess' Dyce, princes Rowe.