ALON.

You the like loss!

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

Than you may
Have lost my daughter.

ALON.

A daughter?

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

Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?
PROS. In this last tempest. I perceive, these lords
At this encounter do so much admire

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

G

MIR. Sweet lord, you play me false.

FER.

I would not for the world.

No, my dear'st love,

MIR. Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should

wrangle,

And I would call it fair play.

ALON.

If this prove

A vision of the Island, one dear son

Shall I twice lose.

SEB.

A most high miracle !

FER. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful; I have cursed them without cause.

ALON.

[Kneels.

Now all the blessings

Of a glad father compass thee about!

Arise, and say how thou camest here.

MIR. O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in 't!

PROS.

'Tis new to thee.

ALON. What is this maid with whom thou wast

at play?

Your eld'st acquaintance cannot be three hours: Is she the goddess that hath sever❜d us,

And brought us thus together?

FER. Sir, she is mortal; But by immortal Providence she's mine: I chose her when I could not ask my father For his advice, nor thought I had one. She Is daughter to this famous Duke of Milan,

Of whom so often I have heard renown,
But never saw before; of whom I have
Received a second life; and second father
This lady makes him to me.

ALON.

I am hers:

But, O, how oddly will it sound that I

Must ask my child forgiveness!

PROS.

There, sir, stop:

Let us not burthen our remembrance with

A heaviness that's gone.

GON.

I have inly wept,

Look down, you

Or should have spoke ere this.

gods,

And on this couple drop a blessed crown!
For it is you that have chalk'd forth the way
Which brought us hither.

ALON.

I say, Amen, Gonzalo !

GON. Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue
Should become kings of Naples? O, rejoice
Beyond a common joy, and set it down
With gold on lasting pillars: In one voyage
Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis

And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife
Where he himself was lost, Prospero his dukedom
In a poor isle and all of us ourselves

When no man was his own.

ALON. [TO FER. and MIR.] Give me your hands: Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart,

That doth not wish you joy!

GON.

Be it so! Amen!

Re-enter ARIEL, with the MASTER and BOATSWAIN amazedly following.

O, look, sir, look, sir! here is more of us :

I prophesied, if a gallows were on land,
This fellow could not drown. Now, blasphemy,
That swear'st grace o'erboard, not an oath on shore?
Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?

BOATS. The best news is, that we have safely found
Our king and company; the next, our ship—
Which, but three glasses since, we gave out split,—
Is tight and yare and bravely rigg'd as when
We first put out to sea.

ARI. [Aside to PROS.] Sir, all this service
Have I done since I went.

PROS. [Aside to ARI.] My tricksy spirit!
ALON. These are not natural events; they

strengthen

From strange to stranger. Say, how came you hither?
BOATS. If I did think, sir, I were well awake,
I'ld strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,
And how we know not-all clapp'd under hatches;
Where but even now with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awaked; straightway, at liberty;
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good and gallant ship, our master
Capering to eye her: on a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them
And were brought moping hither.

ARI.

[Aside to PROS.] Was 't well done?

PROS. [Aside to ARI.] Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free.

ALON. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; And there is in this business more than nature Was ever conduct of: some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

PROS.

Sir, my liege,

Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business; at pick'd leisure
Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you,
Which to you shall seem probable, of every
These happen'd accidents; till when, be cheerful
And think of each thing well.

Come hither, spirit:

[Aside to ARI.]

Set Caliban and his companions free;

Untie the spell. [Exit ARIEL.] How fares my gracious sir?

There are yet missing of your company

Some few odd lads that you remember not.
Re-enter ARIEL, driving in CALIBAN, STEPHANO and
TRINCULO, in their stolen apparel.

STE. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man take care for himself; for all is but fortune. Coragio, bully-monster, coragio!

TRIN. If these be true spies which I wear in my head, here's a goodly sight.

CAL. O Setebos, these be brave spirits indeed! How fine my master is! I am afraid

He will chastise me.