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Pro.

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 prepared
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,

Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us,
To cry to th' sea that roar'd to us, to sigh
To th' winds, whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mira.

Was I then to you!

Pro.

Alack! what trouble

O a cherubin

Thou didst smile,

Thou wast, that did preserve me.

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

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.

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.

ness,

So, of his gentle

Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me,
From mine own library, with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom.

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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 princes can, that have more time
For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.
Mira. Heavens thank you for 't!

pray you, sir,

And now,

(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 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

I

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 am ready now:
Approach, my Ariel: come!

Enter ARIEL.

Ariel. 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: to thy strong bidding task Ariel, and all his quality.

Pro.

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. Sometimes, 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' th' dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary
And sight-outrunning were not: the fire, and cracks
Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune
Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,
Yea, his dread trident shake.

Pro.
My brave spirit'
Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil

Would not infect his reason?

Not a soul

Ari.
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."

Pro.

But was not this nigh shore?

Why, that's my spirit!

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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.

Pro.

Of the King's ship

The mariners, say, how thou hast dispos'd,
And all the rest o' th' 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 all under hatches stow'd;

Who, with a charm join'd to their suffer'd labour,
I have left asleep and for the rest o' th' 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 wrack'd,

And his great person perish.

Pro.

Ariel, thy charge

Exactly is perform'd; but there's more work.
What is the time o' th' day?

Ari.

Pro.

Past the mid season.

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.

Pro.

What is 't thou canst demand?

Ari.

How now! moody?

My liberty.

I pr❜ythee

Pro. Before the time be out? no more. Ari. Remember, I have done thee worthy service; Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, serv'd

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Pro.

Thou dost; and think'st it much, to tread the ooze

Of the salt deep,

To run upon the sharp wind of the north,
To do me business in the veins o' th' earth,
When it is bak'd with frost.

Ari.

I do not, sir.

Pro. Thou liest, malignant thing! Hast thou

forgot

The foul witch Sycorax, who, with age and envy, Was grown into a hoop? hast thou forgot her?

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Once in a month, recount what thou hast been, Which thou forget'st. This damn'd witch, Sycorax, For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries terrible

To enter human hearing, from Argier,

Thou know'st, was banish'd: for one thing she did, They would not take her life. Is not this true? Ari. Ay, sir.

Pro. This blue-ey'd hag was hither brought with child,

And here was left by th' sailors. Thou, my slave
As thou report'st thyself, wast then her servant:
And, for thou wast a spirit too delicate
To act her earthy and abhorr'd commands,

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