SCENE I. On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and Mast. lightning heard. Enter a Ship-Master and a Boatswain. Boatswain! Boats. Here, master: what cheer? Mast. Good, speak to the mariners: fall to 't, yarely, or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. Enter Mariners. [Exit. Boats. Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to the master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough! Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, Gonzalo, and others. Alon. Good boatswain, have care. Play the men. Boats. I pray now, keep below. Where's the master? Ant. Where is the master, boatswain? B Boats. Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. Gon. Nay, good, be patient. Boats. When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not. Gon. Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard. 18 Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a counsellor; if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more; use your authority: if you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap. good hearts! Out of our way, I say. Cheerly, [Exit. Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage. If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable. [Exeunt. Re-enter Boatswain. 1 Boats. Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring her to try with main-course. [A cry within.] A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather or our office. Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO. Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er and drown? Have you a mind to sink? Seb. A plague o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog! Boats. Work you then. 40 Ant. Hang, cur! hang, you insolent noisemaker! We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art. Gon. I'll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell. Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses; off to sea again! lay her off. Enter Mariners wet. Mariners. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost! Boats. What, must our mouths be cold? Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let's assist them, For our case is as theirs. Seb. I'm out of patience. 50 Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards: This wide-chapp'd rascal-would thou mightst lie drowning The washing of ten tides! Gon. He'll be hang'd yet, Though every drop of water swear against it And gape at widest to glut him. [A confused noise within:- Mercy on us!"We split, we split!'-' Farewell my wife and children!''Farewell, brother!'-'We split, we split, we split!'] Ant. Let's all sink with the king. 58 Seb. Let's take leave of him. [Exeunt Ant. and Seb. Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground, ling, heath, broom, furze, any thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain die a dry death. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The island. Before PROSPERO's cell. Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mir. If by your art, my dearest father, you have Had I been any god of power, I would Have sunk the sea within the earth, or ere It should the good ship so have swallow'd, and Pros. Be collected: No more amazement: tell your piteous heart Mir. Pros. O, woe the day! No harm. I have done nothing but in care of thee, Mir. More to know 'Tis time Did never meddle with my thoughts. Pros. I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand, So: ΙΟ 20 [Lays down his mantle. Lie there, my art. Wipe thou thine eyes; have comfort. The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd The very virtue of compassion in thee, I have with such provision in mine art So safely ordered that there is no soul- 30 Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink. Sit down; For thou must now know farther. Mir. You have often Begun to tell me what I am, but stopp'd And left me to a bootless inquisition, The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; A time before we came unto this cell? I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not Out three years old. Mir. Certainly, sir, I can. Pros. By what? by any other house or person? Of any thing the image tell me that Hath kept with thy remembrance. Mir. But how is it Pros. Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. If thou remember'st aught ere thou camest here, Mir. But that I do not. Pros. Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since, Thy father was the Duke of Milan and A prince of power. Mir. Sir, are not you my father? Pros. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan; and his only heir A princess, no worse issued. O the heavens ! Mir. Pros. Both, both, my girl: By foul play, as thou say'st, were we heaved thence, Mir. O, my heart bleeds To think o' the teen that I have turn'd you to, Which is from my remembrance! Please you, farther. Pros. My brother and thy uncle, call'd AntonioI pray thee, mark me-that a brother should 40 50 60 |