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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.

Mir.

Was I then to you!
Pros.

Alack, what trouble

O, a cherubin

Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile,

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burthen groan'd; which raised in me

An undergoing stomach, to bear up

Against what should ensue.

Mir.

How came we ashore?

Pros. By Providence divine.
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 gentle

ness,

Knowing I loved my books, he furnish'd me
From mine own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

Mir.

But ever see that man!

Pros.

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Would I might

Now I arise: [Resumes his mantle.

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Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.

Here in this island we arrived; and here

Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit

Than other princesses can that have more time

For vainer hours and tutors not so careful.

SCENE TWO]

THE TEMPEST

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Mir. Heavens thank you for 't! And now, I

pray you, sir,

For still 't is beating in my mind, your reason

For raising this sea-storm?

Pros.

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
Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions:
Thou art inclined to sleep: 't is 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

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, to thy strong bidding task

Ariel and all his quality.

Pros.

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 flamed amazement: sometime I 'ld divide,
And burn in many places; on the topmast,

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The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, 200 Then meet and join. Jove's lightnings, the pre

cursors

O' the 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.

Pros.

My brave spirit!

Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil

Would not infect his reason?

Ari.

Not a soul

But felt a fever of the mad and play'd
Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners

Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the vessel,
Then all afire 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

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On their sustaining garments not a blemish,
But fresher than before: and, as thou badest me,

In troops I have dispersed 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.

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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' the fleet
Which I dispersed, they all have met again
And are upon the Mediterranean flote,

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Bound sadly home for Naples,

Supposing that they saw the king's ship wreck'd
And his great person perish.

Pros.

Ariel, thy charge
Exactly is perform'd: but there 's more work.
What is the time o' the day?
Ari.

Past the mid season.

Pros. 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 promised,

Which is not yet perform'd me.

Pros.

How now? moody?

My liberty.

What is 't thou canst demand?
Ari.

Pros. Before the time be out? no more!

Ari.

I prithee,

Remember I have done thee worthy service;

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Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, served Without or grudge or grumblings : thou didst promise

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Pros. 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' the earth

When it is baked with frost.

Ari.

I do not, sir.

Pros. 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?
Ari. No, sir.
Pros.

Ari.

Thou hast. Where was

born? speak; tell me.

Sir, in Argier.

she

Pros.
O, was she so? I must
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.

Pros. This blue-eyed hag was hither brought

with child

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And here was left by the sailors. Thou, my slave, 270

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