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

Mir.

O, my heart bleeds

To think o' the teen that I have turned you to,

Which is from my remembrance! Please you, farther. 65
Pros. My brother, and thy uncle, called Antonio,-

I pray thee, mark me,-that a brother should
Be so perfidious !-he whom, next thyself,
Of all the world I loved, and to him put
The manage of my state; as, at that time,
Through all the signories it was the first,

And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed
In dignity, and for the liberal arts

70

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

75

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

Mir.

Sir, most heedfully.

Pros. Being once perfected how to grant suits,
How to deny them, whom to advance, and whom
To trash for over-topping, new created

The creatures that were mine, I say, or changed 'em,
Or else new formed 'em; having both the key
Of officer and office, set all hearts i' the state
To what tune pleased his ear; that now he was
The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,
And sucked my verdure out on't. Thou attend'st not.
Mir. O, good sir, I do.

Pros.
I pray thee, mark me.
I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicate
To closeness and the bettering of my mind
With that which, but by being so retired,
O'er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother
Awaked an evil nature; and my trust,
Like a good parent, did beget of him

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85

90

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 revènue yielded

But what my power might else exact, like one
Who having unto truth, by telling oft,
Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie, he did believe

He was indeed the duke, out o' the substitution,
And executing the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative:-hence his ambition.
Growing, dost thou hear?

Mir.

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.
Pros. To have no screen between this part he played
And him he played it for, he needs will be
Absolute Milan. For me, poor man, my library
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
The dukedom, yet unbowed,-alas, poor Milan!
To most ignoble stooping.

Mir.

O the heavens !

Pros. Mark his condition, and th'event; then tell me

If this might be a brother.

Mir.

I should sin

To think but nobly of my grandmother :
Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Pros.

95

100

105

110

115

Now the condition. 120

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,
Should presently extirpate me and mine
Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan,

125

With all the honours, on my brother: whereon,

A treacherous army levied, one midnight

Fated to the purpose, did Antonio open

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

That wrings mine eyes to 't.

Pros.

And then I'll bring thee to the present business

Which now's upon us;
Were most impertinent.

Mir.

That hour destroy us?

Pros.

130

Hear a little further,

135

without the which, this story

Wherefore did they not

Well demanded, wench:

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, 140
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 rigged,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively had quit it: there they hoist us,
To cry to the sea that roared 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

Thou wast that did preserve me.

145

150

O, a cherubin

Thou didst smile,

155

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have decked the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burthen groaned; 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,

160

Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness, 165 Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me

From mine own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

Mir.

But ever see that man!

Pros.

Would I might

Now I arise: [Resumes his mantle.

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

you, sir,

For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reason
For raising this sea-storm?

Pros.

I

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

170

pray

175

180

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; 'tis a good dulness,
And give it way: I know thou canst not choose.

[Miranda sleeps.

185

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

Pros.

Hast thou, spirit,

Performed to point the tempest that I bade thee?
Ari. To every article.

190

195

200

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,
The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,
Then meet and join. Jove's lightnings, the precursors
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, 205
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 played
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 leaped; cried, "Hell is empty,
And all the devils are here."

Pros.

210

Why, that's my spirit! 215