Mine eyes, even sociable to the show of thine,
Fall fellowly drops. The charm dissolves apace;
And as the morning steals upon the night,
Melting the darkness, so their rising senses
Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle
Their clearer reason. O good Gonzalo,
My true preserver, and a loyal sir
To him thou follow'st ! I will pay thy graces
Home both in word and deed. Most cruelly
Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter:
Thy brother was a furtherer in the act. [blood,
Thou art pinched for 't now, Sebastian. Flesh and
You, brother mine, that entertained ambition,
Expelled remorse and nature; who, with Sebastian,—
Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong,
Would here have killed your king; I do forgive thee,
Unnatural though thou art. Their understanding
Begins to swell; and the approaching tide
Will shortly fill the reasonable shore,

That now lies foul and muddy. Not one of them
That yet looks on me, or would know me: Ariel,
Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell:

I will discase me and myself present
As I was sometime Milan: quickly, spirit;
Thou shalt ere long be free.

ARIEL sings and helps to attire him.

Where the bee sucks, there suck I:

In a cowslip's bell I lie;

There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat's back I do fly

After summer merrily.

Merrily, merrily, shall I live now

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

Pros. Why, that's my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee;

But yet thou shalt have freedom: so, so, so.

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To the king's ship, invisible as thou art:
There shalt thou find the mariners asleep

Under the hatches; the master and the boatswain
Being awake, enforce them to this place,
And presently, I prithee.

Ari. I drink the air before me, and return
Or ere your pulse twice beat.

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[Exit.

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Gon. All torment, trouble, wonder and amazement Inhabits here: some heavenly power guide us

Out of this fearful country!

Pros.

Behold, sir king,
The wrongèd Duke of Milan, Prospero:

For more assurance that a living prince
Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body;
And to thee and thy company I bid

A hearty welcome.

Alon.

Whether thou be'st he or no,

Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me,
As late I have been, I not know: thy pulse

Beats, as of flesh and blood; and, since I saw thee,
The affliction of my mind amends, with which,
I fear, a madness held me: this must crave—
An if this be at all-a most strange story.
Thy dukedom I resign and do entreat

[spero

Thou pardon me my wrongs. But how should Pro-
Be living and be here?

Pros.

First, noble friend,

Let me embrace thine age, whose honour cannot
Be measured or confined.

Gon.

Or be not, I'll not swear.

Pros.

Whether this be

You do yet taste

Some subtilties o' the isle, that will not let you

Believe things certain. Welcome, my friends all!
[Aside to Seb. and Ant.] But you, my brace of lords,
were I so minded,

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I here could pluck his Highness' frown upon you,
And justify you traitors: at this time

I'll tell no tales.

Seb. [Aside]
Pros.

The devil speaks in him.

No.

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For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother
Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive
Thy rankest fault,—all of them; and require
My dukedom of thee, which perforce, I know
Thou must restore.

If thou be'st Prospero,

Alon.
Give us particulars of thy preservation;
How thou hast met us here, who three hours since
Were wrecked upon this shore; where I have lost-
How sharp the point of this remembrance is !——
My dear son Ferdinand.

Pros.

I'm woe for't, sir.

Alon. Irreparable is the loss; and patience

Says it is past her cure.

Pros.

I rather think

You have not sought her help, of whose soft grace
For the like loss I have her sovereign aid,

And rest myself content.

You the like loss!

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

Have lost my 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

F

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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 160 Upon this shore, where you were wrecked, 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've 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.

Mir. Sweet lord, you play me false.

Fer.

I would not for the world.

No, my dear'st love,

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A most high miracle!

Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful; I've cursed them without cause.

Alon.

[Kneels.

Now all the blessings

Of a glad father compass thee about!
Arise, and say how thou cam'st here.

Mir.

O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

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That has such people in 't!

Pros.

'Tis new to thee. [play?

Alon. What is this maid with whom thou wast at 185 'Your eld'st acquaintance cannot be three hours:

Is she the goddess that hath severed us,

And brought us thus together?

Fer.

Sir, she is mortal;

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She

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.
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've inly wept,

Or should have spoke ere this. Look down, you gods,
And on this couple drop a blessèd crown!

For it is you that have chalked forth the way
Which brought us hither.

Alon.

I say Amen, Gonzalo !

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Gon. Was Milan thrust from Milan that his issue 205 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.

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