PROVE

[Aside to Seb. and Ant. But you, my brace of lords, were 1

so minded,

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

I will tell no tales.

Seb.

Pros.

[Aside] The devil speaks in him.

No.-cunt- shures

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.

Alon.

If thou be'st Prospero,

Give us particulars of thy preservation;

How thou hast met us here, who three hours since
Were wreck'd upon this shore; where I have lost-

How sharp the point of this remembrance is!

My dear son Ferdinand.

Pros.

know 130

I am woe

for't, sir. sorry

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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.

Alon.

You the like loss!

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.

Alon.

A 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

Ayerse to 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
Upon this shore, where you were wreck'd, was landed,

rap To be the lord on't. No more yet of this;

Vruthfully

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For 't is 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 have 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.

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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,

Mir. Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle,

And I would call it fair play.

Alon.

If this prove

A vision of the Island, one dear son

Shall I twice lose.

Seb.

A most high miracle!

Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful;

I have cursed them without cause.
Alon.

[Kneels.

Now all the blessings

Of a glad father compass thee about!
Arise, and say how thou camest here.
Mir.

O, wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

That has such people in 't!

Pros.

'T is new to thee.

Alon. What is this maid with whom thou wast at play?

Your eld'st acquaintance cannot be three hours:

Is she the goddess that hath sever'd us,

And brought us thus together?

Fer.

Sir, she is mortal;

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.

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But, O, how oddly will it sound that I

Must ask my child forgiveness!

Pros.

Let us not burthen our remembrance with

A heaviness that's gone.

Gon.

There, sir, stop:

I have inly wept,

Or should have spoke ere this. Look down, you gods,

And on this couple drop a blessed crown!

For it is you that have chalk'd forth the way

Which brought us hither.

Gon. Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue

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Alon.

I say, Amen, Gonzalo!

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

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Where he himself was lost, Prospero his dukedom
In a poor isle, and all of us ourselves

When no man was his own.

Alon. [To Fer. and Mir.] Give me your hands: Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart

That doth not wish you joy!

Gon.

Be it so! Amen!

Re-enter ARIEL, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly

following.

O, look, sir, look, sir! here is more of us:
I prophesied, if a gallows were on land,

This fellow could not drown. Now, blasphemy,
That swear'st grace o'erboard, not an oath on shore?
Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?

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Boats. The best news is, that we have safely found

Our king and company; the next, our ship-
Which, but three glasses since, we gave out split-
Is tight and yare and bravely rigg'd as when

We first put out to sea.

Ari. [Aside to Pros.] Sir, all this service Have I done since I went.

Pros. [Aside to Ari.] My tricksy spirit!
Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen
From strange to stranger. Say, how came you hither?

Boats. If I did think, sir, I were well awake, I 'ld strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,

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And-how we know not-all clapp'd under hatches;

Where but even now with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
And moe diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awaked; straightway, at liberty;
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good and gallant ship, our master
Capering to eye her: on a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them
And were brought moping hither.

Ari.

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[Aside to Pros.] Was 't well done? Pros. [Aside to Ari.] Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt

be free.

Alon. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod;

And there is in this business more than nature

Was ever conduct of: some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

Pros.

Sir, my liege,

Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business; at pick'd leisure
Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you,
Which to you shall seem probable, of every

These happen'd accidents; till when, be cheerful

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And think of each thing well. [Aside to Ari.] Come hither,

spirit:

Set Caliban and his companions free;

Untie the spell. [Exit Ariel.] How fares my gracious sir? There are yet missing of your company

Some few odd lads that you remember not.

Re-enter ARIEL, driving in CALIBAN, STEPHANO and
TRINCULO, in their stolen apparel.

Ste. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man take care for himself; for all is but fortune. Coragio, bullymonster, coragio!

Trin. If these be true spies which I wear in my head,

here's a goodly sight.

Cal. O Setebos, these be brave spirits indeed!

How fine my master is! I am afraid

He will chastise me.

Seb.

Ha, ha!

What things are these, my lord Antonio?

Will money buy 'em?

Ant.

Very like; one of them

Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.

Pros. Mark but the badges of these men, my lords,

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Then say if they be true. This mis-shapen knave,
His mother was a witch, and one so strong
That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs,
And deal in her command without her power.
These three have robb'd me; and this demi-devil-
For he's a bastard one-had plotted with them
To take my life. Two of these fellows you
Must know and own; this thing of darkness I
Acknowledge mine.

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Cal.

I shall be pinch'd to death.

Alon. Is not this Stephano, my drunken butler?
Seb. He is drunk now: where had he wine?

Alon. And Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they

Find this grand liquor that hath gilded 'em?

How camest thou in this pickle?

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Trin. I have been in such a pickle since I saw you last that, I fear me, will never out of my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.

Seb. Why, how now, Stephano!

Ste. O, touch me not; I am not Stephano, but a cramp.

Pros. You'ld be king o' the isle, sirrah?

Ste. I should have been a sore one then.

Alon. This is a strange thing as e'er I look'd on.

[Pointing to Caliban.

Pros. He is as disproportion'd in his manners

As in his shape. Go, sirrah, to my cell;
Take with you your companions; as you look
To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.

Cal. Ay, that I will; and I'll be wise hereafter

And seek for grace. What a thrice-double ass
Was I, to take this drunkard for a god

And worship this dull fool!

Pros.

Go to; away!

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Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage where you found it. Seb. Or stole it, rather. [Exeunt Cal., Ste., ana Trin.

Pros. Sir, I invite your highness and your train

To my poor cell, where you shall take your rest
For this one night; which, part of it, I'll waste
With such discourse as, I not doubt, shall make it
Go quick away; the story of my life

And the particular accidents gone by
Since I came to this isle: and in the morn
I'll bring you to your ship and so to Naples,
Where I have hope to see the nuptial
Of these our dear-beloved solemnized;

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