Alon. Irreparable is the loss; and Patience
Says, it is past her cure.
Pro.

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?

Pro. As great to me, as late; and, portable 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?

wish

O heavens! that they were living both in Naples, The king and queen there! that they were, Myself were mudded in that oozy bed

Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?

Pro. In this last tempest. I perceive, these lords At this encounter do so much admire,

That they devour their reason; and scarce think
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,

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 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.

The entrance of the cell opens, and discovers FERDINAND and MIRANDA playing at chess.

Mira. Sweet lord, you play me false.

Fer.

I would not for the world.

No, my dearest love,

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

And I would call it fair play.

Alon.

A vision of the island, one dear son

Shall I twice lose.

Seb.

If this prove

A most high miracle!

Fer. Tho' the seas threaten, they are merciful; I have curs'd them without cause.

Alon.

[FERD. kneels to ALON.

Now all the blessings.

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

Mira.

O! wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in't!

Pro.

'Tis 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's mortal;
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 she
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 her's:

But O, how oddly will it sound, that I
Must ask my child forgiveness!

Pro.

There, sir, stop:

Let us not burden our remembrances
With a heaviness that's gone.

Gon.

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!

Alon.

I say, Amen, Gonzalo!

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

Alon.

Give me your hands:

[To FER. and MIR.

Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart,
That doth not wish you joy!

Gon.

Be't so! Amen!

Re-enter ARIEL, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly following.

O look, sir, look, sir; here are 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?

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 yare3, and bravely rigg'd, as when

We first put out to sea.

Ari.

Sir, all this service

Have I done since I went.

Pro.

My tricksy spirit!

[Aside.

Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen, From strange to stranger;- Say, how came you hi

ther?

Boats. If I did think, sir, I were well awake, I'd strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep, And (how, we know not,) all clapp'd under hatches, Where, but even now, with strange and several noises Of roaring, shrieking, howling, gingling chains, And more diversity of sounds, all horrible, We were awak'd; straitway, at liberty: Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld Our royal, good, and gallant ship; our master Cap'ring to eye her: On a trice, so please you, Even in a dream, were we divided from them, And were brought moping hither.

Ari.

Was't well done?

Pro. Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt [Aside.

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.

Pro.

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, And think of each thing well.—Come hither, spirit; [Aside.

Ready.

4 Clever, adroit.

5 Conductor.

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, bully-monster, 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

What things are these, my lord Antonio!
Will money buy them?

Ant.

Very like; one of them Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.

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

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

6 Honest.