rather chuse one amongst them to command the rest." Secondly (they have a manner of phrase whereby they call men but a moytie one of another.) "They had perceived there were men amongst us full gorged with all sortes of commodities, and others which, hunger-starved and bare with need and povertie, begged at their gates: and found it strange these moyties so needy could endure such an injustice, and that they tooke not the others by the throate, or set fire on their houses." I talked a good while with one of them, but I had so bad an interpreter, who did so ill apprehend my meaning, and who through his foolishnesse was SO troubled to conceive my imaginations, that I could draw no great matter from him. Touching that point, wherein I demanded of him what good he received by the superioritie he had amongst his countriemen (for he was a Captaine and our Marriners called him King), he told me it was to march foremost in any charge of warre: further, I asked him how many men did follow him, hee shewed me a distance of place, to signifie they were as many as might be contained in so much ground, which I guessed to be about 4 or 5 thousand men moreover, I demanded if when warres were ended, all his authoritie expired; he answered, that hee had only this left him, which was, that when he went on progresse, and visited the villages depending of him, the inhabitants prepared paths and highwaies athwart the hedges of their woods, for him to passe through at ease. All this is not verie ill; but what of that? They weare no kinde of breeches nor hosen. 183 THE INCHANTED ISLAND. THE following ballad, quoted by Mr. Collier in his "Further Particulars concerning Shakespeare and his Works," is, no doubt, later than the Tempest: IN Aragon there livde a king, Who had a daughter sweete as spring, He lovde his studie and his booke; The toyles of state he could not brooke, He left them to his Brother's care, Who soone usurpde the throne unware, And turnd his brother forth: The brother who usurpd the throne He turned his niece and brother forth To wander east, west, south, or north, All in the winter colde. Long time, he journeyd up and downe, The head all bare that wore a crowne, And Ida in his hand, Till that they reachd the broad sea side Where merchant ships at ankor ride From many a distant land. Imbarking, then, in one of these, Till at the last they shelter found, Geraldo and his daughter faire, The onelie two that landed there, Were savde by myracle; And, sooth to say, in dangerous houre He had some more than human powre, As seemes by what befell. He brought with him a magicke booke, That wrought him wonders great : The spirites of the earth and aire, But never thought to use. When landed on th' inchanted Isle, And thus within a caverne dreare His blacke lockes turnd all silver gray, But ever time he wore away To teach his child intent; |