Mir.

Pros.

Mir.

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
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.

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.

131

Hear a little further And then I'll bring thee to the present business Which now's upon 's; without the which this story Were most impertinent.

Wherefore did they not

That hour destroy us?

Pros.

Well demanded, wench:

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst

not,

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,

140

Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,

Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the

very rats

Instinctively have quit it: there they hoist us,
To cry to the sea that roar'd to us, to sigh

To the winds whose pity, sighing back again, 150
Did us but loving wrong.

Mir.

Alack, what trouble

Was I then to you!

O, a cherubin

Thou didst smile,

Pros.

Mir.

Thou wast that did preserve me.

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burthen groan'd; which raised in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up

Against what should ensue.

How came we ashore ?

Some food we had and some fresh water that
A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

160

Mir.

Out of his charity, who being then appointed
Master of this design, did give us, with

Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries,
Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentle-

ness,

Knowing I loved my books, he furnish'd me

From mine own library with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom.

But ever see that man!

Would I might

170

Pros.
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, I pray you,

sir,

Pros.

Ari.

Pros.

Ari.

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

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 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.
Come away, servant, come. I am ready now.
Approach, my Ariel, come.

Enter Ariel.

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 curl'd clouds, to thy strong bidding task
Ariel and all his quality.

190

Hast thou, spirit,
Perform'd to point the tempest that I bade thee?
To every article.

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 pre-

cursors

O' the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary

201

Pros.

Ari.

Pros.

Ari.

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,
Yea, his dread trident shake.

Who was so firm, so constant,
Would not infect his reason?

My brave spirit! that this coil

Not a soul
But felt a fever of the mad and play'd
Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners 210
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 leap'd; cried, "Hell is

empty,

And all the devils are here."

Why, that's my spirit!

But was not this nigh shore?

Pros. But are they, Ariel, safe?

Ari.

Pros.

Ari.

Close by, my master.

Not a hair perish'd;

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,
But fresher than before: and, as thou badest me,
In troops I have dispersed them 'bout the isle. 220
The king's son have I landed by himself;

Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs

In an odd angle of the isle and sitting,
His arms in this sad knot.

Of the king's ship,

The mariners, say how thou hast disposed
And all the rest o' the fleet.

Safely in harbour
Is the king's ship; in the deep nook, where once

Pros.

Ari.

Thou call'dst me up at midnight to fetch dew
From the still-vex'd Bermoothes, there she's hid:
The mariners all under hatches stow'd:
230
Who, with a charm join'd to their suffer'd labour,
I have left asleep and for the rest o' the fleet
Which I dispersed, they all have met again
And are upon the Mediterranean flote,
Bound sadly home for Naples,

:

Supposing that they saw the king's ship wreck'd
And his great person perish.

Ariel, thy charge
Exactly is perform'd: but there's more work.
What is the time o' the day?

Past the mid season. Pros. At least two glasses. The time 'twixt six and

now

240

Must by us both be spent most preciously. Ari. Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me

Pros.

pains,

Let me remember thee what thou hast promised,
Which is not yet perform'd me.

What is 't thou canst demand?

How now? moody?

Ari.
Pros. Before the time be out? no more!
Ari.

My liberty.

Pros.

I prithee,
Remember I have done thee worthy service;
Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, served
Without or grudge or grumblings: thou didst
promise

To bate me a full year.

From what a torment I did free thee?