Boatf. Lay her a-hold, a-hold; fet her two courses; off to fea again, lay her off. Enter Mariners wet. Mar. All loft! to prayers, to prayers! all lost! [Exeunt. Boats. What, muft our mouths be cold? Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let us affist them, For our cafe is as theirs. Seb. I am out of patience. Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards. This wide-chopp'd rafcal;-'Would, thou might'ft lie drowning, The washing of ten tides! Gon. He'll be hang'd yet ; Though every drop of water swear against it, And gape at wid'st to glut him. [A confufed noife within.] Mercy on us!-We fplit, we fplit!-Farewell, my wife and children!-Farewell, bro. ther!-We fplit, we fplit, we fplit! Ant. Let's all fink with the king. Seb. Let's take leave of him. [Exit. [Exit. Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of fea for an acre of barren ground; long heath, brown furze, any thing: The wills above be done! but I would fain die a dry death. [Exit. SCENE II. The Island: before the Cell of Profpero. Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mira. If by your art, my dearest father, you have But that the fea, mounting to the welkin's cheek, With thofe that I faw fuffer! a brave vessel, Have funk the fea within the earth, or e'er It should the good ship so have swallow'd, and Pro. Be collected! No more amazement: tell your piteous heart, Mira. Pro. O, woe the day! I have done nothing but in care of thee, No harm. (Of thee, my dear one! thee, my daughter!) who Art ignorant of what thou art, nought knowing Of whence I am; nor that I am more better Than Profpero, master of a full poor cell, Mira. More to know 'Tis time Did never meddle with my thoughts. Pro. I should inform thee further. Lend thy hand, And pluck my magick garment from me.-So; [Lays down his mantle. Lie there my art.-Wipe thou thine eyes; have comfort. The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd The very virtue of compassion in thee, I have with fuch provision in mine art So fafely order'd, that there is no foulNo, not fo much perdition as an hair, Betid to any creature in the vessel Which thou heard'st cry, which thou faw'ft fink. Sit down; For thou must now know further. Mira. You have often Begun to tell me what I am; but stopp'd Pro. The hour's now come; The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; Obey, and be attentive. Can'ft thou remember *I do not think thou can'ft; for then thou wast not Mira. Certainly, fir, I can. Pro. By what? by any other house, or perfon Of any thing the image tell me, that Hath kept with thy remembrance. 'Tis far off; Mira. Pro. Thou had'ft, and more, Miranda: But how is it, If thou remember'ft aught, ere thou cam'ft here, Mira. But that I do not. Pro. Twelve years fince, Miranda, twelve years fince, Thy father was the duke of Milan, and A prince of power. Mira. Sir, are not you my father? Pro. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She faid-thou waft my daughter; and thy father A princefs;-no worse issued. Mira. O the heavens ! What foul play had we, that we came from thence? Pro. Both, both, my girl : By foul play, as thou fay'ft, were we heav'd thence; Mira. O, my heart bleeds Without a parallel; thofe being all my study, And to my state grew ftranger, being transported, Mira. Sir, moft heedfully. Pro. Being once perfected how to grant fuits, How to deny them; whom to advance, and whom To trash for over-topping; new created The creatures that were mine; I fay, or chang'd them, Or elfe new form'd them: having both the key Of officer and office, fet all hearts To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was The ivy, which had hid my princely trunk, And fuck'd my verdure out on't.-Thou attend'ft not; I pray thee, mark me. Mira. O good fir, I do. Pro. I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicate Τα To closeness, and the bettering of my mind As my trust was; which had, indeed, no limit, But what my power might else exact,—like one, To credit his own lie,-he did believe Mira. Your tale, fir, would cure deafness. The dukedom, yet unbow'd, (alas, poor Milan!) Mira. O the heavens ! Pro. Mark his condition, and the event; then tell me, If this might be a brother. To think but nobly of my grandmother: |