Pro. To have no screen between this part he play'd And him he play'd it for, he needs will be Absolute Milan: Me, poor man !—my library Was dukedom large enough; of temporal royalties He thinks me now incapable: confederates,

So dry he was for sway, with the king of Naples 200
To give him annual tribute, do him homage ;
Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend

The dukedom, yet unbow'd (alas, poor Milan!)
To most ignoble stooping.

Mira. O the heavens

Pro. Mark his condition, and the event; then tell

To think but nobly of my grandmother : "Good wombs have borne bad sons."

: Pro. Now the condition.

This king of Naples, being an enemy

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 levy'd, one midnight
Fated to the purpose, did Anthonio open.
The gates of Milan; and, i'the dead of darkness,
The ministers for the purpose hurried thence

Me, and thy crying self.

B

210

220

Mira.

Mira. Alack, for pity !

I, not remembering how I cry'd out then,

Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint,

That wrings mine eyes to't.

Pro. Hear a little further,

And then I'll bring thee to the present business

Which now's upon us without the which, this story

Were most impertinent.

Mira. Wherefore did they not

That hour destroy us?

Pro. Well demanded, wench;

231

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not z (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 ;
Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepar'd
A rotten carcase of a boat, not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively had 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,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mira. Alack! what trouble

Was I then to you!

241

Pro. O a cherubim

Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst smile, Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

251

When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt;
Under my burden groan'd; which rais'd in me

An

An undergoing stomach to bear up
Against what should ensue.

Mira. How came we ashore ?

Pro. By Providence divine.

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

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

ness,

260

so, of his gentle.

Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me,
From my own library, with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom.

Mira. Would I might

But ever see that man!

Pro. Now, I arise :

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arriv'd; and here

270

Have I, thy school-master, made thee more profit Than other princes can, that have more time

For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

Mira. Heavens thank you for't!-And now, I pray you, sir,

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

Pro. 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

Bij

280

I find

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 inclin'd 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.

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.

Pro. Hast thou, spirit,

Perform'd to point the tempest that I bad thee?
Ari. To every article,

290

300

I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak,
Now in the waste, the deck, in every cabin,
I flam'd amazement: Sometimes, I'd divide,
And burn in many places; on the top-mast,
The yards, and bolt-sprit, would I flame distinctly,
Then meet, and join: Jove's lightnings, the precursors
O' the dreadful thunder-clap, more momentary
And sight-out-running were not; the fire, and cracks
Of sulphurous roaring, the most mighty Neptune

Seem'd

Seem'd to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,

Yea, his dread trident shake.

Pro. My brave spirit !

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

Ari. Not a soul

But felt a fever of the mad, and play'd

310

Some tricks of desperation: All, but mariners, Plung'd in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel, Then all a-fire 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.

Pro. Why, that's my spirit!
But was not this nigh shore?
Ari. Close by, my master.

Pro. But are they, Ariel, safe?
Ari. Not a hair perish'd;

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,

But fresher than before: and, as thou bad'st me,
In troops I have dispers'd them 'bout the isle :
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.

The mariners, say how thou hast dispos'd,

And all the rest o' the fleet?

Ari. Safely in harbour

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

320

330