Be measur'd, or confin'd.

Gon.

Or be not, I'll not swear.

Pro.

Some subtilties o' the isle,

Whether this be,

You do yet taste

that will not let you Believe things certain :- -Welcome, my

But you, my

friends all:

brace of lords, were I so minded,

[Aside to SEB. and ANT.

I here could pluck his highness' frown upon you,
And justify you traitors; at this time

For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother
Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive
Thy rankest fault; all of them; and require
My dukedom of thee, which, perforce, I know,
Thou must restore.

Alon.

If thou beest Prospero,

Give us particulars of thy preservation :

How thou hast met us here, who three hours since
Were wreck'd upon this shore; where I have lost,
How sharp the point of this remembrance is!
My dear son Ferdinand.

Pro.

I am woe' for't, sir.

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.

7 Sorry.'

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?

O heavens! that they were living both in Naples, The king and queen there! that they were, I wish 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

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.9

Alon.

Give me your hands:

[To FER. and MIR.

9 In his senses.

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 yare,' and bravely rigg'd, as when

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

VOL. I.

I Ready.

G

2 Clever, adroit.