SCENE II.

[Erit.

The Island: before the Cell of
PROSPERO.

Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA.

Mira. If by your art, my dearest father, you have
Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them:
The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,
But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek,
Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffer'd
With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel,
Who had no doubt some noble creatures in her,
Dash'd all to pieces. O, the cry did knock
Against my very heart! Poor souls! they perish'd.
Had I been any god of power, I would
Have sunk the sea within the earth, or e'er

It should the good ship so have swallowed, and
The freighting souls within her.

Pro.

Be collected; No more amazement: tell your piteous heart, There's no harm done.

Mira. Pro.

O, woe the day!

No harm.

I have done nothing but in care of thee,
(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 Prospero, master of a full poor cell,
And thy no greater father.

Mira.

Pro.

More to know

'Tis time

Did never meddle with my thoughts.

I should inform thee further. Lend thy hand,
And pluck my magic garment from me.
So;
[Lays down his mantle.

Lie there my art.

comfort.

Wipe thou thine eyes; have

The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd
The very virtue of compassion in thee,
I have with such provision in mine art
So safely order'd, that there is no soul
No, not so much perdition as an hair,
Betid to any creature in the vessel
Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink
Sit down;

For thou must now know further.
Mira.

You have often
Begun to tell me what I am; but stopp'd
And left me to a bootless inquisition;
Concluding, Stay, not yet.

The very minute bids thee ope thine ear;
Obey, and be attentive. Can'st thou remember
A time before we came unto this cell?

I do not think thou can'st; for then thou wast not
Out three years old.

Mira.

Certainly, sir, I can.

Pro. By what? by any other house, or person? Of any thing the image tell me, that Hath kept with thy remembrance.

Mira.

'Tis far off;

Pro. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Antonio,—
pray thee, mark me, — that a brother should
Be so perfidious! -he whom, next thyself,
Of all the world I lov'd, and to him put
The manage of my state; as, at that time,
Through all the signiories it was the first,
And Prospero the prime duke; being so reputed
In dignity, and, for the liberal arts,
Without a parallel: those being all my study,
The government I cast upon my brother,

And to my state grew stranger, being transported,
And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle
Dost thou attend me?

O good sir, I do.

Pro. I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicate To closeness, and the bettering of my mind With that, which, but by being so retired, O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my false brother Awak'd an evil nature and my trust, Like a good parent, did beget of him A falsehood, in its contrary as great

As my trust was; which had, indeed, no limit,

A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,
Not only with what my revenue yielded,

But what my power might else exact, — like one,
Who having, unto truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie, he did believe

He was the duke; out of the substitution,
And executing the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative:
:- Hence his ambition

Growing, Dost hear?

Mira.

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

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,
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!

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 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.

Mira.

Alack, for pity! I, not rememb'ring how I cry'd out then, Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint,

That wrings mine eyes.

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. That hour destroy us? Pro.

Wherefore did they not

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;
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.

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arrived; and here
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, }
pray you, sir,

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

Pro.
Know thus far forti...
By accident most strange, bountiful fortune,
Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies
Brought to this shore: and by my prescience
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 question,
Thou art inclin'd to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,
And give it way; - I know thou can'st not choose.
[MIRANDA Sleeps
Come away, servant, come: I am ready now;
Approach, my Ariel; come.

Enter ARIEL

Ari. 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.

Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee,

Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour One thing or other: when thou did'st not, savage, Know thine own meaning, but would'st gabble like A thing most brutish, I endow'd thy purposes With words that made them known: But thy vile

race,

Though thou did'st learn, had that in't which good

natures

Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou Deservedly confin'd into this rock,

Who had'st deserv'd more than a prison.

Cal. You taught me language; and my profit on't Is, I know how to curse: the red plague rid you, For learning me your language!

Pro. Hag-seed, hence! Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou wert best, To answer other business. Shrug'st thou, malice? If thou neglect'st, or dost unwillingly

What I command, I'll rack thee with old cramps; Fill all thy bones with aches; make thee roar That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

No, pray thee! [Aside.

So, slave; hence! [Exit CALIBAN.

Re-enter ARIEL invisible, playing and singing;
FERDINAND following him.
ARIEL'S Song.

Come unto these yellow sands,

And then take hands:

Court'sied when you have, and kiss'd,
(The wild waves whist,)

Foot it featly here and there;

And, sweet sprites, the burden bear.
Hark, hark!

Bur. Bowgh, wowgh.

The watch-dogs bark:

Bur. Bowgh, wowgh.

Hark, hark! I hear

The strain of strutting chanticlere
Cry, Cock-a-doodle-doo.

[dispersedly.

[dispersedly.

But, certainly a maid.

Fer.

No wonder, sir;

My language! heavens !
I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.
Pro.
How! the best?
What wert thou, if the king of Naples heard thee?
Fer. A single thing, as I am now, that wonders
To hear thee speak of Naples: He does hear me ;
And, that he does, I weep: myself am Naples;
Who with mine eyes, ne'er since at ebb, beheld
The king my father wreck'd.

Mira.
Alack, for mercy!
Fer. Yes, faith, and all his Lords; the duke of
Milan,

And his brave son, being twain.

Pro. The duke of Milan, And his more braver daughter, could control thee, If now 'twere fit to do't: - At the first sight [Aside. They have chang'd eyes: · Delicate Ariel, I'll set thee free for this! A word, good sir; I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word. Mira. Why speaks my father so ungently? This Is the third man that e'er I saw; the first That e'er I sigh'd for: pity move my father To be inclin'd my way!

Fer.

O, if a virgin, And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you The queen of Naples. Pro.

Soft, sir; one word more. -They are both in either's powers; but this swift business

I must uneasy make, lest too light winning (Asule. Make the prize light. One word more; I charge

thee,

That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp
The name thou ow'st not; and hast put thyself

Pro.

Come on; obey: [To FERD Thy nerves are in their infancy again, And have no vigour in them. Fer. So they are: My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up. My father's loss, the weakness which I feel, The wreck of all my friends, or this man's threats, To whom I am subdued, are but light to me, Might I but through my prison once a day Behold this maid: all corners else o' the earth Let liberty make use of; space enough Have I in such a prison.

Pro.

It works:Come on.Thou hast done well, fine Ariel!· Follow me. [To FERD. and MIR. [To ARIEL

Hark, what thou else shalt do me.
Mira.

Be of comfort;

My father's of a better nature, sir,
Than he appears by speech; this is unwonted,
Which now came from him.