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
Receiv'd a second life, and second father
This lady makes him to me.

Alon. I am hers:

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.

Alon. Give me your hands,

[To Fer. and Mir.

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 prophesy'd, if a gallows were on land,

This fellow could not drown.-Now, blasphemy,
That swear'st grace overboard, 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

We first put out to sea.

Ari. Sir, all this service Have I done since I went.

Pro. My tricksy spirit!

[Aside.

Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen, From strange to stranger :-Say, how came you hither? 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; straightway, at liberty: Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld Our royal, good, and gallant ship; our master Cap'ring to eye her: On a trice, so please you, Even in a dream, were we divided from them, And were brought moping hither.

Ari. Was't well done?

Pro. Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be

free.

[Aside.

Alon. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod
And there is in this business more than nature
Was ever conduct of: some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

Pro. Sir, my liege,

Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business; at pick'd leisure,
Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you
(Which to you shall seem probable) of every
These happen'd accidents: till when, be cheerful,
And think of each thing well.-Come hither, spirit;
[Aside.

Set Caliban and his companions free:
Untie the spell. [Exit Ariel] How fares my gracious sir?
There are yet missing of your company

Some few odd lads, that you remember not.

Re-enter ARIEL, driving in CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, in their stolen Apparel.

Ste. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man take care for himself; for all is but fortune :-Coragio, bully-monster, Coragio!

Trin. If these be true spies which I wear in my head, here's a goodly sight.

Cal. O Setebos, these be brave spirits, indeed!

How fine my master is! I am afraid
He will chastise me.

Seb. Ha, ha;

What things are these, my lord Antonio!
Will money buy them?

Ant. Very like; one of them

Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.

Pro. Mark but the badges of these men, my lords, Then say, if they be true:-This mis-shapen knave, His mother was a witch, and one so strong That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs, And deal in her command, without her power: These three have robb'd me; and this demi-devil (For he's a bastard one), had plotted with them To take my life: two of these fellows you Must know, and own: this thing of darkness I Acknowledge mine.

Cal. I shall be pinch'd to death.

Alon. Is not this Stephano, my drunken butler? Seb. He is drunk now: Where had he wine? Alon. And Trinculo is reeling ripe: Where should Find this grand liquor that hath gilded them? How cam'st thou in this pickle?

[they

Trin. I have been in such a pickle since I saw you last, that, I fear me, will never out of my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.

Seb. Why, how now, Stephano?

Ste. O, touch me not; I am not Stephano, but a

cramp.

Pro. You'd be king of the isle, sirrah?

Ste. I should have been a sore one then.

Alon. This is as strange a thing as e'er I look'd on.

[Pointing to Caliban. Pro. He is as disproportion'd in his manners,

As in his shape :-Go, sirrah, to my cell;
Take with you your companions; as you look
To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.

Cal. Ay, that I will; and I'll be wise hereafter,
And seek for grace: What a thrice-double ass
Was I, to take this drunkard for a god,
And worship this dull fool!

Pro. Go to, away!

Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage where yo found it.

Seb. Or stole it, rather. [Exeunt Cul. Ste. and Trin. Pro. Sir, I invite your highness, and your train, To my poor cell where you shall take your rest For this one night; which (part of it) I'll waste

With such discourse, as, I not doubt, shall make it

Go quick away: the story of my life,
And the particular accidents, gone by,
Since I came to this isle: And in the morn,
I'll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples,
Where I have hope to see the nuptial

Of these our dear-beloved solemniz'd:
And thence retire me to Milan, where
Every third thought shall be my grave.
Alon. I long

To hear the story of your life, which must
Take the ear strangely.

Pro. I'll deliver all;

And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales,
And sail so expeditious, that shall catch

Your royal fleet far off.-My Ariel;-chick,-
That is thy charge; then to the elements

Be free, and fare thou well!-[Aside] Please you, draw

near.

[Exeunt.

EPILOGUE.

Spoken by PROSPERO.

Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own,
Which is most faint: now, 'tis true,
I must be here confin'd by you,
Or sent to Naples: Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got,
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island, by your spell;
But release me from my bands,
With the help of your good hands.
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please: Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,

Unless I be reliev'd by prayer;
Which pierces so, that it assaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.

As you from crimes would pardon'd be
Let your indulgence set me free.

THE

TWO GENTLEMEN

OF

VERONA.