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

I will tell no tales.

Seb. [Aside] The devil speaks in him.
Pros.

No.

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 be'st Prospero,

Give us particulars of thy preservation;

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

Pros.

I am woe for't, sir.

Alon. Irreparable is the loss, and patience Says it is past her cure.

Pros.

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.

You the like loss!

Alon.
Pros. As great to me as late: and, supportable
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

140

Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?

Pros. 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 160 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.

Here Prospero discovers FERDINAND and MIRANDA
playing at chess.

Mir. Sweet lord, you play me false.

Fer.

would not for the world.

No, my dear'st love,

Mir. Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, And I would call it fair play.

Alon.
If this prove
A vision of the Island, one dear son
Shall I twice lose.

Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful; I have cursed them without cause.

Alon.

170

[Kneels.

Now all the blessings

180

O, wonder!

Of a glad father compass thee about!
Arise, and say how thou camest here.

Mir.

How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

That has such people in't!

Pros.

"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 is mortal;

She

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.
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.

Let us not burthen our remembrance with

A heaviness that's gone.

Gon.

190

There, sir, stop.

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.

I say, Amen. Gonzalo !

Alon.
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. [To Fir. and Mir.] Give me your hands: Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart

That doth not wish you joy!

Gon.

Be it so! Amen!

210

Re-enter ARIEL, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly following.

O, look, sir, look, sir! here is 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 281

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. [Aside to Pros.] Sir, all this service

Have I done since I went.

Pros. [Aside to Ari.] My tricksy spirit!

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'ld 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, jingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awaked; straightway, at liberty;
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good and gallant ship, our master
Capering to eye her: on a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them

Thou shalt

And were brought moping hither.

Ari. [Aside to Pros.]

Pros. Aside to Ari.] Bravely, my diligence.

be free.

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.

Pros.

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. [Aside to Ari.]

Come hither, spirit:

Set Caliban and his companions free;

250

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, bullymonster, coragio !

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

260

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 'em?

Ant.

Very like; one of them

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

Pros. 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 they Find this grand liquor that hath gilded 'em?

How camest thou in this pickle?

280

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. Pros. You'ld be king o' the isle, sirrah?

Ste. I should have been a sore one then.

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

290

[Pointing to Caliban. Pros. He is as disproportion'd in his manners As in his spe. 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!

Pros.

Go to; away!

Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage where you found it. Seb Or stole it, rather [Exeunt Cal. Ste, and Trin. Pros. 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 doult, 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 solemnized;
And thence retire me to my 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.

Pros.

I'll deliver all;

And promise you calm scas, auspicious gales

And sail so expeditious that shall catch

Your royal fleet far off. [Aside to Ari.] My Ariel, chick,
That is thy charge: then to the elements

Be free, and fare thou well! Please you draw near.

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310

[Exeunt