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Mira. My heart bleeds

To think o'th' teene that I have turn'd you to,
Which is from my remembrance. Please you, farther.
Pro. My brother and thy uncle, call'd Anthonio

T

pray thee mark me, (that a brother should
Be fo perfidious!) he whom next thy felf.
Of all the world I lov'd, and to him put
The manage of my ftate; as at that time
Through all the fignories it was the first
And Profpero the prime Duke, being fo reputed
In dignity; and for the liberal arts,

Without a parallel; thofe being all my study:
The government I caft upon my brother,
And to my state grew ftranger, being tranfported
And rapt in fecret ftudies. Thy falfe uncle
(Doft thou attend me?)

Mira. Sir, molt heedfully.

Pro. Being once perfected how to grant fuits, How to deny them; whom t'advance, and whom 4 "To plafh' for over-topping; new created

The creatures that were mine; I fay or chang'd 'em
Or elfe new form'd 'em; having both the key
Of officer and office, fet all hearts

To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was

The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,
And fuckt my verdure out on't.

Mira. Good Sir, I do.

Pro. I pray thee mark ine then.

Thou attend'st not.

I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated
To clofenefs, and the bettering of my mind
With that which, but by being fo 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 falfhood, in its contrary as great

As my trust was; which had indeed no limit,
A confidence fans bound. He being thus lorded,

To trash...old edit. Warb. emend.

Not

Not only with what my revenue yielded,
But what my power might elfe exact; like one
'Who loving an untruth, and telling't oft','
• 'Makes' fuch a finner of his memory
To credit his own lie; he did believe
He was indeed the Duke, from fubftitution
And executing th' outward face of royalty
With all prerogative. Hence his ambition growing
'Doft thou hear, child?'

Mira. Your tale, Sir, would cure deafnefs."

Pro. To have no fcreen between this part he plaid,
And him he plaid it for, he needs will be

Abfolute Milan. Me, poor man! - my library
Was Dukedom large enough; of temporal royaltics
He thinks me now incapable: confederates
(So dry he was for fway) wi' th' 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 much ignoble stooping.

Mira. O the heav'ns!

Pro. Mark 'the' condition, and th' event, then tell me

If this might be a Brother?

Mira, I fhould fin,

To think not nobly of my grand-mother.

[dition :'

Pro. 9 'Good wombs have born bad fons. Now the con

This King of Naples being an enemy

To me inveterate, hears my brother's fuit;
Which was, that he in lieu o' th' premises,
Of homage, and I know not how much tribute,
Should prefently 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 mid-night

5 Who having into truth, by telling of it,"

7 Doft thou hear?

8 his

9 Mir. Good wombs have born bad fons.

6 Made

Pro. Now the condition: &c. ...old edit. Theob, emend.

Fated

Fated to th' purpofe, did Anthonio open
The gates of Milan, and i' th' dead of darknefs
The ministers for th' purpose hurry'd thence
Me and thy crying self.

Mira. Alack for pity!

I not remembring 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 prefent business
Which now's upon's, without the which this story
Were most impertinent.

Mira. Why did they not
That hour destroy us?

Pro. Well demanded, wench; My tale provokes that queftion.

I

"They durft not,'

So dear the love my people bore me, fet
A mark fo bloody on the bufinefs; but
With colours fairer painted their foul ends.
In few, they hurry'd us aboard a bark,
Bore us fome leagues to fea, where they prepar'd
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, nor fail, nor maft; the very rats
Inftinctively had quit it: there they hoift us
To cry to th' fea that roar'd to us; to figh
To winds, whofe pity fighing back again
Did us but loving wrong.

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Mira. Alack! what trouble

Was I then to you?

Pro. O a cherubim

Thou waft that did preferve me: Thou didft fimile
Infused with a fortitude from heav'n;

2

(When I have 'brack'd' the fea with drops full falt, Under my burthen groan'd) which rais'd in me

An undergoing ftomach, to bear up

Against what should enfue.

Mira. How came we a-fhore?

1 Dear, they durft not, 2 deck'd

Pro.

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Pro. By providence divine.

Some food we had, and fome fresh water, that
A noble Neopolitan Gonzalo,

Out of his charity (being then appointed

Master of this defign) did give us, with

Rich garments, linnens, ftuffs, and neceffaries

Which fince have steeded much. So of his gentleness,
Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnifh'd me

From my own library, with volumes that
I prize above my Dukedom.

Mira. Would I might

But ever fee that man!

Pro. Now I arife:

Sit ftill, and hear the last of our fea-forrow.
Here in this inland we arriv'd, and here

Have I, thy school-mafter, made thee more profit
Than other Princes can, that have more time
For vainer hours, and tutors not fo careful.

Mira. Heav'ns thank you for't! And now I pray
you, Sir,

(For ftill 'tis beating in my mind) your reafon
For raifing this fea-ftorm?

Pro. Know thus far forth;

By accident moft ftrange bountiful fortune
(Now my dear lady) hath mine enemies
Brought to this fhore: and by my prescience
I find my Zenith doth depend upon
A moft aufpicious ftar, whofe influence
If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes

-

Will ever after droop. Here ceafe more queftions,
Thou art inclin'd to fleep. 'Tis a good dulnefs,
And give it way; I know thou can'ft not chufe.
Come away, fervant, come; I'm ready now:
Approach, my Ariel. Come.

SCENE

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Ari. All hail, great mafter! grave Sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure. Be't to fly;

To fwim; to dive into the fire; to ride

On the curl'd clouds: to thy ftrong bidding task
Ariel and all his qualities.

Pro. Haft thou, fpirit,

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

I boarded the King's fhip: 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-maft
The yards and bolt-fprit would I flame diftinctly,
Then meet and join. Jove's lightnings, the precurfers
Of dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary

And fight out-running were not; the fire and cracks
Of fulphurous roaring the moft mighty Neptune
Seem'd to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,
Yea, his dread trident shake.

Pro. 'That's my brave fpirit!'

Who was fo firm, fo conftant, that this coyl
Would not infect his reafon ?

Ari. Not a foul

But felt a feaver of the mind, and plaid
Some tricks of defperation: all but mariners
Plung'd in the foaming brine, and quit the veffel,
Then all a-fire with me: the King's fon Ferdinand
With hair up-ftaring (then like reeds, not hair)
Was the firft Man that leap'd; cry'd hell is empty,
And all the devils are here.

Pro. Why that's my fpirit!

But was not this nigh fhore?
Ari. Close by, my master.

3 My brave, brave spirit!

Pro.

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