THE TEMPEST. INTRODUCTION. THIS play is in Shakespeare's maturest style. It was written between 1603 and 1611. The farther limit is fixed by the fact that Gonzalo's description of his ideal commonwealth (Act II. Sc. 1) is taken almost word for word from Florio's translation of Montaigne's Essays, which was published in 1603. It was Shakespeare's habit thus to appropriate to himself any thought or any personage that he found in his reading, and which seemed to him good stuff to work into his plays. The passage in question here follows: “It is a nation, would I answer Plato, that hath no kind of traffike, no knowledge of letters, no intelligence of numbers, no name of magistrate, nor of politike superiority; no use of service, of riches, or of poverty; no contracts, no successions, no dividends, no occupation, but idle; no respect of kinred, but common; no aparrell but natural, no manuring of lands, no use of wine, corn, or mettle. The very words that import lying, falsehood, treason, dissimulation, covetousness, envie, detraction, and pardon, were never heard of amongst them." A comparison of this passage with Gonzalo's speeches (pp. 21, 22) will make it plain to any reader that the latter are a mere dramatic modification of the former. The hither limit of the period during which the play must have been written is fixed by the fact of its performance before King James I., at Whitehall, on the 1st November, 1611. It was probably written about 1610, and it is one of Shakespeare's most carefully constructed and highly finished dramas. That it was founded on some Italian story there is no reasonable doubt; but no old tale or play resembling it has yet been discovered. Its scene of action is purely imaginary; its costume that of Italy in Elizabeth's reign. It was first published in the folio of 1623, where the text is found in remarkable purity; but, as in the case of other plays in that volume, we have there probably a text abridged for stage purposes. The suddenness of the action in some scenes favors this conclusion. If there were a quarto copy of The Tempest, it would probably add quite as much to this play as the second quarto of Ham et does to the text of that tragedy printed in the folio. THE TEMPEST. ACT I. SCENE I. On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard. Enter a Ship-Master and a Boatswain. Mast. Boatswain! Boats. Here, master: what cheer? Mast. Good, speak to th' mariners: fall to 't, yarely, or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir. Enter Mariners. [Exit. Boats. Heigh, my hearts! cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! yare, yare! Take in the topsail. Tend to th' master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough! Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others. Alon. Good boatswain, have care. Play the men. Boats. I pray now, keep below. Ant. Where is the master, boson? Where's the master? Boats. Do you not hear him? You mar our labour: keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. Gon. Nay, good, be patient. Boats. When the sea is. Hence! What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence! trouble us not. Gon. Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard. Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a counsellor ; if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more; use your authority: if you cannot, give thanks you have liv'd so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap. Cheerly, good hearts! Out of our way, I say. [Exit. Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage. If he be not born to be hang'd, our case is miserable. Re-enter Boatswain. [Exeunt. Boats. Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower! Bring Yarely quickly. her to: try wi' th' main-course. [A cry within.] A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather or our office. Enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO. Yet again! what do you here? Shall we give o'er and drown? Have you a mind to sink? Seb. A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, inchar itable dog! Boats. Work you, then. Ant. Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker! We We are less afraid to be drown'd than thou art. Gon. I'll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an unstanched wench. 4I Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses! Off to sea again! lay her off. Enter Mariners wet. Mariners. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost! Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let's assist them, Seb. I'm out of patience. Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards: This wide-chapp'd rascal-would thou mightst lie drowning The washing of ten tides! He'll be hang'd yet, Gon. [A confused noise within: "Mercy on us! 50 "We split, we split!"-" Farewell, my wife and children!"— Farewell, brother!" "We split, we split, we split!"] 66 Ant. Let's all sink wi' th' king. Seb. Let's take leave of him. [Exeunt Ant, and Seb. Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze, any thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain die a dry death. SCENE II. The island. Before PROSPERO's cell. Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mir. If by your art, my dearest father, you have With those that I saw suffer a brave vessel, : 39 for drowning = from, or against, drowning. 60 [Exeunt |