Re-enter Boatswain. Boats. Down with the top-maft: yare, lower, lower; bring her to try with main-courfe. A plague upon this howling! A cry within. Re-enter Sebaftian, Anthonio, and Gonzalo. they are louder than the weather, or our office. Yet again? what do you here? fhall we give o'er, and drown? have you a mind to fink? Seb. A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blafphemous, uncharitable dog. Boats. Work you then. Ant. Hang, cur, hang; you whorefon, infolent, noisemaker; we are lefs afraid to be drown'd than thou art. Gonz. I'll warrant him from drowning, tho' the ship were no stronger than a nut-fhell, and as leaky as an unftanch'd wench. Boatf. Lay her a-hold, a-hold; fet her two courfes off to fea again, lay her off. Enter Mariners wet. Mar. All loft! to prayers! to prayers! all loft! [Exe. Boats. What, muft our mouths be cold? Gonz. The King and Prince at pray'rs! let us affift 'em. For our cafe is as theirs. Seb. I'm out of patience. [kards. Ant. We're meerly cheated of our lives by drunThis wide-chopt rascal—'Would, thou might'st lye drowning, The washing of ten tides! Gonz. He'll be hang'd yet, Though every drop of water fwear against it, And gape at wid'ft to glut him. A confufed noife within.] Mercy on us! We fplit, we split! Farewel, my Wife and Children! Brother, farewel! we fplit, we fplit, we split! Ant. Let's all fink with the King. Seb. Let's take leave of him. 2 [Exit. [Exit. Gonz. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of fea 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! [Exit. SCENE II. Changes to a Part of the Inchanted Island near the Cell of Profpero. Mira. 3 'IF Enter Profpero and Miranda. F by your art (my dearest father) you Put the wild Waters in this roar, allay them: With those that I faw fuffer: a brave vessel long heath, This is the common name for the erica baccifera; which the Oxford Editor not understanding, conjectured that Shakespear wrote, Ling, Heath: But, unluckily, Heath and Ling are but two words for the fame plant. 3 If by your Art, &c.] Nothing was ever better contrived to inform the Audience of the Story than this Scene. It is a converfation that could not have happened before, and could not but happen now. No more amazement; tell your piteous heart, Mira. Q wo the day! Pro. No harm. I have done nothing but in care of thee, Mira. More to know Did never meddle with my thoughts. I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand, comfort. The direful fpectacle of the wreck, which touch'd * The very virtue of compaffion in thee, I have with fuch provifion in mine art So fafely order'd, that there's no foul loft, down; Which thou heard'ft cry, which thou faw'ft fink: fis For thou muft now know farther. Mira. You have often Begun to tell me what I am, but stopt, 4 The very Virtue of compaffion in thee,] We must not think that the very Virtue was intended to fhew the degree of her compaffion, but the kind. Compaffion for other's Misfortunes ofteneft arifes from a fenfe or apprehenfion of the like. And then it is Sympathy, not Virtue. Tho' the want of it may be efteemed vicious as arifing from a degeneracy of Nature, which cannot happen but by our own fault. Now the Compaffion of Miranda, who never ventured to Sea, not being of this kind, Shakespear with great pro priety calls it the very Virtue, i. e. the real pure Virtue of Compaffion. B 4 And And left me to a bootless inquifition; Pro. The hour's now come: The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; I do not think, thou canft; for then thou waft not Mira: Certainly, Sir, I can. Pro. By what? by any other house, or perfon? Of any thing the image tell me, that Hath kept in thy remembrance. Mira. 'Tis far off; And rather like a dream, than an affurance Pro. Thou hadft, and more, Miranda: but how is it, Mira. But that I do not. Pro. 'Tis twelve years fince, Miranda; twelve years fince, Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and A Prince of Pow'r. Mira. Sir, are not you my father? Pro. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She faid, thou waft my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan, and his only heir A Princefs, no worfe iffu'd. Mira. O the heav'ns! What foul play had we, that we came from thence? Or bleffed was't, we did? Pro. Both, both, my girl: By foul play (as thou fay'ft) were we heav'd thence; But bleffedly help'd hither. 1 Mira. O, my heart bleeds To think o'th' teene that I have turn'd you to, Without a parallel; thofe being all my ftudy :) And to my state grew ftranger; being tranfported, Mira. Sir, moft heedfully. Pro. Being once perfected how to grant fuits, The creatures, that were mine; I fay, or chang'd 'em, Mira. Good Sir, I do. Pro. I pray thee, mark me then. [not. Thou attend'st I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated 5 To trab] fignifies to cut away the trash or fuperfluities; as, to top, fignifies, to cut off the top. The Oxford Editor alters it to plafe, not confidering that to plash fignifies to bind and complicate branches together, and fo is only ufed to fignify the dreffing and pleating of an Hedge. Awak'd |