The fraighting fouls within her. Pro. Be collected; No more amazement; tell your piteous heart, Mira. O 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. Pro. 'Tis time, Lend thy hand, I fhould inform thee farther. [Lays down his mantle. Lie there, my art. Wipe thou thine eyes, fort. have com The direful fpectacle of the wreck, which touch'd I have with fuch provifion in mine art So fafely order'd, that there's no foul loft, No not fo much perdition as an hair Betid to any creature in the veffel Which thou heard'ft cry, which thou faw'ft fink: fit For thou muft now know farther. Mira. You have often Begun to tell me what I am, but stopt, Pro. The hour's now come. [down; The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; A time before we came into this cell? I do not think, thou canft; for then thou waft not Out three years old 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 Had I not Four or five women once that tended me? Pro. Thou hadft, and more, Miranda: but how is it, That this lives in thy mind? what feelt thou elfe In the dark back ward and abysme of time? If thou remember'ft aught, ere thou came here; How thou cam'ft here, thou may'ft. 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; thou 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. Mira O, my heart bleeds To think o'th' teene that I have turn'd you to, Which is from my remembrance. Pleafe you, farther, Pro. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Anthoniopray thee, mark me,— (that a brother should I Be fo perfidious!) he whom next thyself Of all the world I lov'd, and to him put Without a parallel; thote being all my fudy): And to my ftate grew ftranger; being tranfported, Mira. Sir, moft heedfully. Pro Pro. Being once perfected how to grant fuits, The creatures that were mine; 1 fay, or change'd 'em, To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was, And fuck'd my verdure out on't.-Thou attend'st not. Pro I pray thee, mark me then. I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated A falfehood in its contrary as great As my trust was; which had, indeed, no limit, To credit his own lye; he did believe With all prerogative. Hence his ambition growing→ Mira. Your tale, Sir, would cure deafnefs. Pro. To have no fcreen between this part he play'd, And him he play'd it for, he needs will be Abfolute Milan. Me, poor man!my library Was dukedom large enough; of temporal royalties 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 moft ignoble ftooping. Mira. O the heav'ns! Pre. Pro. Mark his condition, and th' event; then tell me, If this might be a brother? Mira I fhould fin, To think but nobly of my grandmother; Pro. Now the condition: This King of Naples, being an enemy Mira. Alack, for pity! Whereon I, not rememb'ring how I cry'd out then, That wrings mine eyes to't. Pro. Hear a little further, And then I'll bring thee to the prefent bufinefs, Mira. Why did they not That hour destroy us? Pro. Well demanded, wench; My tale provokes that question Dear, they durft not (So dear the love my people bore me) fet A mark fo bloody on the bufinefs; but Bore us fome leagues to fea; where they prepar'd Mira. Alack! what trouble Was Was I then to you! Pro. O a cherubim Thou waft, that did preferve me. Thou didft smile, (When I have mock'd the fea with drops full-falt; Mira. How came we a-fhore? Pro. By providence divine. Some food we had, and fome fresh water, that Out of his charity (being then appointed Mafter of this defign) did give us, with Rich garments, linens, ftuffs, and neceffaries, Which fince have fteeded much. So of his gentleness, From my own library, with volumes that Mira. Would I might But ever fee that man! Pro. Now, I arife: Sit ftill, and hear the last of our fea-forrow. (For ftill 'tis beating in my mind) your reafon Pro. Know thus far forth, By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune I pray A moft aufpicious ftar; whofe influence [Miranda fleeps. |