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Your eld'st acquaintance cannot be three hours.
Is she the goddess that hath sever'd us,

And brought us thus together?

Sir, she's mortal;

Fer.
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: she
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.

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But O, how oddly will it sound, that I
Must ask my child forgiveness!

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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!

Alon.

Gon. Was Milan issue

I say, amen, Gonzalo !

thrust from Milan, that his

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.1

Alon.

Give me your hands:

[To Fer. and Mir.

Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart,
That doth not wish you joy!

Gon.

Be 't so! Amen!

Re-enter ARIEL, with the MASTER and BOATSWAIN amazedly following.

O look, sir, look, sir; here are 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? Boat. The best news is, that we have safely

found

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.

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Is a plain fish,1 and, no doubt, marketable.

Pro. 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.3
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
Acknowlege 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 them ?✦
How camest thou in this pickle ?

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.

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3 Sycorax could control the moon, and act as her vicegerent, without being commissioned by her so to do.

Arrayed them in glittering apparel.

Pro. You'd be king of 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.
[pointing to Caliban.

Pro. He is as disproportion'd in his manners,
As in his shape. 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!

Pro.

Go to; away!

Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage where you

found it.

Seb. Or stole it, rather.

[Exeunt Cal. Ste. and Trin. Pro. 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 doubt, shall make 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 solemnised; 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.1

Pro.

I'll deliver all;

And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales,
And sail so expeditious, that shall catch
Your royal fleet far off. My Ariel! chick!
That is thy charge; then to the elements

Be free, and fare thou well! [aside.] Please you,

[Exeunt.

draw near.

Which must needs be interesting.

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