Me and thy crying self.

Mir.

Alack, for pity!

I, not remembering how I cried out then,
it o'er again it is a hint

Will cry
That wrings mine eyes to't.
Pros.

Hear a little further,

And then I'll bring thee to the present business
Which now's upon 's; without the which, this story
Were most impertinent.

Mir.

That hour destroy us?

Pros.

Wherefore did they not

Well demanded, wench:

135

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, 140

So dear the love my people bore me; nor set

A mark so bloody on the business; but
With colours fairer painted their foul ends.
In few, they hurried us aboard a bark,

Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared
A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively have quit it: there they hoist us,
To cry to the sea that roar'd to us; to sigh
To the winds, whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mir.

Was I then to you!

Alack, what trouble

133 out] on't Capell. it Lettsom conj.

o'er 't Kinnear conj.

135 to 't] om. Steevens, 1793 (Farmer conj.).

138 Wherefore] Why Pope.

140 Dear,] om. Hanmer.

140, 141 they durst not, So dear] they durst not So dare Staunton conj. (Athen. 1872).

141 me] om. Pope.

145

150

me; nor set] me-set Hudson (Wright conj.).

146 butt] Butt F1FF. But F Boat
Rowe (after Dryden). busse Black
conj. hulk Kinnear conj.

147 sail] F1. nor sail F2F3F4-
148 have] had Rowe (after Dryden).
150 the winds] winds Pope.

O, a cherubin

Thou wast that did preserve me.

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burthen groan'd; which raised in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up

Against what should ensue.

How came we ashore?

Pros. By Providence divine.

Some food we had, and some fresh water, that

A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

Out of his charity, who being then appointed

Master of this design, did give us, with

Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries,

Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness,
Knowing I loved my books, he furnish'd me
From mine own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

Would I might

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.

Here in this island we arrived; and here

Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit
Than other princess' can, that have more time
For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

you

Mir. Heavens thank for't! And now, I pray you, sir, For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reason For raising this sea-storm?

Know thus far forth.

Pros.
By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune,
Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies

Brought to this shore; and by my prescience
I find my zenith doth depend upon

A most auspicious star, whose influence

176

180

If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes
Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions:
Thou art inclined to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,
And give it way: I know thou canst not choose.
[Miranda sleeps.

Come away, servant, come. I am ready now.
Approach, my Ariel, come.

Enter ARIEL.

185

Ari. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,

To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride

On the curl'd clouds, to thy strong bidding task
Ariel and all his quality.

Pros.

Hast thou, spirit,

Perform'd to point the tempest that I bade thee?

173 princess'] Dyce (S. Walker conj.).

Princesse FF2F3. Princess F4 princes Rowe. princesses Clark and Glover. See note (III). have] has Anon. conj. MS. (in Capell's copy of F3), reading princesse. 174 hours] lores Bailey conj. joys

Keightley conj.

190

186 [M.sleeps] Theobald. She sleepe[s] Collier MS.

189 SCENE III. Pope.

190 be't] F1 be it F2F3F4.
193 quality] qualities Pope (after Dry-

den).

Ari. To every article.

I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak,
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,
I flamed amazement: sometime I'ld divide,
And burn in many places; on the topmast,
The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,
Then meet and join. Jove's lightnings, the precursors
O'the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary
And sight-outrunning were not the fire and cracks
Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune
Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,
Yea, his dread trident shake.

My brave spirit!

Pros.
Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil
Would not infect his reason?

Not a soul

Ari. But felt a fever of the mad, and play'd Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners Plunged in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel, Then all afire with me: the king's son, Ferdinand, With hair up-staring, then like reeds, not hair,Was the first man that leap'd; cried, 'Hell is empty, And all the devils are here.'

Pros.

195

200

205

210

Why, that's my spirit! 215

Pros. But are they, Ariel, safe?

Ari.

Not a hair perish'd;

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,
But fresher than before: and, as thou badest me,
In troops I have dispersed them 'bout the isle.
The king's son have I landed by himself;
Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs
In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting,
His arms in this sad knot.

Pros.

220

Of the king's ship,

225

The mariners, say how thou hast disposed,
And all the rest o' the fleet.

Ari.

Safely in harbour

Is the king's ship; in the deep nook, where once
Thou call'dst me up at midnight to fetch dew
From the still-vex'd Bermoothes, there she's hid:
The mariners all under hatches stow'd;

Who, with a charm join'd to their suffer'd labour,
I have left asleep and for the rest o' the fleet,
Which I dispersed, they all have met again,
And are upon the Mediterranean flote,

Bound sadly home for Naples;

Supposing that they saw the king's ship wreck'd,
And his great person perish.

Pros.

Ariel, thy charge

Exactly is perform'd: but there's more work.

218 sustaining] sea-stained Edwards

conj. unstaining Hudson (Spedding conj.). sea-staining Spedding conj. sea-drenched Gould conj. 224, 225 ship, The] Ff. ship The Hanmer.

225 thou hast] hast thou S. Walker conj.

226 fleet.] Knight. Fleete? Ff.

VOL. I.

230

235

229 Bermoothes] Bermudas Theobald.
231 Who] Whom Hanmer.
234 are] all Collier MS.

upon] on Pope.

flote] float Collier (ed. 2).

235-237 Bound...perish] Two lines, the first ending that, Keightley conj.

2