In the dark backward and abysm of time?

If thou remember'st aught ere thou cam'st here,
How thou cam'st here thou mayst.

Mir.

But that I do not.

Pros. Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since, Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and

A prince of power.

Mir.

Sir, are not you my father?

Pros. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan; thou his only heir,

A princess, no worse issu'd. (8)

Mir.

O the heavens!

What foul play had we, that we came from thence?
Or blessed was't we did?

Pros.

Both, both, my girl:
By foul play, as thou say'st, were we heav'd thence;
But blessedly holp hither.

Mir.

O, my heart bleeds

To think o' the teen that I have turn'd you to,

pray

Which is from my remembrance! Please you, further.
Pros. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Antonio,—
I thee, mark me,-that a brother should
Be so perfidious!—he whom, next thyself,
Of all the world I lov'd, and to him put
The manage of my state; as, at that time,
Through all the signiories it was the first,
And Prospero the prime duke; being so reputed
In dignity, and for the liberal arts

Without a parallel: those being all my study,
The government I cast upon my brother,

And to my state grew stranger, being transported
And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle-
Dost thou attend me?

Pros. Being once perfected how to grant suits, How to deny them, who t' advance, and who

To trash for over-topping,-new-created

The creatures that were mine, I say, or chang'd 'em, Or else new-form'd 'em; having both the key

Of officer and office, set all hearts i' the state

To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was
The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,

And suck'd my verdure out on't.

Mir. O, good sir, I do.

Pros.

Thou attend'st not.

I pray thee, mark me.

I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated
To closeness, and the bettering of my mind
With that which, but by being so retir'd,
O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my false brother
Awak'd an evil nature; and my trust,
Like a good parent, did beget of him
A falsehood, in its contrary as great

As

my trust was; which had indeed no limit,
A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,
Not only with what my revenue yielded,

But what my power might else exact,-like one
Who having into truth, by telling of it,

Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie,-he did believe

He was indeed the duke; out o' the substitution,(9)
And executing th' outward face of royalty,

With all prerogative:—hence his ambition growing,—
Dost thou hear?

Mir.

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness. Pros. To have no screen between this part he play'd And him he play'd it for, he needs will be Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library Was dukedom large enough :(10) of temporal royalties He thinks me now incapable; confederatesSo dry he was for sway-with the King of Naples (11) 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 most ignoble stooping.

Pros. Mark his condition, and th' event; then tell me If this might be a brother.

Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Pros.

Now the condition.

This King of Naples, being an enemy

To me inveterate, hearkens(12) my brother's suit ;
Which was, that he, in lieu o' the premises,-
Of homage, and I know not how much tribute,-
Should presently extirpate me and mine
Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan,
With all the honours, on my brother: whereon,
A treacherous army levied, one midnight
Fated to the practice, (13) did Antonio open
The gates of Milan; and, i' the dead of darkness,
The ministers for the purpose hurried thence
Me and thy crying self.

Mir.

Alack, for pity!

I, not remembering how I cried on't then,

Will

cry

it o'er again :(14) it is a hint

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:

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

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 prepar'd
A rotten carcass of a boat,(15) not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively had(16) 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

Thou wast that did preserve me! Thou didst smile,
Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

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

Against what should ensue.

Mir.

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 lov'd my books, he furnish'd me,

From mine own library, with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom.

Mir.

But ever see that man!

Pros.

Would I might

Now I arise:—(17)

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arriv'd; 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.

Mir. Heavens, thank you for't! And now,

sir,—

For still 'tis beating in my mind,-your reason
For raising this sea-storm?

Pros.

Know thus far forth.

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

[Miranda sleeps.

Come away, servant, come! I'm ready now:
Approach, my Ariel; come!

Enter ARIEL.

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?
Ari. To every article.

I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak,
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,
I flam'd amazement: sometime I'd divide,
And burn in many places; on the topmast,
The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,
Then meet, and join. Jove's lightnings,(18) 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'd(19) to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,
Yea, his dread trident shake.

Pros.

My brave spirit !(19*) Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil

Would not infect his reason?

But felt a fever of the mad, and play'd

Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners
Plung❜d in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel,
Then all a-fire 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."