Upon this shore, where you were wreck'd, was landed,

To be the lord on't. No more yet of this;
For 'tis a chronicle of day by day,

Not a relation for a breakfast nor

Befitting this first meeting. Welcome, sir;
This cell's my court: here have I few attendants
And subjects none abroad: pray you, look in.
My dukedom since you have given me again,
I will requite you with as good a thing;

At least bring forth a wonder, to content ye 170
As much as me my dukedom.

Here Prospero discovers FERDINAND and MI-
RANDA playing at chess.

Mir. Sweet lord, you play me false.
Fer.

No, my dear'st love,

I would not for the world. Mir. Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle,

And I would call it fair play.

Alon.

If this prove A vision of the Island, one dear son Shall I twice lose.

A most high miracle!

Seb.
Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are
merciful;

I have cursed them without cause. [Kneels.
Alon.
Now all the blessings
Of a glad father compass thee about!
180
Arise, and
say how thou camest here.
Mir.
O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
.That has such people in't!

Pros.

'Tis new to thee.

Alon. What is this maid with whom thou wast at play?

190

Your eld'st acquaintance cannot be three hours:
Is she the goddess that hath sever'd us,
And brought us thus together?
Fer.
Sir, she is mortal;
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.
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.

Alon.

I am hers:

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

Pros.

She

Let us not burthen our remembrance with

A heaviness that's gone.

Gon.

There, sir, stop:

I have inly wept,

200

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.
I say, Amen, Gonzalo!
Gon. Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his
issue

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

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.

Ari. [Aside to Pros.] Sir, all this service
Have I done since I went.

Pros. [Aside to Ari.] My tricksy spirit! Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen

From strange to stranger. Say, how came you hither?

Boats. If I did think, sir, I were well awake, I'ld strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep, And how we know not-all clapp'd under hatches; Where but even now with strange and several noises

Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
And moe diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awaked; straightway, at liberty;
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good and gallant ship, our master
Capering to eye her: on a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them
And were brought moping hither.

Ari. [Aside to Pros.] Was't well done? 240
Pros. [Aside to Ari.] Bravely, my diligence.
Thou shalt be free.

Alon. This is as strange a maze as e'er men

Very like; one of them

Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.
Pros. 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. 271
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
Acknowledge 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 'em? 280
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.

оп.

Pros. You'ld be king o' the isle, sirrah? Ste. I should have been a sore one then. Alon. This is a strange thing as e'er I look'd [Pointing to Caliban. Pros. 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.

291

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!

Go to; away!

Pros.
Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage where
you found it.
Seb. Or stole it, rather.

300

[Exeunt Cal., Ste., and Trin.

Pros. Sir, I invite your highness and your train

300

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 it
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 solemnized;
And thence retire me to my Milan, where
Every third thought shall be my grave.
Alon.

I long

310

To hear the story of your life, which must
Take the ear strangely.
Pros.
I'll deliver all;
And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales
And sail so expeditious that shall catch
Your royal fleet far off. [Aside to Ari.] My Ariel,
chick,

That is thy charge: then to the elements
Be free, and fare thou well! Please you, draw
[Exeunt.

near.

EPILOGUE.

SPOKEN BY PROSPERO.

Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own,
Which is most faint: now,
'tis true,

I must be here confined by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell;
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands:
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself and frees all faults.

As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free.

10

20

SCENE I. Verona. An open place.

Enter VALENTINE and Proteus.
Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus:
Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits.
Were't not affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love,
I rather would entreat thy company
To see the wonders of the world abroad
Than, living dully sluggardized at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.
But since thou lovest, love still and thrive therein,
Even as I would when I to love begin.
Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine,
adieu !

Think on thy Proteus, when thou haply seest
Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel:
Wish me partaker in thy happiness

When thou dost meet good hap; and in thy danger,

If ever danger do environ thee,

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy beadsman, Valentine.

Val. And on a love-book pray for my success?
Pro. Upon some book I love I'll pray for thee.
Val. That's on some shallow story of deep
love:

How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont.

21

Pro. That's a deep story of a deeper love;
For he was more than over shoes in love.
Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love,
And yet you never swum the Hellespont.
Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the
boots.

Val. No, I will not, for it boots thee not.
Pro.

What?

Val. To be in love, where scorn is bought

with groans;

Coy looks with heart-sore sighs; one fading mo

ment's mirth

30

LAUNCE, the like to Proteus.
PANTHINO, Servant to Antonio.
JULIA, beloved of Proteus.
SILVIA, beloved of Valentine.
LUCETTA, waiting-woman to Julia.
Servants, Musicians.

SCENE, Verona; Milan; the frontiers of
Mantua.

Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool. Val. So, by your circumstance, I fear you'll prove.

40

Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love. Val. Love is your master, for he masters you: And he that is so yoked by a fool, Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise. Pro. Yet writers say, as in the sweetest bud The eating canker dwells, so eating love Inhabits in the finest wits of all.

Val. And writers say, as the most forward bud Is eaten by the canker ere it blow,

бо

To Milan let me hear from thee by letters
Of thy success in love and what news else
Betideth here in absence of thy friend;
And I likewise will visit thee with mine.
Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan!
Val. As much to you at home! and so, fare-
well.
[Exit.

Pro. He after honour hunts, I after love:
He leaves his friends to dignify them more;
I leave myself, my friends and all, for love.
Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphosed me,
Made me neglect my studies, lose my time,
War with good counsel, set the world at nought;
Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with
thought.

Pro. Why, couldst thou perceive so much from

Pro. I do.

Speed. You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod: you ask me if she did nod; and I say, 'Ay.' Pro. And that set together is noddy.

122

Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.

Pro. No, no; you shall have it for bearing the letter.

Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you.

Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? Speed. Marry, sir, the letter, very orderly; having nothing but the word 'noddy' for my pains. Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit. Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow

Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: and being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear she'll prove as hard to you in telling your mind. Give her no token but stones; for she's as hard as steel. Pro. What said she? nothing? Speed. No, not so much as Take this for thy pains. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testerned me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself: and so, sir, I'll commend you to my master.

150

Pro. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from wreck,

Which cannot perish having thee aboard,
Being destined to a drier death on shore.
[Exit Speed.
I must go send some better messenger:
I fear my Julia would not deign my lines, 160
Receiving them from such a worthless post. [Exit.
SCENE II. The same. Garden of JULIA's house.
Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

Jul. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone,
Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love?
Luc.
Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheed-
fully.

ful. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen That every day with parle encounter me, In thy opinion which is worthiest love? Luc. Please you repeat their names, I'll show my mind

According to my shallow simple skill.

Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour?

Luc. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine; But, were I you, he never should be mine.

II

Ful. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio? Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, so so. Jul. What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus? Luc. Lord, Lord! to see what folly reigns in us! Jul. How now! what means this passion at his name?

Luc. Pardon, dear madam: tis a passing shame That I, unworthy body as I am,

Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen.

Jul. Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest? Luc. Then thus: of many good I think him best. ful. Your reason?

Luc. I have no other but a woman's reason; I think him so because I think him so.

ful. And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him?

Luc. Ay, if you thought your love not cast

Luc. Fire that's closest kept burns most of all. Jul. They do not love that do not show their love.

Luc. O, they love least that let men know their love.