The creatures that were mine,-I say, or changed them, Or else neww-formed them; having both the key

Of officer and office, set all hearts

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

And sucked my verdure out on 't.-Thou attend'st not.
Mira. O good sir, I do.

Pro.

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 being1 so retired,
O'er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother
Awaked 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 unto truth, by telling of it,2

Made such a sinner of his memory

To credit his own lie,—he did believe

when too eager, by means of a collar weighted with lead. In Fletcher's Bonduca, i. 1, Caratach, referring to the hindrance of his speed through carrying a boy on his back, says :

'Young Hengo there, he trasht me, Nennius,

For when your fears outran him, then stept I,
And, in the head of all the Romans' fury,

Took him, and with my tough belt to my back
I buckled him.'

'But by being.] With the exception of its being.

2 By telling of it.] Through his manner of stating it, that is, his misrepresentation of it. The commonly received interpretation of the text here makes the pronoun it refer to the noun lie, and thus, as I think, imputes to Shakspeare a very gross impropriety of arrangement.

He was the duke, out of the substitution,1

And executing the outward face, of royalty,

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

Mira.

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

Pro. To have no screen between this part he played
And him he played it for, he needs will be
Absolute Milan.2 Me, poor man !—my library
Was dukedom large enough. Of temporal royalties
He thinks me now incapable; confederates
(So dry3 he was for sway) with the king of Naples,
To give him annual tribute, do him homage,
Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend
The dukedom, yet unbowed, (alas, poor Milan !)
To most ignoble stooping.

Mira.

4

O the heavens !

Pro. Mark his condition, and the event; then tell me If this might be a brother.

To think but nobly of my grandmother:
Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Pro.

This king of Naples, being an enemy

Now the condition:

To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;
Which was, that he in lien 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,

Out of the substitution.] Scil. of royalty.

2 Absolute Milan.] The very duke of Milan; no other than the duke.

3 Dry.] Thirsty.

Condition.] Arrangement or compact with the king of Naples.

A treacherous army levied, one midnight
Fated to the purpose, 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.

Mira.

Alack, for pity!

I, not remembering how I cried out then, it o'er again: it is a hint1

Will

cry

That wrings mine eyes to 't.

Pro.

Hear a little further,

And then I'll bring thee to the present business

Which now 's upon us; without the which this story

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,2 they hurried us aboard a bark,

Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared
A rotten carcase of a boat, not rigged,—
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively had quit it: there they hoist3 us,
To cry to the sea that roared to us; to sigh
To the winds, whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mira.

Was I then to you!

A hint.] An occasion.

2 In few.]

Alack, what trouble

In few words, in brief. So in Hamlet, i. 3, 'In few, Ophelia, do not believe his vows.'

Hoist.] Hoised: past tense.

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

When I have decked1 the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burden groaned; which raised in me
An undergoing stomach,2 to bear up

Against what should ensue.

Mira.

Pro. By Providence divine.

How came we ashore?

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 furnished me
From my own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

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 profit3
Than other princes can, that have more time
For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.
Mira. Heavens thank you for 't!
you, sir,

And now I pray

1 Decked.] If this be Shakspeare's word, it may perhaps mean covered or augmented.

2 Undergoing stomach.] Enduring or patient temper.

* More profit.] Profit is here a verb: made thee to profit

more.

(For still 't is beating in my mind,) your reason For raising this sea storm?

Pro.

Know thus far forth :

By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune-
Now my dear lady1-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,2 but omit, my fortunes

Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions:
Thou art inclined to sleep; 't is a good dulness,
And give it way;-I know thou canst not choose.-

3

[MIRANDA sleeps.

Come away, servant, come! I am 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 curled clouds; to thy strong bidding task
Ariel and all his quality.4

Pro.

Hast thou, spirit,

Performed 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,

Now my dear lady.] Now friendly to me.

2 If now

I court not, &c.] Compare Julius Cæsar, iv. 3, There

is a tide in the affairs of men,' &c.

• Canst not choose.] Canst not help falling asleep.

• Quality.] Art, ability.

To point.] Pointedly, exactly.