Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful:

I have curs'd them without cause.

Alon.

[FER. kneels to ALON, Now all the blessings

Of a glad father compass thee about!
Arise, and say how thou cam'st here.
Mira.
O! wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!

Pro.

'Tis new to thee. Alon. What is this maid, with whom thou wast at play? 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's 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: 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.

Alon.
I am hers;
But O, how oddly will it sound, that I
Must ask my child forgiveness!

Pro.

There, sir, stop:

Let us not burden our remembrances
With heaviness that's gone.

Gon.

I have inly wept,

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;
And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife

Where he himself was lost; Prospero his duke

dom,

In a poor isle; and all of us, ourselves,
When no man was his own.

Alon.

Give me your hands:

[To FER. and MIRA.

Be't so! Amen!

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

Gon.

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? Boats. 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.

Ari.

Sir, all this service Have I done since I went.

[Aside.

Pro.
My tricksy spirit! S
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'd 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, gingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awak'd; straightway at liberty:
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good, and gallant ship; our master
Cap'ring to eye her: On a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them,
And were brought moping hither.

Ari.

Was't well done?

Pro. Bravely, my diligence. Thou [Aside.

shalt be free.

Alon. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod: And there is in this business more than nature Was ever conduct of: some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

Pro.

Sir, my liege, Do not infest your mind with beating on The strangeness of this business: at pick'd lei

sure,

Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you (Which to you shall seem probable) of every These happen'd accidents: till when, be cheer. ful,

spirit ;

And think of each thing well.-Come hither, [Aside. Untie the spell. [Exit ARIEL.] How fares my gracious sir?

Set Caliban and his companions free :

There are yet missing of your company
Some few odd lads, that you remember not.

Re-enter ARIEL, driving in CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, in their stolen apparel.

Ste. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man take care for himself; for all is but for tune-Coragio, bully-monster, Coragio!

Trin. If these be true spies which I wear in my head, here's a goodly sight.

Cal. O Setebos, these be brave spirits, indeed! How fine my master is! I am afraid

He will chastise me.

What things are these, my lord Antonio!
Will money buy them?

Ant.

Very like; one of them

Is a plain fish, 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:

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 them?— How cam'st 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.

Pro. You'd be king of the isle, sirrah?

on.

Ste. I should have been a sore one then. Alon. This is as strange a thing as e'er I look'd [Pointing to CALIBAN. Pro. He is as disproportion'd in his manners, As in his shape :-Go, sirral 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 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-belov'd solemnized; 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.

Pro.

I'll deliver all;

And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales, And sail so expeditions, 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, draw near. [Exeunt.

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 confin'd 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 reliev'd 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.