Page images
PDF
EPUB

It should the good ship so have s
The freighting souls within her.
Pro. Be collected;

No more amazement: tell your p
There's no harm done.

Mira. O, woe the day!
Pro. No harm.

Thave done nothing but in care c
Of thee, my dear one! thee,
Art ignorant of what thou art,
Of whence I am; nor that I am
Than Prospero, master of a full
And thy no greater father.
Mira. More to know

id never meddle with my thou
Pro. 'Tis time,
should inform thee further.
And pluck my magic garment

Lhe there my art. Wipe thou

fort.

The direful spectacle of the w
The very virtue of compassion
Thave with such provision in
So safely order'd, that there is
No, not so much perdition as
Betid to any creature in the v
Which thou heard'st cry, v
Sit down;

For thou must now know fur

Be collected;

ald the good ship so have swallow'd, and

eighting souls within her.

[blocks in formation]

ee, my dear one! thee, my daughter!) who

norant of what thou art, nought knowing

ence I am; nor that I am more better

Prospero, master of a full poor cell,

ny no greater father.

e. More to know

ver meddle with my thoughts,

'Tis time,

d inform thee further. Lend thy hand,

Tuck my magic garment from me.-So;

100

[Lays down his mantle.

cre my art.-Wipe thou thine eyes; have com.

fort.

reful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd

ery virtue of compassion in thee,

with such provision in mine art

ely order'd, that there is no soul

Ot so much perdition as an hair,

to any creature in the vessel

■thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink.

Sit down;

ou must now know further.

Mira. You have often

Begun to tell me what I am; but stopp'd, And left me to a bootless inquisition;

Concluding, Stay, not yet.

Pro. The hour's now come;.

110

The very minute bids thee ope thine ear;
Obey, and be attentive. Canst thou remember
A time before we came unto this cell ?
I do not think thou canst; for then thou wast not
Out three years old.

Mira. Certainly, sir, I can,

Pro. By what? by any other house, or person

Of any thing the image tell me, that

Hath kept with thy remembrance.

Mira. ''Tis far off;

And rather like a dream, than an assurance That my remembrance warrants: Had I not Four or five women once, that tended me?

120

TEMPEST.

Pro. Thy mother was a piece
She said-thou wast my daugte

Was duke of Milan; thou Ins

And princess, no worse issu'd.
Mira. O the heavens!

What foul play had we, that we
Or blessed was't, we did?
Pre. Both, both, my girl:
by foul play, as thou say'st, w
But blessedly holp hither.
Mira. O, my heart bleeds
"To think o' the teen that I hav
Which is from my remembra

ther.

Pre. My brother, and thy un Ipray thee, mark me, that a be so perfidious! he whom, Of all the world I lov'd, and The manage of my state; as, Through all the signiories it w And Prospero the prime duke 139 Indignity, and, for the liber

Pro. Thou had'st, and more, Miranda: But how

is it,

That this lives in thy mind? What see'st thou else
In the dark back-ward and abysm of time?
If thou remember'st aught, ere thou cam'st here;
How thou cam'st here, thou may'st.
Mira. But that I do not.

Without a parallel; those bei The government I cast upon And to my state grew strange

Pro. Twelve years since, Miranda, twelve years And wrapp'd in secret studies

since,

Thy father was the duke of Milan, and

A prince of power.

Mira. Sir, are not you my father

Pro

Dost thou attend me?

Mira. Sir, most heedfully "Pro. Being once perfecte "How to deny them; whol

. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and
id-thou wast my daughter, and thy father
luke of Milan; thou his only heir

princess, no worse issu'd.

a. O the heavens!

140

foul play had we, that we came from thence? essed was't, we did?

Both, both, my girl:

il play, as thou say'st, were we heav'd thence;

Lessedly holp hither.

2. O, my heart bleeds

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

1 is from my remembrance! Please you fur

ther.

150

- My brother, and thy uncle, called Anthonio, thee, mark me, that a brother should

perfidious! he whom, next thyself,

the world I lov'd, and to him put

manage of my state; as, at that time,
agh all the signiories it was the first,
Prospero the prime duke; being so reputed
nity, and, for the liberal arts,

but a parallel; those being all my study,

overnment I cast upon my brother,
o my state grew stranger, being transported,
vrapp'd in secret studies. Thy false uncle

160

hou attend me?

2. Sir, most heedfully.

ro. Being once perfected how to grant suits,

to deny them; whom to advance, and whom

"To

"To trash for over-topping; new created

TEMPEST

Pro. To have no screen betw

"The creatures that were mine, I say, or chang'd'em, And him he play'd it for, he ne

"Or else new form'd'em: having both the key
"Of officer and office, set all hearts i' the state 170
"To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was

"The ivy, which had hid my princely trunk,

Absolute Milan: Me, poor ma
Was dukedom large enough; o
He thinks me now incapable:

So

dry he was for sway, with t

" And suck'd my verdure out on't." Thou attend'st Ro give hin annual tribute, do

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 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 falshood, in its contrary as great

[ocr errors]

180

"As my trust was; which had, indeed, no limit,

Subject his coronet to his crown
The dukedom, yet unbow'd (a
To most ignoble stooping.
Mira. O the heavens

Pro. Mark his condition, an
me,

If this might be a brother.
Mira. L.should sin

To think but nobly of my gra
"Good wombs have borne ba
Pro. Now the condition.

" A confidence sans bound." He being thus lorded, Tising of Naples, being an

Not only with what my revenue yielded,

But what my power might else exact, -like one,

Who having unto truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie, he did believe

To me inveterate, hearkens in
Which was, that he in lieu o'
Of homage, and I know not
Should presently extirpate me
Out of the dukedom; and con
With all the honours, on my
A treacherous army levy'd, o
Fated to the purpose, did An
The gates of Milan; and, i
The ministers for the purpose
Me, and thy crying self.

191

He was, indeed, the duke; out of the substitution,
And executing the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative:-Hence his ambition grow

ing,

Dost thou hear?

Mira. Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

[ocr errors]

Pro.

B

« PreviousContinue »