And Profpero the prime duke; being so reputed
In dignity, and, for the liberal arts,
Without a parallel; thofe being all my ftudy,
The government I cast upon my brother,

And to my state grew ftranger, being transported,
And rapt in fecret ftudies. Thy falfe uncle-

Doft thou attend me ?

Mira.

Sir, moft heedfully.

Pro. Being once perfected how to grant fuits,

How to deny them; whom to advance, and whom
To trash for over-topping; new created

The creatures that were mine; I fay, or chang'd them
Or elfe new form'd them: having both the key7

Of officer and office, fet all hearts

To what tune pleafed his ear; that now he was
The ivy, which had hid my princely_trunk,

And fuck'd my verdure out on't.-Thou attend 'ft not :
I pray thee, mark me.

Mira.

O good Sir, I do.

Pro. I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicate To clofenefs, and the bettering of my

mind

With that, which, but by being fo retir'd,

O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my false brother
Awak'd an evil nature: and my truft,

Like a good parent,& did beget of him

В 6...

A falfhood,

To trash for over-topping ;] To trafh, as Dr. Warburton obferves, is to cut away the fuperfluities. This word I have met with in books containing directions for gardeners, published in the time of queen Elizabeth. STEEVENS.

I think this phrafe means" to correct for too much haughtiness or overbearing." It is ufed by fportsmen in the North when they correct a dog for misbehaviour in pursuing the game. DOUCE.

A trafb is a term ftill in ufe among hunters, to denote a piece of leather, couples, or any other weight fastened round the neck of a dog, when his fpeed is fuperior to the rest of the pack; i, e. when he over-tops them, when he bunts too quick. C.

7both the key- -] This is meant of a key for tuning the harpficord, fpinnet, or virginal; we call it now a tuning hammer. SIR J. HAWKINS.

8 Like a good parent, &c.] Alluding to the observation, that a father above the common rate of men has commonly a fon below it. Johnson,

A falfhood, in its contrary as great

As my truft was; which had, indeed, no limit,
A confidence fans bound. He being thus lorded,
Not only with what my revenue yielded,
But what my power might elfe exact,—like one,
Who having, unto truth, by telling of it,
Made fuch a finner of his memory,
To credit his own lie,-he did believe
He was the duke; out of the substitution,
And executing the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative,-Hence his ambition
Growing,-Doft hear?

Mira.

Your tale, fir, would cure deafnefs.
Pro! To have no fcreen between this part he play'd
And him he play'd it for, he needs will be
Abfolute Milan: Me, poor man !-my library

Was dukedom large enough; of temporal royalties in
He thinks me now incapable: confederates

(So dry he was for fway 9) with the king of Naples,
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 moft ignoble ftooping.

Mira.

O the heavens !

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

Mira.

I fhould fin

To think but nobly 2 of my grandmother :·

Good wombs have borne bad fons.

Pro.

Now the condition.

This king of Naples, being an enemy.

To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's fuit;

Which was, that he in lieu o' the premises,3

2

Of

(So dry he was for fway)] i. e. So thirty. The expreffion, I am told, is not uncommon in the midland counties. STEEVENS. 2 To think but nobly-] But, in this place, fignifies otherwise than.

STEEVENS.

3-in lieu o the premises, &c.] In lieu of, means here, in confideraan unusual acceptation of the word. M. MASON.

on of

expression 7 so in Faldicht

is not a general offission?

Is it

"Good wine, a friend, or being drgive.

་

Of homage, and I know not how much tribute,
Should prefently extirpate me and mine
Out of the dukedom; and confer fair Milan,
With all the honours, on my brother: Whereon,
A treacherous army levy'd, one midnight
Fated to the purpose, did Antonio open

The gates of Milan; and, i' the dead of darkness;
The minifters for the purpofe hurried thence
Me, and thy crying felf.

Mira.

Alack, for pity!

I, not rememb'ring how I cried out then,
Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint,4

That wrings mine eyes.5

Pro.

Hear a little further,

And then I'll bring thee to the prefent business

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

Were moft impertinent.

Mira.

Wherefore did they not

Well demanded, wench;

My tale provokes that queftion. Dear, they durft not;

(So dear the love my people bore me) nor fet

A mark fo bloody on the bufinefs; but

With colours fairer painted their foul ends.
In few they hurried us aboard a bark;

Bore us fome leagues to fea; where they prepar'd
A rotten carcafe of a boat, not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, fail, nor maft; the very rats
Inftinctively had quit it: there they hoift us,
To cry to the fea that roar'd to us; to figh
To the winds, whofe pity, fighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mira.

Alack! what trouble

O! a cherubim

Thou waft, that did preferve me! Thou didst smile,

Infused

4 - a hint,] Hint is fuggeftion. STEEVENS.
5 That wrings mine eyes.] i. e. fqueezes the water out of them.

STELVENS,

Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

When I have deck'd the fea with drops full falt;
Under my burden groan'd; which rais'd in me
An undergoing ftomach, to bear

Against what should enfue,

Mira.

Pro. By Providence divine.

up

How came we afhore ?

Some food we had, and fome fresh water, that
A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

Out of his charity, (who being then appointed
Mafter of this defign,) did give us; with
Rich garments, linens, ftuffs, and neceffaries,
Which fince have fteaded much: fo, of his gentleness,
Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me,

From my own library, with volumes that

I prize above
Mira.

my dukedom.

But ever fee that man !

Pro.

'Would I might

Now I arife: 8

Sit

6

-deck'd the fea] To deck the fea, if explained, to honour, adorn, or dignify, is indeed ridiculous, but the original import of the verb deck is, to cover; so in some parts they yet fay deck the table. This fenfe may be borne, but perhaps the poet wrote fleck'd, which I think is still ufed in ruftic language of drops falling upon water. Dr. Warburton reads mack'd; the Oxford edition brack'd. JOHNSON.

To deck, I am told, fignifies in the North, to Sprinkle. A correfpondent, who figns himfelf Eboracenfis, propofes that this contefted word should be printed degg'd, which, fays he, fignifies sprinkled, and is in daily ufe in the North of England. When cloaths that have been washed are too much dried, it is neceffary to moisten them before they can be ironed, which is always done by fprinkling; this operation the maidens univerfally call degging. REED.

7 An undergoing ftomach.] Stomach is ftubborn refolution.

Now I arife:] Why does Profpero arife? Or, if he does it to eafe himfelf by change of pofture, why need he interrupt his narrative to tell his daughter of it? Perhaps these words belong to Miranda, and we fhould read:

Mir. Would I might

But ever fee that man!-Now I arife.

Pro. Sit ftill, and hear the last of our fea-forrow :

Profpero, in p. 13. had directed his daughter to fit down, and learn the whole of this hiftory; having previously by fome magical charm difpofed *her to fall asleep. He is watching the progrefs of this charm; and in the

Sit ftill, and hear the last of our fea-forrow.
Here in this island we arriv'd; and here
Have I, thy school-matter, made thee more profit
Than other princes can, that have more time

For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

Mira. Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you, fir,

(For ftill 'tis beating in my mind) your reafon

For raifing this fea-ftorm?

Pro.

Know thus far forth.—

By accident moft ftrange, bountiful fortune,
Now my dear lady,9 hath mine enemies
Brought to this fhore; and by my prescience
I find my zenith doth depend upon
A moft aufpicious ftar; whose influence
If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes
Will ever after droop.-Here ceafe more questions;
Thou art inclin'd to fleep; 'tis a good dulness,*
And give it way;-I know thou can't not choose.-

[MIRANDA Sleeps. F

Come away, fervant, come: I am ready now;
Approach, my Ariel; come.

Enter

mean time tells her a long story, often asking her whether her attention be ftill awake. The ftory being ended (as Miranda supposes) with their coming on thore, and partaking of the conveniences provided for them by the loyal humanity of Gonzalo, she therefore first expreffes a wish to fee the good old man, and then obferves, that the may now arife, as the story is done. Profpero, surprised that his charm does not yet work, bids her fit ftill; and then enters on fresh matter to amuse the time, telling her (what the knew before) that he had been her tutor, &c. But foon perceiving her drowsiness coming on, he breaks off abruptly, and leaves her fill fitting to her flumbers. BLACKSTONE.

As the words" now I arife"-may signify, "now I rife in my narration," "now my ftory heightens in its confequence," I have left the paffage in question, undisturbed. We ftill fay, that the intereft of a drama rifes or declines. STEEVENS.

9 Now my dear lady,] i. e. now my aufpicious miftrefs. STEEVENS. 2'tis a good dulnefs,] Dr. Warburton rightly obferves, that this fleepinefs, which Profpero by his art had brought upon Miranda, and of which he knew not how foon the effect would begin, makes him question her fo often whether she is attentive to his ftory. JOHNSON.