And suck'd my verdure out on't.

not.

Mira. O good sir! I do.

Thou attend'st

I pray

thee, mark me.

Pro.
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,1o in my false brother
Awak'd 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,
Who having, unto truth, by telling of it,12
Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie, - he did believe

like one,

12

He was indeed the duke; out o' the substitution, And executing the outward face of royalty,

With all prerogative :

Growing,

Mira.

Hence his ambition

Dost thou hear?

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness. Pro. To have no screen between this part he play'd And him he play'd it for, he needs will be

10 The sense is here rendered somewhat obscure by the brevity of expression. The meaning seems to be: "Which would have exceeded all popular estimate, but that it withdrew me from my public duties;" as if he were sensible of his error in getting sorapt in secret studies" as to leave the State a prey to violence and usurpation.

H.

11 Alluding to the observation that a father above the common rate of men has generally a son below it.

12 It here refers to lie in the second line below. So that the meaning is: "Who, having made his memory such a sinner to truth by lying, that he came to believe his own lie." In like manner Tacitus says of certain men, fingebant simul credebant

que.

H.

VOL. I. 3

Absolute Milan: Me, poor man! — my library
Was dukedom large enough of temporal royalties
He thinks me now incapable; confederates

(So dry 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 unbow'd, (alas, poor Milan !)
To most ignoble stooping.

Mira.

O the heavens !

Pro. Mark his condition, and the event; then

tell me,

If this might be a brother.

Mira.

I should sin

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

Pro.

Now the condition.

This king of Naples, being an enemy

13

To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit ;
Which was, that he in lieu13 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,
A treacherous army levied, one midnight,
Fated to the purpose, did Antonio open

The gates of Milan; and, i̇' the dead of darkness,
The ministers for the purpose hurried thence

Me, and thy crying self.

Mira.

Alack, for pity!

I, not rememb'ring how I cried out then,

Will

cry it o'er again it is a hint,'

That wrings mine eyes to't.

14

12 In lieu of the premises; that is, "in consideration of the premises," &c.

14 Hint is here used for cause or subject. Thus in a future passage we have: "Our hint of woe."

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

Were most impertinent.

Mira.

That hour destroy us?

Pro.

Wherefore did they not

Well demanded, wench:

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, they hurried us aboard a bark ;

15

Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepar'd
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively have quit 13 it: there they hoist us,
To cry to the sea that roar'd to us; to sigh
To the winds, whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mira.

Was I then to you!

Pro.

Alack what trouble

O! a cherubim

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

When I have deck'd 16 the sea with drops full salt;
Under my burden groan'd; which rais'd in me
An undergoing stomach," to bear up

Against what should ensue.

15 Quit was commonly used for quitted.

16 There is a good deal of doubt as to what sense this word is here used in, whether it be to adorn, or to cover; of which the former seems inappropriate, and the other altogether forced. Some good editors think it should be degg'd; a word still used in the north of England for to sprinkle. This sense is so much better than either of the others, that we cannot help thinking it the right one.

17 Stomach is here used in its old sense of courage.

H.

H.

Mira.

How came we ashore ?

Pro. By Providence divine.

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 gen-

tleness,

Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me,
From my own library, with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

Mira.

But ever see that man !

Pro.

'Would I might

Now I arise:

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arriv'd; and here
Have I, thy school-master, made thee more profit
Than other princess can, that have more time
For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

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

(For still 'tis beating in my mind,) your reason For raising this sea-storm?

By accident most strange, bountiful fortune,

Now my dear lady, 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, but omit, my fortunes

Will ever after droop. - Here cease more questions:
Thou art inclin'd to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,

And give it way:

-I know thou canst not choose.

[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 curl'd clouds: 18 to thy strong bidding, task Ariel, and all his quality.19

Pro.

Hast thou, spirit,

Perform'd to point 20 the tempest that I bade thee?
Ari. To every article.

I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak,
Now in the waist,21 the deck, in every cabin,
I flam'd amazement: Sometimes, I'd divide,
And burn in many places; on the top-mast,
The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,
Then meet, and join. Jove's lightnings, the pre-

cursors

O' the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary

18 This is imitated in Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdess :

"tell me, sweetest,

What new service now is meetest
For the satyre; shall I stray

In the middle air, and stay

The sailing racke, or nimbly take

Hold by the moon, and gently make

Suit to the pale queen of night,

For a beame to give thee light?
Shall I dive into the sea,

And bring thee coral, making way

Through the rising waves," &c.

19 Ariel's quality is not his confederates, but the powers of his nature as a spirit.

20 i. e. to the minutest article; from the French à point.

21 Beak, the prow of the ship: waist, the part between the quarter-deck and forecastle.