And suck'd my verdure out on't. not. Mira. O good sir! I do. Thou attend'st I pray thee, mark me. Pro. As my trust was; which had, indeed, no limit, 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 (So dry he was for sway) with the king of Naples, 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 : Pro. Now the condition. This king of Naples, being an enemy 13 To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit ; The gates of Milan; and, i̇' the dead of darkness, 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, In few, they hurried us aboard a bark ; 15 Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepar'd Mira. Was I then to you! Pro. Alack what trouble O! a cherubim Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst smile, When I have deck'd 16 the sea with drops full salt; 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 Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries, tleness, Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me, 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. 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 A most auspicious star; whose influence Will ever after droop. - Here cease more questions: And give it way: -I know thou canst not choose. [MIRANDA sleeps. Come away, servant, come: I am ready now; 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? I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak, 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 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? 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. |