Mira. But, certainly a maid. No wonder, sir; My language! heavens! that speak this speech, I am the best of them How! the best? Pro. What wert thou, if the king of Naples heard thee? Fer. A single thing,39 as I am now, that wonders To hear thee speak of Naples: He does hear me; And, that he does, I weep: myself am Naples; Who with mine eyes, ne'er since at ebb, beheld The king my father wreck'd. Mira. Alack, for mercy! Fer. Yes, faith, and all his lords; the duke of Milan, And his brave son, being twain. The duke of Milan, Pro. And his more braver daughter, could control 40 thee, If now 'twere fit to do't.-[Aside.] At the first sight They have chang'd eyes:- Delicate Ariel, I'll set thee free for this! [To FERD.] A word, good sir: I fear, you have done yourself some wrong: 41 a word. Mira. Why speaks my father so ungently? This Is the third man that e'er I saw; the first he now asks, if she be a mortal; not a celestial being, but a maiden. Of course her answer is to be taken in the same sense as his question. H. 39 i. e. a weak, feeble thing. The Poet elsewhere uses single in this sense; as in Macbeth: "Shakes so my single state of man." H. 40 To control here signifies to confute, to contradict unanswerably. The ancient meaning of control was to check or exhibit a contrary account, from the old French contre-roller. 41 i. e. done wrong to your character, in claiming to be king of Naples. Fer. O! if a virgin, And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you The queen of Naples. Pro. Soft, sir: one word more. [Aside.] They are both in either's powers: but this swift business I must uneasy make, lest too light winning That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp From me, Fer. the lord on't. No, as I am a man. Mira. There's nothing ill can dwell in such a temple : If the ill spirit have so fair a house, Good things will strive to dwell with't. Pro. [To FERD.] Follow me. — Speak not you for him; he's a traitor. . Come: I'll manacle thy neck and feet together; Sea-water shalt thou drink, thy food shall be The fresh-brook muscles, wither'd roots, and husks, Wherein the acorn cradled: Follow. Fer. I will resist such entertainment, till Mine enemy has more power. Mira. No; [He draws, and is charmed from moving. O dear father, Make not too rash a trial of him, for He's gentle, and not fearful. Pro. What! I say: Who mak'st a show, but dar'st not strike, thy con science Is so possess'd with guilt: come from thy ward; Mira. Pro. Hence! hang not on my garments. Mira. I'll be his surety. Pro. 42 Beseech you, father! Sir, have pity: Silence! one word more Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What! An advocate for an impostor? hush! Thou think'st there are no more such shapes as he, Having seen but him and Caliban: Foolish wench! To the most of men this is a Caliban, And they to him are angels. Mira. My affections Are then most humble: I have no ambition To see a goodlier man. Pro. [To FERD.] Thy nerves are in their infancy again, And have no vigor in them. Fer. Come on; obey: So they are: My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up. The wreck of all my friends, or this man's threats, Might I but through my prison once a day Pro. [Aside.] It works. -[To FERD. and MIRA. Come on. Thou hast done well, fine Ariel! - Follow me. 42 i. e. posture of defence. My father's of a better nature, sir, Than he appears by speech: this is unwonted, Pro. Thou shalt be as free As mountain winds: but then exactly do All points of my command. Ari. To the syllable. Pro. Come, follow: Speak not for him. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. Another part of the Island. Enter ALONZO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and others. Gon. 'Beseech you, sir, be merry: you have cause (So have we all) of joy; for our escape 1 The masters of some merchant,2 and the merchant, Have just our theme of woe; but for the miracle, I mean our preservation, few in millions Can speak like us: then wisely, good sir, weigh Our sorrow with our comfort. Alon. 3 Pr'ythee, peace. Seb. He receives comfort like cold porridge. 1 i. e. cause of sorrow. 2 It was usual to call a merchant-vessel a merchant, as we now say a merchant-man. 3 He calls Gonzalo the visitor, in allusion to the office of one who visits the sick to give advice and consolation. Gon. Dolour comes to him, indeed: you have spoken truer than you purposed. Seb. You have taken it wiselier than I meant you should. Gon. Therefore, my lord, Ant. Fie, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue! Alon. I pr'ythee, spare. Gon. Well, I have done: But yet Seb. He will be talking. Ant. Which of them, he, or Adrian, for a good wager, first begins to crow? Seb. The old cock. Ant. The cockrel. Seb. Done: The wager? Ant. A laughter. Seb. A match. Adr. Though this island seem to be desert, – Seb. Ha, ha, ha! Ant. So, you've paid. Adr. Uninhabitable, and almost inaccessible,Seb. Yet Ant. He could not miss it. Adr. It must needs be of subtle, tender, and delicate temperance.* Ant. Temperance was a delicate wench. 4 By temperance Adrian means temperature, and Antonio plays upon the word; doubtless an allusion to the Puritan custom of bestowing the names of the cardinal virtues upon their children. H. |