As I was sometime Milan.

Thou shalt ere long be free.

-

Quickly, spirit;

ARIEL re-enters, singing, and helps to attire Prospero.

Ari. Where the bee sucks, there suck I;

In a cowslip's belt I lie:

There I couch. When owls do cry,

On the bat's back I do fly,

After summer, merrily:

Merrily, merrily, shall I live now,

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

Pro. Why, that's my dainty Ariel! I shall miss thee; But yet thou shalt have freedom:

So, so, so.

To the king's ship, invisible as thou art:

There shalt thou find the mariners asleep

Under the hatches; the master, and the boatswain,

Being awake, enforce them to this place,

And presently, I pr'ythee.

Ari. I drink the air before me, and return

Or e'er your pulse twice beat.

[Exit ARIEL.

Gon. All torment, trouble, wonder, and amazement Inhabit here: some heavenly power guide us

Out of this fearful country!

Pro

Behold, sir king,

The wronged duke of Milan, Prospero.

For more assurance that a living prince
Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body;
And to thee, and thy company, I bid

A hearty welcome.

Alon.

Whe'r thou beest he, or no,

Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me,

As late I have been, I not know: thy pulse

Beats as of flesh and blood; and, since I saw thee,
Th' affliction of my mind amends, with which,

I fear, a madness held me. This must crave
(An if this be at all) a most strange story.

Thy dukedom I resign; and do entreat

Thou pardon me my wrongs. But how should Prospero

Be living, and be here?

Pro.

Let me embrace thine age,
Be measur'd, or confin'd.
Gon.

Or be not, I'll not swear.

Pro.

Some subtleties o' the isle,
Believe things certain.

First, noble friend,
whose honour cannot

Whether this be,

You do yet taste
that will not let you
Welcome, my friends all.

But you, my brace of lords, were I so minded,

[Aside to SEB. and ANT.

I here could pluck his highness' frown upon you,
And justify you traitors: at this time

I will tell no tales.

Seb. [Aside.] The devil speaks in him.
Pro.

No.

For you, most wicked Sir, whom to call brother
Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive

Thy rankest fault; all of them; and require
My dukedom of thee, which, perforce, I know,
Thou must restore.

Alon.

If thou beest Prospero,
Give us particulars of thy preservation:

How thou hast met us here, who three hours since
Were wreck'd upon this shore; where I have lost,
(How sharp the point of this remembrance is!)
My dear son Ferdinand.

Pro.

I am woe for 't, Sir.

Alon. Irreparable is the loss, and patience

Says it is past her cure.

Pro.

I rather think,

You have not sought her help; of whose soft grace,

For the like loss I have her sovereign aid,

And rest myself content.

Alon.

You the like loss?

Pro. As great to me, as late; and, supportable To make the dear loss, have I means much weaker Than you may call to comfort you, for I

O heavens! that they were living both in Naples,
The king and queen there! that they were, I wish
Myself were mudded in that oozy bed

Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?

Pro. In this last tempest. I perceive, these lords

At this encounter do so much admire,

That they devour their reason, and scarce think
Their eyes do offices of truth, their words
Are natural breath; but, howsoe'er you have
Been justled from your senses, know for certain,

That I am Prospero, and that very duke

Which was thrust forth of Milan; who most strangely
Upon this shore, where you were wreck'd, was landed,
To be the lord on 't. No more yet of this;

For 't is a chronicle of day by day,

Not a relation for a breakfast, nor

Befitting this first meeting. Welcome, Sir;
This cell's my court: here have I few attendants,
And subjects none abroad: pray you, look in.
My dukedom since you have given me again,
I will requite you with as good a thing;

At least, bring forth a wonder, to content ye
As much as me my dukedom.

The entrance of the Cell opens, and discovers FERDINAND and MIRANDA playing at chess.

Mira. Sweet lord, you play me false.

Fer.

I would not for the world.

No, my dearest love,

Mira. Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, And I would call it fair play.

A vision of the island, one dear son

Shall I twice lose.

Seb.

A most high miracle!

Fer. Though the seas threaten they are merciful:

I have curs'd them without cause.

Alon.

[FERD. kneels to ALON.

Now, all the blessings

Of a glad father compass thee about!
Arise, and say how thou cam'st here.

Mira.

0, wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O, brave new world,
That has such people in 't!

Pro.

'Tis new to thee.

Alon. What is this maid, with whom thou wast at play? Your eld'st acquaintance cannot be three hours:

Is she the goddess that hath sever'd us,

And brought us thus together?

Fer.

Sir, she is mortal;

She

But, by immortal providence, she 's mine:
I chose her, when I could not ask my father
For his advice, nor thought I had one.
Is daughter to this famous duke of Milan,
Of whom so often I have heard renown,
But never saw before; of whom I have
Received a second life, and second father
This lady makes him to me.

Alon.

I am hers. But O! how oddly will it sound, that I

Must ask my child forgiveness.

Pro.

There, Sir, stop:

Let us not burden our remembrances
With a heaviness that 's gone.

Gon.

I have inly wept,

Or should have spoke ere this. Look down, you gods,

And on this couple drop a blessed crown,

For it is you that have chalk'd forth the way,
Which brought us hither!

Alon.

I say, Amen, Gonzalo.

Gon. Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue
Should become kings of Naples? O! rejoice
Beyond a common joy, and set it down
With gold on lasting pillars. In one voyage
Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis;
And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife,
Where he himself was lost; Prospero his dukedom,
In a poor isle; and all of us, ourselves,

When no man was his own.

Alon.

Give me your hands:

[To FER. and MIR.

Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart,
That doth not wish you joy!

Gon.

Be it so: Amen.

Re-enter ARIEL, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly

following.

O look, Sir! look, Sir! here are more of us.

I prophesied, if a gallows were on land,
This fellow could not drown.
That swear'st grace o'erboard,
Hast thou no mouth by land?

Now, blasphemy,
not an oath on shore?
What is the news?
that we have safely found

Boats. The best news is,
Our king, and company: the next our ship,
Which but three glasses since we gave out split,
Is tight, and yare, and bravely rigg'd, as when
We first put out to sea.

Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen
Say, how came you hither?
Boats. If I did think, Sir, I were well awake,

From strange to stranger.

I'd strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,
And (how we know not) all clapp'd under hatches,
Where, but even now, with strange and several noises