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.

8

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.

Pro. As great to me,

You the like loss?

as late9; and, portable

To make the dear loss, have I means much weaker
Than you may call to comfort you; for I

Have lost my daughter.

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,

this circumstance in so many other passages, as well as here, it should seem as if it were not accidental, but purposely designed to shew the cavillers of the time, that he could write a play within all the strictest laws of regularity, when he chose to load himself with the critick's fetters.

› I am woe for't, sir.] i. e. I am sorry for it. To be woe, is often used by old writers to signify, to be sorry.

9 As great to me, as late;] My loss is as great as yours, and has as lately happened to me. JOHNSON.

Are natural breath :] An anonymous correspondent thinks that their is a corruption, and that we should read-these words. His conjecture appears not improbable. The lords had no doubt concerning themselves. Their doubts related only to Prospero.

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 'tis 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

Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful : I have curs'd them without cause.

Alon.

[FERD. kneels to ALONSO. Now all the blessings

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

2 Yes, for a score of kingdoms, &c.] I take the sense to be only this: Ferdinand would not, he says, play her false for the world: Yea, answers she, I would allow you to do it for something less than the world, for twenty kingdoms, and I wish you well enough to allow you, after a little wrangle, that your play was fair. So, likewise, Dr. Grey. JOHNSON.

Mira.

O! 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's mortal;
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: she
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!

I say, Amen, Gonzalo !

Alon. 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't 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: Now, blasphemy,
That swear'st grace o'erboard, not an oath on shore?
Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?
Boats. The best news is, that we have safely found
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.

Ari.

Have I done since I went.

Pro.

Sir, all this service

My tricksy spirit !3

}

Aside.

Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen From strange to stranger :- Say, how came you hither? Boats. If I did think, sir, I were well awake,

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
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, gingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awak'd; straitway, at liberty:

3 My tricksy spirit!] Is, my clever, adroit spirit. Shakspeare uses the same word in The Merchant of Venice.

4

66

dead of sleep,] Thus the old copy. Modern editors-asleep. Mr. Malone has substituted on sleep" as the ancient English phraseology.

Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good, and gallant ship; our master
Cap'ring to eye her: On a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them,
And were brought moping hither.

Ari.

Was't well done?

Pro. Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be

free.

Aside.

Alon. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod : And there is in this business more than nature

Was ever conduct of5: some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

Pro.

Sir, my liege,

Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business: at pick'd leisure,
Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you

(Which to you shall seem probable 7,) of every
These happen'd accidents: till when, be cheerful,
And think of each thing well. — Come hither, spirit;

Set Caliban and his companions free:

[Aside.

Untie the spell. [Exit ARIEL.] How fares my gracious

sir?

There are yet missing of your company

Some few odd lads, that you remember not.

Re-enter ARIEL, driving in CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO, in their stolen Apparel.

5

Ste. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man

conduct of:] Conduct for conductor.

Conduct is yet used in the same sense: the person at Cambridge who reads prayers in King's and in Trinity college chapels, is still so styled. HENLEY.

6

with beating on

The strangeness, &c.] Beating may mean hammering, working in the mind, dwelling long upon.

7 (Which to you shall seem probable,)] I will inform you how all these wonderful accidents have happened; which, though they now appear to you strange, will then seem probable. MALONE,