No, not so much perdition as an hair

Betid to any creature in the vessel

30

Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink. Sit down; For thou must now know farther.

Mir.

You have often

Begun to tell me what I am; but stopp'd,
And left me to a bootless inquisition,
Concluding 'Stay: not yet.'

Pros.

The hour's now come;

The very minute bids thee ope thine ear;

Obey, and be attentive. Canst thou remember
A time before we came unto this cell?

I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not
Out three years old.

Mir.

Certainly, sir, I can.

Pros. By what? by any other house or person ? Of any thing the image tell me, that

Hath kept with thy remembrance.

Mir.

'Tis far off,

45

And rather like a dream than an assurance
That my remembrance warrants. Had I not

Four or five women once that tended me?

Pros. Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it
That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else
In the dark backward and abysm of time?

If thou remember'st aught ere thou camest here,
How thou camest here thou

mayst.

But that I do not.

38 thou] om. Pope.

15

50

41 Out] Full Pope (after Dryden).
Quite Collier MS. But Anon. conj.
MS.

44 with] in Pope (after Dryden).
50 dark backward] Hyphened in F1F2.

Pros. Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since, Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and

A prince of power.

Mir.

Sir, are not you my father?

Pros. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan; and his only heir

A princess, no worse issued.

Mir.

O the heavens !

What foul play had we, that we came from thence?
Or blessed was't we did?

Pros.

Both, both, my girl:

By foul play, as thou say'st, were we heaved thence;
But blessedly holp hither.

Mir.

O, my heart bleeds

To think o' the teen that I have turn'd you to,

Which is from my remembrance! Please you, farther. 65 Pros. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Antonio,—

I pray thee, mark me,-that a brother should

Be so perfidious!-he whom, next thyself,
Of all the world I loved, and to him put
The manage of my state; as at that time
Through all the signories it was the first,
And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed
In dignity, and for the liberal arts

Without a parallel; those being all my study,
The government I cast upon my brother,

53 Twelve year...year] 'Tis twelve years
...years Pope.

58, 59 and his only heir A princess,] Pope. and his onelie heire, And Princesse; Ff. thou his only heir A princess, Hanmer. thou his only heir And princess, Steevens. and thou his only heir A princess, Johnson conj.

63 holp] help'd Pope.

70

75

O, my heart] My heart Pope. 70 as at that time] FF2 as at that time. F3F4. as, at that time, John

son.

71 Through] Though F. Though of Hunter conj.

74 those] these So quoted by Hunter.

And to my state grew stranger, being transported
And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle-
Dost thou attend me?

Mir.

Sir, most heedfully.

Pros. Being once perfected how to grant suits,
How to deny them, who to advance, and who
To trash for over-topping, new created

The creatures that were mine, I say, or changed 'em,
Or else new form'd 'em; having both the key
Of officer and office, set all hearts i' the state

To what tune pleased his ear; that now he was
The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,
And suck'd my verdure out on't. Thou attend'st not.
Mir. O, good sir, I do.

Pros.
I pray thee, mark me.
I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated
To closeness and the bettering of my mind
With that which, but by being so retired,
O'er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother
Awaked 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,

76 stranger] a stranger Keightley conj. 77 studies. Thy] Rowe. studies, thy Ff. 78 me] om. F3F4.

80 who...who] F1. whom...whom F2F3F4. 81 To trash] To plash Hanmer. To

crush Long MS. To thrash Marsh. Too rash D. Wilson conj. 82, 83 'em...'em] them...them Capell. 84

the state] i'th state F1. e'th state F2 o'th state F3F4- om. Pope. 87 my] the Hudson (Harvard ed.). 88 0, good sir...mark me.] Good sir...

mark me then. Pope. O yes, good sir...mark me. Capell.

Mir. O,...do. Pros. I...me] I...me. Mir. O...do. Steevens (1793). 89 dedicated] dedicate Steevens, 1793 (Ritson conj.).

91 so] F. om. F2F3F4

92 O'er-prized] O'er-peized Nicholson
conj.

95 falsehood...as] falsehood, in its con-
trary, as Nicholson conj.
97 lorded] Loaded Collier MS.

Not only with what my revenue yielded,

But what my power might else exact, like one
Who having into truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie, he did believe

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

With all prerogative:-hence his ambition growing,—
Dost thou hear?

Mir.

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

100

106

Pros. To have no screen between this part he play'd And him he play'd it for, he needs will be

Absolute Milan.

Me, poor man, my library

99 exact, like] exact. Like Ff.
100 Who...of it] Whose having in the
truth, by his telling of it Bulloch
conj.

having into truth...of it] loving an
untruth, and telling 't oft Hanmer.
having unto truth...oft Warburton.
having injured truth...of it Warbur-
ton conj. A line lost. Heath conj.
having sinn'd to truth...oft Mus-
grave conj. having into truth by
telling 't oft Theobald conj. having
to untruth,...of it Collier, ed. 2
(Collier MS.). adding unto truth...
of it Duffus Hardy conj. having
sinn'd to truth, by telling of it
Wetherell conj. (Athenæum, 1866).
having-sin to truth-by telling
of it H. D. conj. (Athenæum,
1866). hating an untruth...of it
D. Wilson conj. loving an un-
truth, by telling of it Anon. conj.
(N. and Q. 1877). adding unto truth
by telling oft Green conj. having
come into trust,...of it Herr conj.
having in untruth, by telling of it
Kinnear conj. having unto truth,

Was dukedom large enough of temporal royalties
He thinks me now incapable; confederates,

So dry he was for sway, wi' 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.

Mir.

O the heavens!

110

115

Pros. Mark his condition, and the event; then tell me If this might be a brother.

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

Pros.

Now the condition.

This King of Naples, being an enemy
To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit
Which was, that he, in lieu 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

110 enough] enough for Keightley.

royalties] roalties F1. realties D. Wilson conj.

112 dry] ripe D. Wilson conj.

w the] Capell. with Ff. with Rowe. with the Steevens.

116 most] F1 much F2F3F4. 117 his] the Hanmer.

119 but] not Pope.

120 Good...sons] Spoken by Prospero, Hanmer (Theobald conj.).

borne] bore Theobald.

121

125

130

condition] conduct Gould conj. 122 hearkens] hears Pope. hearks Theobald. harks Walker conj. 123, 124 premises, Of] promises Of D. Wilson conj.

129 Fated] Mated Dryden's version. purpose] practise Collier, ed. 2 (Collier MS.).

131 ministers] minister Rowe.