Master of a ship, Boatswain, and Mariners. SCENE,-The sea, with a Ship: afterwards an uninhabited Island. SCENE I.-On a Ship at Sea. A Storm with Thunder and Lightning. Enter a Ship-master and a Boatswain. Master Boatswain, ACT I. Boats. Here, master: What cheer? Master. Good: Speak to the mariners : fall to't yarely, or we run ourselves aground; bestir, bestir [Exit. Enter Mariners. Gon. Good; yet remember whom thou hast aboard. Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a counsellor; if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present we will not hand a rope more; use your authority. If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap.-Cheerly, good hearts.-Out of our way, I say. [Exit. Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow : methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good fate, to his hanging! make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage! if he be not born to be hanged our case is miserable. [Exeunt. Re-enter Boatswain. For our case is as theirs. Seb. I am out of patience. Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards. This wide-chapped rascal; -'Would, thou might'st lie drowning, The washing of ten tides! Gon. He'll be hanged yet; Though every drop of water swear against it, [A confused noise within.] - Mercy on us! We split, we split! - Farewell, my wife and children! Farewell, brother! We split, we split, we split! Ant. Let's all sink with the king. [Exit. Seb. Let's take leave of him. [Exit. Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground; long heath, brown furze, any thing: The wills above be done! but I would fain die a dry death. [Erit. SCENE II.The Island: before the Cell of PROSPERO. Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mira. If by your art, my dearest father, you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them: The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch, But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek, Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffer'd With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel, Who had no doubt some noble creatures in her, Dash'd all to pieces. O, the cry did knock Against my very heart! Poor souls! they perish'd. Had I been any god of power, I would Have sunk the sea within the earth, or e'er It should the good ship so have swallowed, and The freighting souls within her. Pro. Be collected; No more amazement: tell your piteous heart, There's no harm done. Mira. Pro. O, woe the day! No harm. And rather like a dream than an assurance That this lives in thy mind? What see'st thou else Thy father was the duke of Milan, and Mira. Sir, are not you my father? Pro. 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. Mira. O, the heavens ! What foul play had we, that we came from thence; Or blessed was't, we did? Pro. Both, both, my girl; By foul play, as thou say'st, were we heav'd thence; But blessedly holp hither. Mira. O, my heart bleeds To think o' the teen that I have turn'd you tc, Which is from my remembrance! Please you, fur ther. Pro. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Antonio, — And to my state grew stranger, being transported, Mira. Sir, most heedfully. Pro. Being once perfected how to grant suits, O good sir, I do. Pro. I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicate To closeness, and the bettering of my mind With that, which, but by being so retired, O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my false brother Awak'd 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, Not only with what my revenue yielded, But what my power might else exact, Who having, unto truth, by telling of it, Made such a sinner of his memory, To credit his own lie,- he did believe He was the duke; out of the substitution, And executing the outward face of royalty, With all prerogative: - Hence his ambition Growing, Dost hear? Mira. like one, 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 Mira. O the heavens! Pro. Mark his condition, and the event; then tell me, If this might be a brother. I should sin Mira. Pro. Mira. Alack, for pity! I, not rememb'ring how I cry'd out then, Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint, That wrings mine eyes. 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. My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not; (So dear the love my people bore me) nor set Mira. Was I then to you! Pro. Alack! what trouble O! a cherubim Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. (For still 'tis beating in my mind,) your reason Pro. Know thus far forth... By accident most strange, bountiful fortune, Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies Brought to this shore: and by my prescience I find my zenith doth depend upon A most auspicious star; whose influence now I court not, but omit, my fortunes Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions, Thou art inclin'd to sleep; 'tis a good dulness, And give it way; - I know thou can'st not choose... [MIRANDA Sleep Come away, servant, come: I am ready now; Approach, my Ariel; come. 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 Of sulphurous roaring, the most mighty Neptune Pro. Would not infect his reason? Ari. Is the king's ship; in the deep nook, where once Supposing that they saw the king's ship wreck'd, Prv. Ariel, thy charge Exactly is perform'd; but there's more work: What is the time o' the day? Ar. Past the mid season. Pro. At least two glasses: The time 'twixt six and now, Must by us both be spent most preciously. Told thee no lies, made no mistakings, serv'd promise To bate me a full year. Pro. Dost thou forget No. From what a torment I did free thee? Pro. Thou dost; and think'st Once in a month, recount what thou hast been, Pro. This blue-ey'd hag was hither brought with And here was left by the sailors: Thou, my slave, groans, As fast as mill-wheels strike: Then was this island, A freckled whelp, hag-born,) not honour'd with Ari. Yes; Caliban her son. Ari. Ari. Is there more toil? Since thou dost give Thou hast howl'd away twelve winters. Re-enter ARIEL invisible, playing and singing; Come unto these yellow sands, And then take hands: Court'sied when you have, and kiss'd, (The wild waves whist,) Foot it featly here and there; And, sweet sprites, the burden bear. Bur. Bowgh, wowgh. The watch-dogs bark: Bur. Bowgh, wowgh. Hark, hark! I hear The strain of strutting chanticlere [dispersedly. [dispersedly. Fer. Where should this musick be? i' the air, or the earth? It sounds no more: -and sure it waits upon Some god of the island. Sitting on a bank This misick crept by me upon the waters; Weeping again the king my father's wreck, Allaying both their fury, and my passion, With its sweet air: thence I have follow'd it, Or it hath drawn me rather: — But 'tis gone. No, it begins again. ARIEL Sings. Full fathom five thy father lies; Hark! now I hear them,—ding-dong, bell. [Burden, ding-dong. Fer. The ditty does remember my drown'd fa ther : |