Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him

Dear life redeems you.

You perceive she stirs :

[Hermione comes down.

Start not; her actions shall be holy as
You hear my spell is lawful: do not shun her
Until you see her die again; for then

You kill her double. Nay, present your hand:
When she was young you woo'd her; now in age
Is she become the suitor ?

Leon.

O, she's warm!

If this be magic, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.

Pol.

She embraces him

Cam. She hangs about his neck:

If she pertain to life let her speak too.

Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has

lived,

Or how stolen from the dead.

Paul.

That she is living,

Were it but told you, should be hooted at
Like an old tale: but it appears she lives,
Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.
Please you to interpose, fair madam: kneel

And pray your mother's blessing. Turn, good

lady;

Our Perdita is found.

You gods, look down

Her. And from your sacred vials pour your graces Upon my daughter's head! Tell me, mine own, Where hast thou been preserved? where lived?

how found

Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear that I,
Knowing by Paulina that the oracle

Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserved
Myself to see the issue.

Paul.

There's time enough for that;

Lest they desire upon this push to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
You precious winners all; your exultation
Partake to every one. I, an old turtle,
Will wing me to some wither'd bough and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,
Lament till I am lost.

Leon.

O, peace, Paulina !
Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent,
As I by thine a wife: this is a match,
And made between 's by vows.

mine :

Thou hast found

But how, is to be question'd: for I saw her,
As I thought, dead, and have in vain said many
A prayer upon her grave. I'll not seek far-
For him, I partly know his mind-to find thee
An honourable husband. Come, Camillo,

And take her by the hand, whose worth and
honesty

Is richly noted and here justified

By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place.
What! look upon my brother: both your pardons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks

My ill suspicion. This' your son-in-law

And son unto the king, whom heavens directing,
Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence, where we may leisurely
Each one demand and answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time since first
We were dissever'd: hastily lead away.

130

140

150

150. whom heavens directing. 'Who,' the subject of is, is made the object of 'heavens directing.'

THE TEMPEST

DRAMATIS PERSONE

ALONSO, King of Naples.

SEBASTIAN, his brother.

PROSPERO, the right Duke of Milan.

ANTONIO, his brother, the usurping Duke of Milan.
FERDINAND, son to the King of Naples.

GONZALO, an honest old Counsellor.

The action occupies three or four hours of a single day, probably beginning about 2 P.M. (I. 2. 239, 240.)

INTRODUCTION

History.

Text.

Perform

ances.

THE TEMPEST, like most of Shakespeare's later plays, Early was first printed in the Folio edition of 1623, where Literary it occupies the first place. It had then been, for Earliest at least ten years, one of his most popular and reputed pieces. It was among the eighteen plays (six at least of Earliest them by Shakespeare) chosen for performance during the wedding festivities of the Palsgrave and the Princess Elizabeth in February 1613.1 Beyond this fact we have no direct evidence of its date.2 But it Date of is extremely probable that the title contains an allusion tion. to a tempest which wrecked Sir George Somers' ship, the 'Sea Venture,' in July 1609; and that various circumstances are drawn from the narratives afterwards published by Silvester Jourdain, one of the survivors, in October 1610, and by William Strachey, at a date which has not been precisely determined. The limits-October 1610 and February 1613-thus

1 Lord Treasurer Stanhope's Accounts (quoted in Century of Shakespeare's Praise, p. 103). The exact number of Shakespeare's plays given depends upon the identification of Hotspur' with Henry IV. and of 'Sir John Falstaff' with this or The Merry Wives. He probably had a share also in the

'Cardenno.'

2 In the Induction to his Bartholomew Fair, 1614, Ben Jonson delivered a passing gibe at 'those that beget Tales, Tempests, and such like Drolleries,' and 'If there be never a Servant-master i' the Fayre who can help it?' But this adds nothing to our knowledge.

Composi⚫