1. The earliest printed copy known of “THE TEMPEST" is that in the Folio published by Shakespeare's fellow-actors, Heminge and Condell, in 1623, seven years after the poet's death. The first performance of this play is believed to have taken place on "Hallowmas Night" (1st November), 1611. This gives confirmation to the internal evidence of the style-mature in beauty and rich fancy that this play was one of the lastwritten productions of its author. The source of the plot was supposed to have been derived from an Italian novel, translated into English in 1588, and since thought to be traced to a German play, called "The Beautiful Sidea;" while some of the circumstances recorded in the life of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, a patron of Petrarch, the founder of Milan Cathedral, and a man much addicted to books and studious 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. Boats. Down with the topmast: yare; lower, lower! Bring her to try with main-course. [A cry within.] A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather or our office SCENE II.-The Island; before the cell of PROSPERO. Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mir. 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,11 Dashes the fire out. Oh, 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. Oh, 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 ere It should the good ship so have swallow'd, and The fraughting 12 souls within her. 11. Welkin's cheek. "Welkin" (Saxon, pealcan, to roll; or pelcen, clouds) is an old word for the region of air; and Shakespeare has "cheeks of heaven," "cheeks o' the air," in other passages, for poetical allusion to the sky. 12. Fraughting. An old form of freighting. The word is here used to express those who form the freight of the vessel, and thronged or filled her. 13. More better. A double comparative was formerly in use, and frequent instances are found in Shakespeare. 14. Betid. Betided, befallen, happened. The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not Mir. Certainly, sir, I can. Pros. By what? by any other house or person? Of anything the image, tell me, that Hath kept with thy remembrance. Mir. And rather like a dream, than an assurance That my remembrance warrants. Had I not Four or five women once that tended me? 'Tis far off, 15. Bootless. Fruitless, unsuccessful. 16. Out three years old. "Out" for "completely," "quite." Afterwards in this play, we have "Be a boy right out." Act iv., sc. 1. 17. Abysm. Abyss. From the old French abisme. 18. Holp. Old form of helped. 19. Teen. Trouble, grief. Saxon, teonan, injuries; Flemish, tenen, to vex. "Turn'd you to" is an expression that we meet with again in " Coriolanus," iii. 1 (“Shall turn you to no farther harm"); equivalent to "occasioned you," "caused you." |