Pros.

Alon.

Pros.

Gon.

Pros.

Inhabits here some heavenly power guide us

Out of this fearful country!

Behold, sir king,
The wronged Duke of Milan, Prospero :

For more assurance that a living prince

Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body;
And to thee and thy company I bid

A hearty welcome.

110

Whether thou be'st he or no,

Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me,

As late I have been, I not know thy pulse

Beats, as of flesh and blood; and, since I saw thee,
The affliction of my mind amends, with which,
I fear, a madness held me: this must crave—
An if this be at all-a most strange story.
Thy dukedom I resign, and do entreat

Thou pardon me my wrongs.-But how should
Prospero

Be living and be here?

First, noble friend,

Let me embrace thine age, whose honour cannot
Be measured or confined.

Or be not, I'll not swear.

Whether this be

You do yet taste
Some subtilties o' the isle, that will not let you
Believe things certain. Welcome, my friends all!
[Aside to Seb. and Ant.] But you, my brace of
lords, were I so minded,

I here could pluck his highness' frown upon you,
And justify you traitors: at this time

I will tell no tales.

120

Seb.

Pros.

Alon.

Pros.

[Aside] The devil speaks in him.

No.

For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother 130
Would even infect my mouth, I do forgive
Thy rankest fault,—all of them; and require
My dukedom of thee, which perforce, I know,
Thou must restore.

If thou be'st Prospero,
Give us particulars of thy preservation;

How thou hast met us here, who three hours since
Were wreck'd upon this shore; where I have lost-
How sharp the point of this remembrance is !—
My dear son Ferdinand.

I am woe for 't, sir.
Alon. Irreparable is the loss; and patience
Says it is past her cure.

Pros.

Alon.

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.

You the like loss!

Pros. As great to me as late; and, supportable

Alon.

To make the dear loss, have I means much weaker
Than you may call to comfort you, for I
Have lost my daughter.

A daughter?

140

O heavens, that they were living both in Naples,
The king and queen there! that they were, I wish 150
Myself were mudded in that oozy bed

Where my son lies. When did you lose your

daughter?

Pros. 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
That I am Prospero, and that very duke

159

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.

Here Prospero discovers Ferdinand and Miranda
playing at chess.

Mir. Sweet lord, you play me false.

Fer.

I would not for the world.

No, my dear'st love,

Mir. Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, And I would call it fair play.

Alon.

If this prove
A vision of the island, one dear son
Shall I twice lose.

170

Seb.

A most high miracle!

[Kneels.

Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful;

Alon.

Mir.

Pros.

I have cursed them without cause.

Now all the blessings

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

O, wonder !
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in 't!

'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,

Fer.

Alon.

Pros.

Gon.

And brought us thus together?

Sir, she is 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.

I am hers:
But, O, how oddly will it sound that I
Must ask my child forgiveness !

There, sir, stop:

Let us not burthen our remembrances with
A heaviness that 's gone.

I have inly wept,

180

190

200

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.

Alon.
I say, Amen, Gonzalo !
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

Alon.

Gon.

Where he himself was lost, Prospero his dukedom
In a poor isle, and all of us ourselves

When no man was his own.

[To Fer. and Mir.] Give me your hands : Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart That doth not wish you joy!

Be it so! Amen!

Re-enter Ariel, with the Master and Boatswain

amazedly following.

210

Now, blasphemy, not an oath on shore? What is the news?

O, look, sir, look, sir! here is more of us: I prophesied, if a gallows were on land, This fellow could not drown. That swear'st grace o'erboard, Hast thou no mouth by land? Boats. The best news is, that we have safely found. Our king and company; the next, our shipWhich, but three glasses since, we gave out splitIs tight and yare and bravely rigg'd, as when

Ari.

Pros.

We first put out to sea.

[Aside to Pros.] Sir, all this service

Have I done since I went.

[Aside to Ari.] My tricksy spirit!

221