Believe things certain: - Welcome, my friends all:
But you, my brace of lords, were I so minded,
[Aside to SEB. and ANT.
I here could pluck his highness' frown upon you,
And justify you traitors: at this time
I'll tell no tales.

Seb. Pro.

The devil speaks in him. [Aside.

No:

For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother
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.

Alon.

If thou beest Prospero,

Give us particulars of thy preservation :

How thou hast met us here, who three hours since
Were wrecked upon this shore; where I have lost
(How sharp the point of this remembrance is!)

My dear son Ferdinand.

Pro.

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

Pro.

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.

Alon.

You the like loss?

Pro. As great to me, as late; and portable
To make the dear loss, have I means much weaker
Than you may call to comfort you; for I

Have lost my daughter.

Alon.

A daughter?

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

Where my son lies. When did you lose your daughter?
Pro. 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

Which was thrust forth of Milan; who most strangely
Upon this shore, where you were wrecked, 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.

The entrance of the Cell opens, and discovers FERDINAND and MIRANDA playing at chess.

Mira. Sweet lord, you play me false.

Fer.

I would not for the world.

No, my dearest love,

Mira. 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.

Seb.

A most high miracle!

Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful: I have cursed them without cause.

Alon.

[Kneels to ALON.

Now all the blessings

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

Mira.

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

Pro.

'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 severed us,

And brought us thus together?

Sir, she's mortal;

Fer.
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:

Alon.

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

Pro.

There, sir, stop:

Let us not burden our remembrances

With heaviness that's gone.

Gon.

I have inly wept,

Or should have spoke ere this. Look down, you gods,
And on this couple drop a blessed crown;

For it is you, that have chalked 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
Where he himself was lost; Prospero his dukedom,
In a poor isle; and all of us, ourselves,
When no man was his own.

Alon.

Give me your hands:

[To FER. and MIRA.

Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart,
That doth not wish you joy!

Gon.

Be't so! Amen!

Re-enter ARIEL, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly

following.

O look, sir, look, sir; here are more of us!

I prophesied, if a gallows were on land,

This fellow could not drown:-Now, blasphemy,
That swear'st grace o'erboard, not an oath on shore?
Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?
Boats. The best news is, that we have safely found
Our king, and company: the next our ship,-
Which, but three glasses since, we gave out split,-
Is tight and yare, and bravely rigged, as when
We first put out to sea.

Ari.

Have I done since I went.

Pro.

Sir, all this service

[Aside.

My tricksy spirit!

Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen, From strange to stranger:-Say, how came you hither? Boats. If I did think, sir, I were well awake, I'd strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep, And (how, we know not) all clapped under hatches,

Where, but even now, with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, gingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awaked; straightway at liberty:
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good, and gallant ship; our master
Capering to eye her: On a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them,
And were brought moping hither.

Ari.

Was't well done?) Pro. Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free.

} [Aside.

Alon. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod: And there is in this business more than nature Was ever conduct of: some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

Pro.

Sir, my liege,
Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business: at picked leisure,
Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you
(Which to you shall seem probable) of every
These happened accidents: till when, be cheerful,
And think of each thing well.—Come hither, spirit ;

Set Caliban and his companions free:

[Aside.

Untie the spell. [Exit ARIEL.] How fares my gracious sir? There are yet missing of your company

Some few odd lads, that you remember not.

Re-enter ARIEL, driving in CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRIN CULO, in their stolen apparel.

Ste. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no ma take care for himself; for all is but fortune:- Coragio. bully-monster, Coragio!

Trin. If these be true spies which I wear in my head here's a goodly sight.

Cal. O Setebos, these be brave spirits, indeed!

How fine my master is! I am afraid

He will chastise me.

Seb.

Ha, ha!

What things are these, my lord Antonio?

Will money buy them?

Ant.

Very like; one of them

Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.

Pro. Mark but the badges of these men, my lords, Then say, if they be true: This misshapen knave, His mother was a witch; and one so strong

That could control the moon, make flows and ebbs,
And deal in her command, without her power:
These three have robbed me; and this demi-devil
(For he's a bastard one) had plotted with them
To take my life: two of these fellows you
Must know, and own; this thing of darkness I
Acknowledge mine.

Cal.

I shall be pinched to death. Alon. Is not this Stephano, my drunken butler?

Seb. He is drunk now: Where had he wine?

Alon. And Trinculo is reeling ripe: Where should they Find this grand liquor that hath gilded them? How cam'st thou in this pickle?

Trin. I have been in such a pickle, since I saw you last, that, I fear me, will never out of my bones, I shall not fear fly-blowing.

Seb. Why, how now, Stephano?

Ste. O, touch me not; I am not Stephano, but a cramp. Pro. You'd be king of the isle, sirrah?

Ste. I should have been a sore one then.

Alon. This is as strange a thing as e'er I looked on.

[Pointing to CALIBAN. Pro. He is as disproportioned in his manners,

As in his shape: - Go, sirrah, to my cell;
Take with you your companions; as you look
To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.

Cal. Ay, that I will; and I'll be wise hereafter,
And seek for grace: What a thrice double ass
Was I, to take this drunkard for a god,

And worship this dull fool!

Pro.

Go to; away!

Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage where you found it. Seb. Or stole it, rather.

[Exeunt CAL. STE. and TRIN. Pro. Sir, I invite your highness, and your train, To my poor cell; where you shall take your rest For this one night; which (part of it) I'll waste With such discourse, as, I not doubt, shall make it Go quick away: the story of my life,

And the particular accidents, gone by,

Since I came to this isle: And in the morn,
I'll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples,
Where I have hope to see the nuptial

Of these our dear-beloved solémnized;
And thence retire me to my Milan, where
Every third thought shall be my grave.