(Weak masters though ye be,) I have be-dimm'd
The noon-tide fun, call'd forth the mutinous winds,
And 'twixt the green fea and the azur'd vault
Set roaring war: to the dread rattling thunder
Have I given fire, and rifted Jove's stout oak
With his own bolt: the ftrong-bas'd promontory
Have I made shake; and by the spurs pluck'd up
The pine, and cedar; graves, at my command,
Have wak'd their fleepers; oped, and let them forth
By my fo potent art: But this rough magick
I here abjure: and, when I have requir'd
Some heavenly musick, (which even now I do,)
To work mine end upon their fenses, that
This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
And, deeper than did ever plummet found,

[Solemn mufick.

I'll drown my book. Re-enter ARIEL: after him, ALONSO, with a frantick gefture, attended by GONZALO; SEBASTIAN and ANTON10 in like manner, attended by ADRIAN and FRANCISCO: They all enter the circle which PROSPERO had made, and there ftand charmed; which PROSPERO obferving, speaks. A folemn air, and the best comforter

To an unfettled fancy, cure thy brains,

Now useless, boil'd within thy fkull! There ftand,
For you are spell-stopp'd.-

Holy Gonzalo, honourable man,

Mine eyes, even fociable to the shew of thine,

Fall fellowly drops.-The charm diffolves apace;
And as the morning fteals upon the night,
Melting the darkness, fo their rifing fenfes
Begin to chafe the ignorant fumes that mantle
Their clearer reafon,-O my good Gonzalo,
VOL, I.

E

My true preferver, and a loyal fir

To him thou follow'ft; I will pay thy graces
Home, both in word and deed.—Most cruelly
Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter:
Thy brother was a furtherer in the act ;-

Thou'rt pinch'd for't now, Sebastian.—Flesh and blood,
You brother mine, that entertain'd ambition,
Expell'd remorse, and nature; who, with Sebastian,
(Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong,)
Would here have kill'd your king; I do forgive thee,
Unnatural though thou art !-Their understanding
Begins to fwell; and the approaching tide
Will fhortly fill the reasonable shores,

That now lie foul and muddy. Not one of them,
That yet looks on me, or would know me :-Ariel,
Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell; [Exit ARIEL.
I will dif-cafe me, and myself present,

As I was fometime Milan :-quickly, spirit;

Thou shalt ere long be free.

ARIEL re-enters, finging, and helps to attire PROSPERO,

ARI. Where the bee fucks, there fuck I ;

In a cowflip's bell I lie:

There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat's back I do fly,

After fummer, merrily :

Merrily, merrily, fhall I live now,

Under the bloom that hangs on the bough.

PRO. Why, that's my dainty Ariel: I shall miss thee

But yet thou fhalt have freedom: so, so, so.—
To the king's fhip, invifible as thou art :
There fhalt thou find the mariners asleep

Under the hatches; the mafter, and the boatswain,
Being awake, enforce them to this place;

;

And presently, I pr'ythee.

ARI. I drink the air before me, and return

Or e'er your pulfe twice beat.

[Exit ARIEL.

GON. All torment, trouble, wonder, and amazement

Inhabits here; Some heavenly power guide us

Out of this fearful country!

PRO. Behold, fir king,

The wronged duke of Milan, Profpero :
For more affurance that a living prince
Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body;
And to thee, and thy company, I bid
A hearty welcome.

ALON. Whe'r thou beeft he, or no,

Or fome inchanted trifle to abuse me,

As late I have been, I not know thy pulse

Beats, as of flesh and blood; and, fince I faw thee,

The affliction of my mind amends, with which,
I fear, a madness held me: this must crave

(And if this be at all,) a most strange story.
Thy dukedom I refign; and do intreat

Thou pardon me my wrongs:-But how should Profpero Be living, and be here?

PRO. First, noble friend,

Let me embrace thine age; whofe honour cannot

Be meafur'd, or confin'd.

GON. Whether this be, Or be not, I'll not fwear.

PRO. You do yet tafte

Some fubtilties o' the ifle, that will not let you

Believe things certain :-Welcome, my friends all :you, my brace of lords, were I fo minded,

But

[Afide 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. The devil speaks in him.

PRO. No:

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

ALON. If thou beeft Profpero,

Give us particulars of thy preservation :

How thou haft met us here, who three hours fince
Were wreck'd upon this fhore; where I have loft,
How fharp the point of this remembrance is!
My dear fon Ferdinand.

PRO. I am woe for't, fir.

ALON. Irreparable is the lofs; and patience

Says, it is past her cure.

PRO. I rather think,

You have not fought her help; of whose soft
For the like lofs, I have her fovereign aid,

And rest myself content.

ALON. You the like lofs?

PRO. As great to me, as late; and, portable

[Afide.

grace,

To make the dear lofs, have I means much weaker
Than you may call to comfort you; for I

Have loft 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 fon lies. When did you lofe your daughter
PRO. In this laft tempeft. I perceive, these lords

At this encounter do fo much admire,

That they devour their reafon; and scarce think
Their eyes do offices of truth, their words

Are natural breath: but, how foe'er you have
Been juftled from your fenfes, know for certain,
That I am Profpero, and that very duke

Which was thrust forth of Milan; who moft ftrangely
Upon this fhore, 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, fir;
This cell's my court: here have I few attendants,
And subjects none abroad: pray you, look in.
My dukedom fince 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 difcovers FERDINAND and MIRANDA playing at chefs.

MIRA. Sweet lord, you play me false.

FER. No, my dearest love,

I would not for the world.

MIRA. Yes, for a fcore of kingdoms, you should wrangle,

And I would call it fair play.

ALON. If this prove

A vifion of the island, one dear fon

Shall I twice lofe.

SEB. A moft high miracle!

FER. Though the feas threaten, they are merciful:

I have curs'd them without caufe. [FERD. kneels to ALON. ALON. Now all the bleffings

Of a glad father compass thee about!