Begins to swell; and the approaching tide That now lie foul and muddy. Not one of them, I will dis-case me, and myself present, As I was sometime Milan:-quickly, spirit; [Exit ARIEL ARIEL re-enters, singing, and helps to attire PROSPERO. Ari. Where the bee sucks, there suck I; In a cowslip's bell I lie: There I couch when owls do cry. On the bat's back I do fly, After summer, merrily: Merrily, merrily, shall I live now, Under the blossom that hangs on the bough. Pro. Why, that's my dainty Ariel: I shall miss thee; Under the hatches; the master, and the boatswain, And presently, I pr'ythee. Ari. I drink the air before me, and return Or e'er your pulse 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, sir king, The wronged duke of Milan, Prospero : For more assurance that a living prince Does now speak to thee, I embrace thy body; A hearty welcome. Alon. Whe'r thou beest he, or no, Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me, As late I have been, I not know: thy pulse Thou pardon me my wrongs:-But how should Prospero Be living, and be here ? Pro. First, noble friend, Let me embrace thine age; whose honour cannot Be measur'd, or confin'd. Gon. Whether this be, Or be not, I'll not swear. Pro. You do yet taste Some subtilties o' th' isle, that will not let you [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. The devil speaks in him. Pro. No: For you, most wicked sir, whom to call brother Alon. If thou beest Prospero, Give us particulars of thy preservation : How thou hast met us here, who three hours since My dear son Ferdinand. Pro. I am woe for't, sir. Alon. Irreparable is the loss; and patience Says, it is past her cure. Pro. I rather think, [Aside. You have not sought her help; of whose soft grace, 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 [9] The unity of time is most rigidly observed in this piece. The fable scarcely takes up a greater number of hours than are employed in the representation; anil from the very particular care which our author takes to point out this circumstance in so many other passages, as well as here, it seems as if it were not accidental, but purposely designed to shew the admirers of Ben Jonson's art, and the cavillers of the time, that he too could write a play within all the strictest laws of regularity, when he chose to load himself with the critic's fetters. STEEV. Than you may call to comfort you; for I Alon. A daughter? O heavens! that they were living both in Naples, 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 Been justled from your senses, know for certain, Which was thrust forth of Milan; who most strangely For 'tis a chronicle of day by day, Not a relation for a breakfast, nor Befitting this first meeting. Welcome, sir; The entrance of the Cell opens, and discovers FERDINAND and Mira. Sweet lord, you play me false. Fer. No, my dearest love, I would not for the world. 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 curs'd them without cause. Alon. Now all the blessings [FER. kneels to Alon. 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! 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 sever'd us, And brought us thus together? Fer. Sir, she's mortal; But, by immortal Providence, she's mine; Alon. I am hers: But O, how oddly will it sound, that I Pro. There, sir, stop; Let us not burden our remembrances With a 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 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 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! This fellow could not drown :-Now, blasphemy, Ari. Sir, all this service Have I done since I went. Pro. My tricksy spirit! Aside. 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 clapp'd 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 awak'd; 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. be free. 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 pick'd leisure, (Which to you shall seem probable,) of every [Aside. |