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The entrance of the Cell opens, and discovers FERDI NAND 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

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Fer. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful:
have curs'd them without cause. [Kneels to ALON.
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 sever'd us,

And brought us thus together?

Fer.

Sir, she's 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

13 The sense of this passage is not altogether clear. The word not seems wanting after prove; unless if have by some means got substituted for but. Alonzo has lost his son once, and if this which he now sees prove not a mere vision, he will have to lose him again.

H.

Is daughter to this famous duke of Milan,
Of whom so often I have heard renown,
But never saw before; of whom I have
Receiv'd a second life, and second father
This lady makes him to me.

Alon.

I am hers: 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.

Or should have spoke ere this.

I have inly wept,

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 Where he himself was lost; Prospero his dukedom In a poor isle; and all of us, ourselves, When no man was his own.14

Alon. [To FER. and MIRA.] Give me your Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart, That doth not wish you joy!

Gon.

hands:

Be't so! Amen!

Re-enter ARIEL, with the Master and Boatswain

amazedly following.

look, sir, took, sir! here are more of us.

i. e. when no man was in his senses, or had self-possession

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 rigg'd, as when
We first put out to sea.

Ari.

Sir, all this service

Have I done since I went.

Pro.

.

My tricksy spirit!

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[Aside

16

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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, jingling 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. Thou shalt [Aside

be free.

Alon. This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod And there is in this business more than nature

15 ¡e. ready

16 i. e. adroit, nimble.

17

Was ever conduct of: "7 some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

Pro.

Sir, my liege,

Do not infest your mind with beating on

18

The strangeness of this business: at pick'd leisure, Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you, (Which to you shall seem probable,) of every These happen'd accidents: till when, be cheerful, And think of each thing well. - [Aside.] Come hither, spirit:

Set Caliban and his companions free;

Untie the spell. [Exit ARIEL.] How fares my gra cious sir?

There are yet missing of your company
Some few odd lads, that you remember not.

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

Ste. Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man 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

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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,

17 Conductor of.

18 There is a vulgar expression still in use, of similar import : "Still hammering at it."

19

Then say, if they be true: This misshapen

knave,

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20

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 robb'd 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 pinch'd 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 look'd on. [Pointing to CALIBAN.

Pro. He is as disproportion'd in his manners, As in his shape :- Go, sirrah, to my cell;

19 Honest.

20 i. e. work the same effects as the moon without her dele gned authority.

The phrase of being gilded was a trite one for being drunk Fletcher uses it in The Chances, Act iv. sc. 3:

"Duke. Is she not drunk too?

Con

A little gilded o'er, sir: old sack, old sack, boys."

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