Absolute Milan: Me, poor man! - my library Was dukedom large enough of temporal royalties. He thinks me now incapable; confederates (So dry he was for sway) with the king of Naples, To give him annual tribute, do him homage, Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend The dukedom, yet unbow'd, (alas, poor Milan !) Mira. Pro. O the heavens ! Mark his condition, and the event; then tell me, If this might be a brother. Mira. I should sin To think but nobly of my grandmother : Pro. Now the condition. This king of Naples, being an enemy To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit; Which was, that he in lieu13 o' the premises, Of homage, and I know not how much tribute, Should presently extirpate me and mine Out of the dukedom; and confer fair Milan, With all the honours, on my brother: Whereon, A treacherous army levied, one midnight Fated to the purpose, did Antonio open The gates of Milan; and, i' the dead of darkness, The ministers for the purpose hurried thence Me, and thy crying self. Mira. Alack, for pity! I, not rememb'ring how I cried out then, Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint,14 That wrings mine eyes to't. 12 In lieu of the premises; that is, "in consideration of the premises," &c. 14 Int is here passage we have: used for cause or subject. Thus in a future "Our hint of woe." Pro. Hear a little further, And then I'll bring thee to the present business Which now's upon us; without the which, this story My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, So dear the love my people bore me, nor set A mark so bloody on the business; but In few, they hurried us aboard a bark ; Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepar'd A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats 13 Instinctively have quit it: there they hoist us, Mira. Was I then to you! Pro. Alack! what trouble O! a cherubin Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst smile, Infused with a fortitude from heaven, 16 When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt; 3gainst what should ensue. Quit was commonly used for quitted. 13 There is a good deal of doubt as to what sense this word is here used in, whether it be to udorn, or to cover; of which the former seems inappropriate, and the other altogether forced. Some good editors think it should be degg'd; a word still used in the north of England for to sprinkle. This sense is so much better than either of the others, that we cannot help thinking it the right one. 17 Stomach is here used in its old sense of courage. H. Н Mira. How came we ashore ! Pro. By Providence divine. Some food we had, and some fresh water, that A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, Out of his charity, (who being then appointed tleness, Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me, I prize above my dukedom. Mira. But ever see that man! Pro. 'Would I might Now I arise: Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. Here in this island we arriv'd; and here gen Have I, thy school-master, made thee more profit Mira. Heavens thank you for't! And now, 1 (For still 'tis beating in my mind,) your reason For raising this sea-storm? Know thus far forth. - Pro. Brought to this shore and by my prescience A most auspicious star; whose influence [MIRANDA sleeps 1 Come away, servant, come: I am ready now; Enter ARIEL. Ari. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! 1 come To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly, To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride On the curl'd clouds: 18 to thy strong bidding, task Ariel, and all his quality.19 Pro. Hast thou, spirit, Perform'd to point 20 the tempest that I bade thee? I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak, cursors O the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary 18 This is imitated in Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdess : "tell me, sweetest, What new service now is meetest In the middle air, and stay The sailing racke, or nimbly take Hold by the moon, and gently make Suit to the pale queen of night, And bring thee coral, making way Through the rising waves," &c. 10 Ariel's quality is not his confederates, but the powers of his nature as a spirit. i. e. to the minutest article; from the French à point. "Beak, the prow of the ship: waist, the part between the quarter-deck and forecastle. And sight-out-running were not: The fire, and cracks Of sulphurous roaring, the most mighty Neptune Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble, Yea, his dread trident shake. Pro. My brave spirit' Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil" Ari. Not a soul But felt a fever of the mad,23 and play'd And all the devils are here." On their sustaining garments not a blemish, Pro. Of the king's ship, The mariners, say, how thou hast dispos'd, And all the rest o' the fleet? Coil is bustle, tumult. 23 That is, such a fever as madmen feel when the frantic fit is on them. |