Fer. The ditty does remember my drown'd father. This is no mortal business, nor no sound

That the earth owes :—I hear it now above me.

Pros. The fringed curtains of thine eye advance, And say what thou seest yond.

Mir.

What is't? a spirit?

Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,

It carries a brave form. But 'tis a spirit.

Pros. No, wench; it eats and sleeps and hath such

senses

As we have, such. This gallant which thou seest
Was in the wreck; and, but he's something stain'd
With grief, that's beauty's canker, thou mightst call him
A goodly person: he hath lost his fellows,

And strays about to find 'em.

Mir.

I might call him

A thing divine; for nothing natural

I ever saw so noble.

Pros. [Aside] It goes on, I see,

As my soul prompts it. Spirit, fine spirit! I'll free thee

Within two days for this.

Fer.

Most sure, the goddess
Vouchsafe my prayer

On whom these airs attend!

May know if you remain upon this island;
And that you will some good instruction give
How I may bear me here: my prime request,
Which I do last pronounce, is, O you wonder!
If you be maid or no?

Mir.

But certainly a maid.

Fer.

No wonder, sir;

My language! heavens!

I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.

Pros.

How? the best?

What wert thou, if the King of Naples heard thee?

405

410

415

420

425

430

Fer. A single thing, as I am now, that wonders
To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear me;
And that he does I weep: myself am Naples,
Who with mine eyes, never since at ebb, beheld
The king my father wreck'd.

Mir.

Alack, for mercy!

Fer. Yes, faith, and all his lords; the Duke of Milan

And his brave son being twain.

Pros.

[Aside] The Duke of Milan

And his more braver daughter could control thee,

435

At the first sight

440

Delicate Ariel,

[To Fer.] A word, good sir;

If now 'twere fit to do't.
They have changed eyes.
I'll set thee free for this.
I fear you have done yourself some wrong: a word.

Mir. Why speaks my father so ungently? This

Is the third man that e'er I saw; the first

That e'er I sigh'd for: pity move my father
To be inclined my way!

And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you
The queen of Naples.

Pros.

Soft, sir! one word more.

[Aside] They are both in either's powers: but this swift

business

I must uneasy make, lest too light winning

Make the prize light. [To Fer.] One word more; I charge

thee

That thou attend me: thou dost here usurp

The name thou owest not; and hast put thyself

Upon this island as a spy, to win it

From me, the lord on't.

Mir. There's nothing ill can dwell in such a temple:

If the ill spirit have so fair a house,

Good things will strive to dwell with't.

445

450

455

Speak not you for him; he's a traitor. Come;
I'll manacle thy neck and feet together:
Sea-water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be

The fresh-brook muscles, wither'd roots, and husks
Wherein the acorn cradled. Follow.

My foot my tutor? Put thy sword up, traitor;

Who makest a show, but darest not strike, thy conscience

Is so possess'd with guilt: come from thy ward;

For I can here disarm thee with this stick

And make thy weapon drop.

Mir.

Pros. Hence! hang not on my garments.

460

465

470

Beseech you, father.

480

Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What!
An advocate for an impostor! hush!

Thou think'st there is no more such shapes as he,

Having seen but him and Caliban: foolish wench!
To the most of men this is a Caliban,

And they to him are angels.

Are, then, most humble; I have no ambition

To see a goodlier man.

Fer.

So they are:

485

My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.
My father's loss, the weakness which I feel,

The wreck of all my friends, nor this man's threats,
To whom I am subdued, are but light to me,
Might I but through my prison once a day
Behold this maid: all corners else o' th' earth
Let liberty make use of; space enough
Have I in such a prison.

Pros. [Aside] It works. [To Fer.] Come on. Thou hast done well, fine Ariel! [To Fer.] Follow me. [To Ari] Hark what thou else shalt do me.

Mir.

My father's of a better nature, sir,

490

Be of comfort; 495

Than he appears by speech: this is unwonted
Which now came from him.

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN,
FRANCISCO, and others.

Gon. Beseech you, sir, be merry; you have cause,

So have we all, of joy; for our escape

Is much beyond our loss. Our hint of woe
Is common; every day, some sailor's wife,

The masters of some merchant, and the merchant,
Have just our theme of woe; but for the miracle,

488. nor] and Rowe (after Dry

den). or Capell.

489. are] were Malone conj. 3. hint] stint Warburton.

5. masters] master Johnson. mistress Steevens conj. master's Edd. conj.

6. of woe] om. Steevens conj.

5

I mean our preservation, few in millions

Can speak like us: then wisely, good sir, weigh
Our sorrow with our comfort.

Seb. He receives comfort like cold porridge.
Ant. The visitor will not give him o'er so.

Seb. Look, he's winding up the watch of his wit; by

and by it will strike.

Gon. Sir,

Seb. One: tell.

Gon. When every grief is entertain'd that's offer'd, Comes to the entertainer

Seb. A dollar.

Gon. Dolour comes to him, indeed: you have spoken truer than you purposed.

Seb. You have taken it wiselier than I meant you should.
Therefore, my lord,-

Gon.

Ant. Fie, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue!

Alon. I prithee, spare.

Gon. Well, I have done: but yet,

Seb. He will be talking.

Ant. Which, of he or Adrian, for a good wager, first

begins to crow?

10

15

20

25

Adr. Though this island seem to be desert,-
Seb. Ha, ha, ha!-So, you're paid.

35

Adr. Uninhabitable, and almost inaccessible,-
Seb. Yet,-

Adr. Yet,

11-99. Marked as interpolated by

Pope.

11.. visitor] 'viser Warburton.

him] om. Rowe.

15. one] F, on F2F3F4

16. entertain'd.. Comes] Capell. entertain'd, That's offer'd comes] Ff.

Printed as prose by Pope.

27. of he] Ff. of them, he Pope. or he Collier MS. See note (VII).

35. Seb. Ha, ha, ha!-So you're paid] Theobald. Seb. Ha, ha, ha! Ant. So you'r paid Ff. Ant. So you've paid Capell.