THE TEMPEST. ~ ACT I. SCENE I.-A SHIP IN A STORM. The first scene, as now arranged, may be considered an introduction to the play; on its conclusion, therefore, the green curtain will descend, and the Overture will here be performed, for the purpose of giving time for the clearing away and re-setting of the stage. SCENE II. THE ISLAND OVERLOOKING THE SEA. During the progress of the scene, the waters abate, the sun rises, and the tide recedes, leaving the yellow sands, to which FERDINAND is invited by ARIEL and the spirits. PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mir. If by your art, my dearest father, you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them : O, I have suffer'd With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel, Who had no doubt some noble creatures in her, No more amazement: tell your piteous heart, Mir. Pro. O, woe the day! No harm. I have done nothing but in care of thee, (Of thee, my dear one! thee, my daughter!) who The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd I have with such prevision in mine art Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink. down; For thou must now know further. Can'st thou remember A time before we came unto this isle? I do not think thou can'st; for then thou wast not Out three years old." Mir. Certainly, sir, I can. Pro. By what?--By any other place or person? Of any thing the image tell me, that Hath kept with thy remembrance? Mir. "Tis far off; And rather like a dream, than an assurance 1 Sit more better] This ungrammatical expression is very frequent amongst our oldest writers. 2 full poor cell,] i.e., a cell in a great degree of poverty. 3 Did never meddle with my thoughts.] i.e., mix with them. To meddle is often used with this sense by Chaucer. 4 in mine art.] The great magician had by his art foreseen that there should not be "so much perdition as an hair" among the whole crew.-COLLIER. 5 Out three years old.] Quite three years old. Pro. Thou had'st, and more, Miranda : Sixteen years, Miranda, sixteen years since, Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and A prince of power. I Mir. O, the heavens ! What foul play had we, that we came from thence? Without a parallel; those being all my study, And to my state grew stranger, being transported Of officer and office, set all hearts To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was The ivy, which had hid my princely trunk, And suck'd my verdure out on't.-Thou attend'st not: I pray thee, mark me. Mir. O good Sir, I do. Pro. I thus neglecting worldly ends, In my false brother Awak'd an evil nature: Hence his ambition Growing, he needs will be Absolute Milan: Me, poor man!—my library (So dry he was for sway) with the King of Naples, Mir. O, the heavens ! So dry he was for sway] i.e., so thirsty for power. Pro. This king of Naples, being an enemy Out of the dukedom; and confer fair Milan, 8 Fated to the practise, did Antonio open The gates of Milan; and, i̇' the dead of darkness, Mir. That hour destroy us? Pro. Wherefore did they not My child, they durst not; (So dear the love my people bore me) nor set A mark so bloody on the business; but Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepar'd 9 Nor tackle, sail, nor mast ;(A) the very rats Mir. Was I then to you. Pro. Alack what trouble O! a cherubim Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst smile, Which rais'd in me A courage to bear up Against, what should ensue. In lieu o' the premises,-] In lieu of, means here, in con sideration of---in exchange for. 8 Fated to the practise,] Shakespeare constantly uses the word practise, to denote contrivance, artifice, or conspiracy.-COLLIER. 9 To cry to the sea that roar'd to us,] The same idea occurs in The Winter's Tale," How the poor souls roar'd, and the sea mock'd them.” Mir. How came we ashore? Pro. By Providence divine. Some food we had, and some fresh water, that Out of his charity, (who being then appointed Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries, From my own library, with volumes that I prize above my dukedom. Mir. But ever see that man. Pro. 'Would I might Now I arise: [Soft music Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. Here in this island we arriv'd; and here Have I, thy school-master, made thee more profit Than other princes can, that have more time For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful. Mir. Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you, sir, (For still 'tis beating in my mind) your reason For raising this sea-storm? Pro. Know thus far forth. By accident most strange, bountiful fortune, dear lady,10 hath mine enemies Now my Brought to this shore: and by my prescience I find my zenith doth depend upon A most auspicious star; whose influence If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes Will ever after droop.-Here cease more questions; [ARIEL appears. Ari. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly, 10 Now 11 my dear lady,] Fortune now my auspicious mistress. I know thou can'st not choose.-] As the art of Prospero has brought this sleepiness upon Miranda. |