And what does elfe want credit, come to me,
And I'll be fworn 'tis true. Travellers ne'er did lye,
Though fools at home condemn 'em.

Gon. If in Naples

I should report this now, would they believe me ?
If I should say, I faw fuch islanders:

(For, certes, thefe are people of the Island)
Who tho' they are of monftrous fhape, yet, note,
Their manners are more gentle-kind, than of
Our human generation you fhall find

Many; nay, almost any.

Pro. Honeft lord,

Thou haft faid well; for fome of you there prefent

Are worse than devils.

Alon. I cannot too much muse,

Such fhapes, fuch gefture, and fuch found, expreffing
(Although they want the ufe of tongue) a kind
Of excellent dumb difcourfe.

Pro. Praife, in departing.

Fran. They vanish'd strangely.

Seb. No matter, fince

They've left their viands behind; for we have ftomachs, Will' please you talle of what is here?

Alon. Not I.

1

Gon. Faith, Sir, you need not fear. When we were boys, Who would believe, that there were mountaineers, Dew-lapt like bulls, whofe threats had hanging at 'em Wallets of flesh, or that there were fuch men, Whofe heads ftood in their breasts? which now we find, Each putter out on five for one will bring us (12) Good warrant of.

Alon.

-] By the Variation of a

(12) Each putter out of five for One.. fingle Letter, I think, I have fet the Text right; and will therefore now proceed to explain it. I freely confefs, that I once understood this Paffage thus; that every five Travellers (or Putters out) did bring authentick Confirmation of thefe Stories, for one that pretended to difpute the Truth of them But communicating my Senfe of the Place to two ingenious Friends, I found, I was not at the Bottom of the meaning. Mr. Warburton observed to me, that this was a fine piece of concealed Satire on the Voyagers of that Time, who

had

Alon. I will ftand to and feed,

Although my laft; no matter, fince I feel

The belt is paft. Brother, my lord the Duke,
Stand to, and do as we.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel like a harpy, claps his wings upon the table, and with a queint device the banquet vanishes.

ཨེ་ ན་

Ari. You are three men of fin, whom destiny
(That hath to inftrument this lower world,
And what is in't) the never-furfeited fea
Hath caufed to belch up; and on this Iffand
Where man doth not inhabit, you 'mongst men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;
And ev'n with fuch like valour men hang and drown
Their proper felves. You fools! I and my fellows
Are minifters of fate; the elements,

Of whom your fwords are temper'd, may as well
Wound the loud winds, or with bemockt-at ftabs
Kill the ftill-clofing waters, as diminish

One down that's in my plume: my fellow-minifters
Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,
Your fwords are now too maffy for your strengths,
And will not be up-lifted. But remember,
(For that's my bufinefs to you) that you three
From Milan did fupplant good Propero:
Expos'd unto the fea (which hath requit it)
Him, and his innocent child: for which foul deed
The powers delaying, not forgetting, have
Incens'd the feas and fhores, yea, all the creatures,

had juft difcovered a new World; and, as was very natural, grew most extravagant in difplaying the Wonders of it. That particularly by Each putter out of Five for One, was meant the Adventurers in the Difcovery of the Weft-Indies, who had for the Moncy they advanced and contributed, 20 per Cent. -Dr. Thirlby did not a little affift this Explanation by his Concurrence, and by inftructing me that it was ufual in thofe Times for Travellers to put ont Money, to receive a greater Sum if they lived to return; and, for Proof, he referred me to Morifon's Itinerary, Part I, p. 198, &c.

Againit

Against your peace: thee of thy fon, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me,
Ling'ring perdition, worfe than any death
Can be at once, fhall ftep by step attend
You and your ways; whofe wrath to guard you from,
(Which here in this moft defolate Ifle elfe falls

Upon your heads,) is nothing but heart's forrow,
And a clear life enfuing.

He vanifbes in thunder: then to foft mufick, Enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and morwes, and carrying out the table.

Pro. Bravely the figure of this harpy haft thou Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring: Of my instruction haft thou nothing 'bated, In what thou hadft to fay; fo with good life, And obfervation ftrange, my meaner ministers Their several kinds have done; my high charms work, And these, mine enemies, are all knit up In their distractions: they are in my power; And in thefe fits I leave them, whilft I vifit Young Ferdinand, (whom they fuppofe is drown'd,) And his and my lov'd darling.

[Exit Profpero from above. Gou. I'th' name of fomething holy, Sir, why ftand you In this ftrange ftare?

Alon. O, it is monstrous! monftrous !
Methought, the billows fpoke, and told me of it.;
The winds did fing it to me; and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ pipe, pronounc'd
The Name of Profper: it did bafe my trefpafs.
Therefore, my fon i'th' ooze is bedded; and
I'll feek him deeper than e'er plummet founded,
And with him there lye mudded.

Seb. But one fiend at a time,

I'll fight their legions o'er.

Ant. I'll be thy fecond.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

Gon. All three of them are defperate; their great guilt,

Like poifon giv'n to work a great time after,

VOL. I.

Ꭰ

Now

Now 'gins to bite the fpirits. I do befeech you
That are of fuppler joints, follow them swiftly;
And hinder them from what this ecstasie

May now provoke them to..

Adri. Follow, I pray you...

Loro ho [Exeunt,

மை

A C T IV.

SCENE, Profpero's Cell.

Enter Profpero, Ferdinand, and Miranda.

PROSPERO.

IF I have too aufterely punish'd you,

Your compensation makes amends; for I
Have giv'n you here a thread of mine own life; (13)
Or that for which I live; whom once again

I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations
Were but my trials of thy love, and thou
Haft ftrangely ftood the teft. He, afore heaven,
I ratify this my rich gift: O Ferdinand,
Do not fmile at me, that I boast her off;
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her.

(13)

-for I

Have giv'n you bere a third of my own life.] Thus all the Impreffions in general: but why is She only a Third of his own Life? He had no Wife living, nor any other Child, to rob her of a Share in his Affection: So that we may reckon her at least half of himself. Nor could he intend, that he loved himfelf twice as much as he did her; for he immediately fubjoins, that it was She. for whom he liv'd. In Othello, when Jago alarms the Senator with

the lofs of his Daughter, he tells him,

Your Heart is burst, you have loft half your Soul.

And Dimidium anima mea was the current Language with the Latines on fuch Occafions.

Fer.

Fer. I believe it,

Against an oracle.

Pro. Then as my gift, and thine own acquifition
Worthily purchas'd, take my Daughter. But
If thou doft break her virgin-knot, before
All fanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minifter'd,
No fweet afperfions fhall the heav'ns let fall
To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
Sour-ey'd difdain, and difcord fhall beftrew
The union of your bed with weeds fo loathly,
That you fhall hate it both: therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps fhall light you.

Fer. As I hope

For quiet days, fair iffue, and long life,

With fuch love as 'tis now; the murkiest den,
The most opportune place, the frong'ft fuggeftion

Our worfer Genius can, fhall never melt

Mine honour into luft; to take away

The edge of that day's celebration,

When I fhall think or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd,
Or night kept chain'd below.

Pro. Fairly spoke.

Sit then, and talk with her, fhe is thine own.
What, Ariel; my induftrious fervant, Ariel N

Enter Ariel.

Ari. What would my potent master? here I am.
Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows your last service
Did worthily perform; and I must use you
In fuch another trick; go, bring the rabble,

O'er whom I give thee power, here to this place:
Incite them to quick motion, for I must
Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple
Some vanity of mine art; it is my promise,
And they expect it from me.

Ari. Presently?

Pro. Ay, with a twink.

Ari. Before you can fay, Come, and go, And breathe twice; and cry, fo, fo;

D 2

Each