Boats. Work you then. Ant. Hang, cur, hang; you whorefon, infolent,, noisemaker; we are lefs afraid to be drown'd, than thou art. Gonz. I'll warrant him from drowning, tho' the ship were no ftronger than a nut-fhell, and as leaky as an unftanch'd wench. Boatf. Lay her a-hold, a-hold; fet her two courses off to fea again, lay her off. Enter Mariners wet. Mar. All loft! to prayers, to prayers! all loft [Exe. Gonz. The King and Prince at pray'rs ! let us affift 'em ; For our cafe is as theirs. Seb. I'm out of patience. Ant. We're merely cheated of our lives by drunkards. This wide-chopt rafcal would, thou might'ft lie drowning, The washing of ten tides! Gonz. He'll be hang'd yet, Though every drop of water fwear against it, And gape at wid'st to glut him. A confufed noife within.] Mercy on us! We fplit, we fplit! farewel, my wife and children! Brother, farewel! we fplit, we fplit, we split! Ant. Let's all fink with the King. Seb. Let's take leave of him. [Exit. [Exit. Gonz. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of fea for an acre of barren ground; long heath, brown furze, any thing; the wills above be done, but I would fain die a dry death! SCENE changes to a part of the Inchanted Ifland, near the Cell of Profpero. Enter Profpero and Miranda. Mira. I F by your art (my dearest father) you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them: The fky, it feems, would pour down stinking pitch, B 3 But But that the fea, mounting to th' welkin's cheek, With thofe that I saw fuffer: a brave vessel Pro. Be collected; No more amazement; tell your piteous heart, Mira. O woe the day! Pro. No harm. I have done nothing but in care of thee, (Of thee my dear one, thee my daughter) who Mira. More to know Did never meddle with my thoughts. Pro. "Tis time I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand, And pluck my magick garment from me: fo! [Lays down his mantle. Lie there my art. Wipe thou thine eyes, have comfort, The direful fpectacle of the wreck, which touch'd The very virtue of compaffion in thee, (2) I am more better.] This is the genuine reading, which the laft Editor has fophifticated; not obferving, I fuppofe, how frequent it is wth Shakespeare, and the other Writers of that age, to add the termination to adjectives of the comparative and superlative degrees, and at the fame time prefix the figns fhowing the degrees. (3) full poor cell,] Thefe two adjectives without a Hyphen, and taking the first adverbially, make ftark nonfenfe; but full-poor is what the Latins used to exprefs by perpauper, perexiguus. The French likewife have a fimilar form of expreffion; fort-pauvre, fort-debile, fort-n alude, &c, I I have with fuch provifion in mîne art (4) Betid to any creature in the vessel Which thou heard'ft cry, which thou faw'ft fink: fit down. For thou must now know farther. Mira. You have often Begun to tell me what I am, but ftopt, Pro. The hour's now come, The very minute bids thee ope thine ear; I do not think, thou canft; for then thou waft not Mira. Certainly, Sir, I can. Pro. By what? by any other house, or perfon? Of any thing the image tell me, that Hath kept in thy remembrance. Mira. "Tis far off; And rather like a dream, than an assurance (4) Provifion in mine art.] This is the reading of the rft fol. edition, which I have therefore reftored. The word compassion took place afterwards, I prefume, from the mistake of the Printers, who threw their eyes twice inadvertently on the preceding line, where this word is, and so happen'd to substitute it. (5) is no foyle,] i. e. no damage, lofs, detriment. The two old. Folio's read,- —is no foul: which will not agree in Grammar with the following part of the fentence, Mr. Rowe first fubftituted-e foul left, which does not much mend the matter, taking the context together. Foyle is a word familiar with our Poet, and in fome degree fynonymous to perdition in the next line. So in the beginning of the third act of this play, -but fome defect in her Did quarrel with the nobleft grace she ow'd, And put it to the foil. i. e. abated, undid it. (6) out three years old.] This is the old reading: 'tis true, the expreffion is obfolete, but it fupply'd the fenfe of, full out, out-right, or right-out, as in the fourth act of this play; Swears, he will fhoot no more, but play with fparrows, B 4 That That my remembrance warrants. Had I not Pro. Thou hadft, and more, Miranda: but how is it, If thou remember'ft aught, ere thou cam'ft here; Mira. But that I do not. Pro. 'Tis twelve years fince, Miranda; twelve years fince, Thy father was the duke of Milan, and A Prince of pow'r. Mira. Sir, are not you my father? Pro. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and She faid, thou waft my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan, and his only heir A Princess, no worse iffu'd. Mira. O the heav'ns! What foul play had we, that we came from thence? Pro. Both, both, my girl! By foul play (as thou fay'ft) were we heav'd thence : Mira. O, my heart bleeds To think o' th' teene that I have turn'd you to, I pray thee, mark me ;-(that a brother fhould Without a parallel; thofe being all my study :) And to my state grew ftranger; being transported, Mira. Sir, moft heedfully. Pro. Being once perfected how to grant fuits, How How to deny them; whom t' advance, and whom The creatures, that were mine; I fay, or chang'd 'em, Pro. I pray thee, mark me then. I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated But what my power might elfe exact; like one, To credit his own lye, he did believe He was, indeed, the Duke; from fubftitution, With all prerogative. Hence his ambition growing- Mira. Your tale, Sir, would cure deafness. Pro. To have no fcreen between this part he play'd, And him he play'd it for, he needs will be Abfolute Milan. Me, poor man !---my library Was Dukedom large enough; of temporal royalties He thinks me now incapable: confederates (So dry he was for fway) wi'th' 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 !) To moft ignoble stooping. Mira. O the heav'ns? |