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MIRANDA. Certainly, sir, I can. `
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PROSPERO. By what? By any other house, or person? `
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Of any thing the image, tell me, that `
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Hath kept with thy remembrance? `
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MIRANDA. 'Tis far off, `
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And rather like a dream than an assurance `
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That my remembrance warrants. Had I not `
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Four, or five, women once, that tended me? `
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PROSPERO. Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it `
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That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else `
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In the dark backward and abysm of time? `
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If thou rememb'rest aught, ere thou cam'st here, `
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How thou cam'st here thou mayst. `
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MIRANDA. But that I do not. `
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PROSPERO. Twelve year since, Miranda, twelve year since, `
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Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and `
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A prince of power. `
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MIRANDA. Sir, are not you my father? `
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PROSPERO. Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and `
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She said thou wast my daughter; and thy father `
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Was Duke of Milan, and his only heir `
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And princess no worse issued. `
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MIRANDA. O, the heavens! `
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What foul play had we that we came from thence? `
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Or blessed was't we did? `
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PROSPERO. Both, both, my girl. `
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By foul play, as thou say'st, were we heav'd thence; `
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But blessedly holp hither. `
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MIRANDA. O, my heart bleeds `
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To think o' th' teen that I have turn'd you to, `
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Which is from my remembrance. Please you, farther. `
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PROSPERO. My brother and thy uncle, call'd Antonio- `
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I pray thee, mark me that a brother should `
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Be so perfidious. He, whom next thyself `
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Of all the world I lov'd, and to him put `
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The manage of my state; as at that time `
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Through all the signories it was the first, `
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And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed `
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In dignity, and for the liberal arts `
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Without a parallel, those being all my study- `
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The government I cast upon my brother `
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And to my state grew stranger, being transported `
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And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncle- `
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Dost thou attend me? `
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MIRANDA. Sir, most heedfully. `
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PROSPERO. Being once perfected how to grant suits, `
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How to deny them, who t' advance, and who `
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To trash for over-topping, new created `
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The creatures that were mine, I say, or chang'd 'em, `
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Or else new form'd 'em; having both the key `
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Of officer and office, set all hearts i' th' state `
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To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was `
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The ivy which had hid my princely trunk `
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And suck'd my verdure out on't. Thou attend'st not. `
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MIRANDA. O, good sir, I do! `
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PROSPERO. I pray thee, mark me. `
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I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated `
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To closeness and the bettering of my mind `
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With that which, but by being so retir'd, `
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O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my false brother `
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Awak'd an evil nature; and my trust, `
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Like a good parent, did beget of him `
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A falsehood, in its contrary as great `
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As my trust was; which had indeed no limit, `
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A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded, `
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Not only with what my revenue yielded, `
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But what my power might else exact, like one `
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Who having into truth, by telling of it, `
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Made such a sinner of his memory, `
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To credit his own lie-he did believe `
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He was indeed the Duke; out o' th' substitution, `
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And executing th' outward face of royalty `
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With all prerogative. Hence his ambition growing- `
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Dost thou hear? `
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MIRANDA. Your tale, sir, would cure deafness. `
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PROSPERO. To have no screen between this part he play'd `
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And him he play'd it for, he needs will be `
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Absolute Milan. Me, poor man-my library `
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Was dukedom large enough-of temporal royalties `
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He thinks me now incapable; confederates, `
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So dry he was for sway, wi' th' King of Naples, `
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To give him annual tribute, do him homage, `
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Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend `
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The dukedom, yet unbow'd-alas, poor Milan!- `
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To most ignoble stooping. `
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MIRANDA. O the heavens! `
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PROSPERO. Mark his condition, and th' event, then tell me `
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If this might be a brother. `
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MIRANDA. I should sin `
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To think but nobly of my grandmother: `
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Good wombs have borne bad sons. `
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PROSPERO. Now the condition: `
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This King of Naples, being an enemy `
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To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit; `
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Which was, that he, in lieu o' th' premises, `
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Of homage, and I know not how much tribute, `
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Should presently extirpate me and mine `
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Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan `
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With all the honours on my brother. Whereon, `
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A treacherous army levied, one midnight `
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Fated to th' purpose, did Antonio open `
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The gates of Milan; and, i' th' dead of darkness, `
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The ministers for th' purpose hurried thence `
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Me and thy crying self. `
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MIRANDA. Alack, for pity! `
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I, not rememb'ring how I cried out then, `
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Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint `
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That wrings mine eyes to't. `
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PROSPERO. Hear a little further, `
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And then I'll bring thee to the present busines `
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Which now's upon 's; without the which this story `
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Were most impertinent. `
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MIRANDA. Wherefore did they not `
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That hour destroy us? `
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PROSPERO. Well demanded, wench! `
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My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, `
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So dear the love my people bore me; nor set `
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A mark so bloody on the business; but `
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With colours fairer painted their foul ends. `
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In few, they hurried us aboard a bark; `
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Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared `
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A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigg'd, `
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Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats `
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Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us, `
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To cry to th' sea, that roar'd to us; to sigh `
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To th' winds, whose pity, sighing back again, `
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Did us but loving wrong. `
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MIRANDA. Alack, what trouble `
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Was I then to you! `
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PROSPERO. O, a cherubin `
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Thou wast that did preserve me! Thou didst smile, `
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Infused with a fortitude from heaven, `
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When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt, `
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Under my burden groan'd; which rais'd in me `
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An undergoing stomach, to bear up `
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Against what should ensue. `
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MIRANDA. How came we ashore? `
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PROSPERO. By Providence divine. `
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Some food we had and some fresh water that `
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A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, `
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Out of his charity, who being then appointed `
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Master of this design, did give us, with `
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Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries, `
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Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness, `
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Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me `
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From mine own library with volumes that `
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I prize above my dukedom. `
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MIRANDA. Would I might `
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But ever see that man! `
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PROSPERO. Now I arise. [Puts on his mantle] `
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Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. `
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Here in this island we arriv'd; and here `
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Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit `
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Than other princess' can, that have more time `
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For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful. `
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MIRANDA. Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you, `
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sir, `
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For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reason `
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For raising this sea-storm? `
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PROSPERO. Know thus far forth: `
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By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune, `
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Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies `
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Brought to this shore; and by my prescience `
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I find my zenith doth depend upon `
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A most auspicious star, whose influence `
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If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes `
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Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions; `
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Thou art inclin'd to sleep; 'tis a good dullness, `
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And give it way. I know thou canst not choose. `
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[MIRANDA sleeps] `
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Come away, servant; come; I am ready now. `
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Approach, my Ariel. Come. `
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Enter ARIEL `
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ARIEL. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come `
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To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly, `
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To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride `
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On the curl'd clouds. To thy strong bidding task `
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Ariel and all his quality. `
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PROSPERO. Hast thou, spirit, `
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Perform'd to point the tempest that I bade thee? `
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ARIEL. To every article. `
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I boarded the King's ship; now on the beak, `
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Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, `
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I flam'd amazement. Sometime I'd divide, `
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And burn in many places; on the topmast, `
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The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, `
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Then meet and join Jove's lightning, the precursors `
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O' th' dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary `
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And sight-outrunning were not; the fire and cracks `
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Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune `
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Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble, `
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Yea, his dread trident shake. `
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PROSPERO. My brave spirit! `
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Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil `
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Would not infect his reason? `
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ARIEL. Not a soul `
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But felt a fever of the mad, and play'd `
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Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners `
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Plung'd in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel, `
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