Gonza. Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue
Should become Kings of Naples! O, rejoice
Beyond a common joy! and set it down
With gold on lasting pillars: In one voyage
Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis;
And Ferdinand, her brother, found a wife
Where he himself was lost; Prospero, his dukedom,
In a poor isle; and all of us, ourselves,
When no man was his own.462-42
Alon. [To Ferd. and Mira.] Give me your hands:
Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart
That doth not wish you joy!
Gonza. Be’t so! Amen!—
Re-enter Ariel, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly following.
O, look, sir, look, sir! here is more of us:
I prophesied, if a gallows were on land,
This fellow could not drown.462-43—Now, blasphemy,
That swear’st grace o’erboard, not an oath on shore?462-44
Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?
Boats. The best news is, that we have safely found
Our King and company; the next, our ship—
Which, but three glasses since, we gave out split—
Is tight, and yare, and bravely rigg’d, as when
We first put out to sea.
Ari. [Aside to Pros.] Sir, all this service
Have I done since I went.
Pros. [Aside to Ariel.] My tricksy463-45 spirit!
Alon. These are not natural events; they strengthen
From strange to stranger.—Say, how came you hither?
Boats. If I did think, sir, I were well awake,
I’d strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,
And—how we know not—all clapp’d under hatches;
Where, but even now, with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awaked; straightway, at liberty:
When we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good, and gallant ship; our master
Capering to eye her:463-46 on a trice, so please you,
Even in a dream, were we divided from them,
And were brought moping463-47 hither.
Ari. [Aside to Pros.] Was’t well done?
Pros. [Aside to Ari.] Bravely, my diligence.
Thou shalt be free.
Alon. This is as strange a maze as e’er men trod;
And there is in this business more than Nature
Was ever conduct of:463-48 some oracle
Must rectify our knowledge.463-49
Pros. Sir, my liege,
Do not infest your mind with beating on463-50
The strangeness of this business; at pick’d leisure,464-51
Which shall be shortly, single I’ll resolve464-52 you—
Which to you shall seem probable—of every
These happen’d accidents:464-53 till when, be cheerful,
And think of each thing well.—[Aside to Ariel.] Come hither, spirit:
Set Caliban and his companions free;
Untie the spell. [Exit Ari.]—How fares my gracious sir?
There are yet missing of your company
Some few odd lads that you remember not.
Re-enter Ariel, driving in Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo, in their stolen apparel.
Steph. Every man shift for all the rest,464-54 and let no man take care for himself; for all is but fortune.—Coragio,464-55 bully-monster, coragio!
Trin. If these be true spies which I wear in my head,464-56 here’s a goodly sight.
Cal. O Setebos, these be brave spirits indeed!
How fine my master is! I am afraid
He will chastise me.
Sebas. Ha, ha!
What things are these, my Lord Antonio?
Will money buy ’em?
Anto. Very like; one of them
Is a plain fish, and, no doubt, marketable.
Pros. Mark but the badges of these men, my lords,
Then say if they be true. This mis-shaped knave,—
His mother was a witch; and one so strong
That could control the Moon, make flows and ebbs,
And deal in her command without465-57 her power.
These three have robb’d me; and this demi-devil—
For he’s but half a one—had plotted with them
To take my life: two of these fellows you
Must know and own; this thing of darkness I
Acknowledge mine.
Cal. I shall be pinch’d to death.
Alon. Is not this Stephano, my drunken butler?
Sebas. He is drunk now: where had he wine?
Alon. And Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they
Find this grand liquor that hath gilded465-58 ’em?—
How camest thou in this pickle?
Trin. I have been in such a pickle since I saw you last, that I fear me, will never out of my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.465-59
Sebas. Why, how now, Stephano!
Steph. O, touch me not! I am not Stephano, but a cramp.
Pros. You’d be king o’ the isle, sirrah?
Steph. I should have been a sore465-60 one, then.
Alon. [Pointing to Cal.] This is as strange a thing as e’er I look’d on.
Pros. He is as disproportion’d in his manners
As in his shape.—Go, sirrah, to my cell;
Take with you your companions; as you look
To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.
Cal. Ay, that I will; and I’ll be wise hereafter,
And seek for grace. What a thrice double ass
Was I, to take this drunkard for a god,
And worship this dull fool!
Pros. Go to; away!
Alon. Hence, and bestow your luggage where you found it.
Sebas. Or stole it, rather.
[Exeunt Cal., Steph., and Trin.
Pros. Sir, I invite your Highness and your train
To my poor cell, where you shall take your rest
For this one night; which, part of it, I’ll waste
With such discourse as, I not doubt, shall make it
Go quick away,—the story of my life,
And the particular accidents gone by,
Since I came to this isle: and in the morn
I’ll bring you to your ship, and so to Naples,
Where I have hope to see the nuptial
Of these our dear-beloved solemnized;
And thence retire me466-61 to my Milan, where
Every third thought shall be my grave.466-62
Alon. I long
To hear the story of your life, which must
Take the ear strangely.
Pros. I’ll deliver all;
And promise you calm seas, auspicious gales,
And sail so expeditious, that shall catch
Your royal fleet far off.—[Aside to Ari.] My Ariel, chick,
That is thy charge: then to the elements
Be free, and fare thou well!—Please you, draw near. [Exeunt.
EPILOGUE467-63
SPOKEN BY PROSPERO
Now my charms are all o’erthrown,
And what strength I have’s mine own,—467-64
Which is most faint: now, ’tis true,
I must be here confined by you,467-65
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got,
And pardon’d the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell;
But release me from my bands,
With the help of your good hands.467-66
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please: now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer;
Which pierces so, that it assaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon’d be,
Let your indulgence set me free.