Good wombs have borne bad sons. Pro. Now the condition. This king of Naples, being an enemy To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit; Out of the dukedom; and confer fair Milan, The gates of Milan; and, i' the dead of darkness, Mira. Alack, for pity! 1, not rememb'ring how I cried out then, Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint, That wrings mine eyes. Pro. Hear a little further, And then I'll bring thee to the present business Which now's upon us; without the which, this story Were most impertinent. Mira. Wherefore did they not Well demanded, wench; My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not; (So dear the love my people bore me) nor set A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd, Mira. Was I then to you! Pro. Alack! what trouble O! a cherubim Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst smile, Infused with a fortitude from heaven, When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt; Under my burden groan'd; which rais'd in me An undergoing stomach, to bear Against what should ensue. Mira. up 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, ness, Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me, From my own library, with volumes that I prize above my dukedom. Mira. But ever see that man! Pro. 'Would I might Now I arise: 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 (For still 'tis beating in my mind) your reason Pro. Know thus far forth. By accident most strange, bountiful fortune, Come Enter Ariel. Ari. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly, To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride On the curl'd clouds; to thy strong bidding, task Ariel, and all his quality. Pro. Hast thou, spirit, Perform'd to point the tempest that I bade thee? Ari. To every article. I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, cursors O' the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary And sight-out-running were not: The fire, and cracks Of sulphurous roaring, the most mighty Neptune Seem'd to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble, Yea, his dread trident shake. Pro. My brave spirit! Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil Would not infect his reason? Ari. Not a soul But felt a fever of the mad, and play'd Some tricks of desperation: All, but mariners, Plung'd in the foaming brine, and quit the vessel, Then all a-fire with me: the king's son, Ferdinand, With hair up-staring (then like reeds, not hair) Was the first man that leap'd; cried, Hell is empty, And all the devils are here. On their sustaining garments not a blemish, Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs, Pro. Of the king's ship, Safely in harbour The mariners, say, how thou hast dispos'd, Ari. Is the king's ship; in the deep nook, where onee Whom, with a charm join'd to their suffer'd labour, Supposing that they saw the king's ship wreck'd, Pro. Ariel, thy charge Exactly is perform'd; but there's more work: What is the time o' the day? Ari. Past the mid season. Pro. At least two glasses: The time 'twixt six and now, Must by us both be spent most preciously.. Ari. Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains, Let me remember thee what thou hast promis'd, Which is not yet perform'd me. Pro. What is't thou can'st demand? Ari. How now? moody? My liberty. |