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PROSPERO.

O, a cherubin

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 up

Against what should ensue.

MIRANDA.

How came we ashore?

PROSPERO.

By Providence divine.

Some food we had and some fresh water that

A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

Out of his charity, who being then appointed

Master of this design, did give us, with

Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries,

Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness,

Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me

From mine own library with volumes that

I prize above my dukedom.

MIRANDA.

Would I might

But ever see that man!

PROSPERO.

Now I arise. [Puts on his mantle]

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.

Here in this island we arriv'd; and here

Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit

Than other princess' can, that have more time

For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

MIRANDA.

Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you,

sir,

For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reason

For raising this sea-storm?

PROSPERO.

Know thus far forth:

By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune,

Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies

Brought to this shore; and by my prescience

I find my zenith doth depend upon

A most auspicious star, whose influence

If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes

Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions;

Thou art inclin'd to sleep; 'tis a good dullness,

And give it way. I know thou canst not choose.

[MIRANDA sleeps]

Come away, servant; come; I am ready now.

Approach, my Ariel. Come.

Enter ARIEL

ARIEL.

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.

PROSPERO.

Hast thou, spirit,

Perform'd to point the tempest that I bade thee?

ARIEL.

To every article.

I boarded the King's ship; now on the beak,

Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,

I flam'd amazement. Sometime I'd divide,

And burn in many places; on the topmast,

The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,

Then meet and join Jove's lightning, the precursors

O' th' dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary

And sight-outrunning were not; the fire and cracks

Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune

Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble,

Yea, his dread trident shake.

PROSPERO.

My brave spirit!

Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil

Would not infect his reason?

ARIEL.

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 afire with me; the King's son, Ferdinand,

With hair up-staring-then like reeds, not hair-

Was the first man that leapt; cried 'Hell is empty,

And all the devils are here.'

PROSPERO.

Why, that's my spirit!

But was not this nigh shore?

ARIEL.

Close by, my master.

PROSPERO.

But are they, Ariel, safe?

ARIEL.

Not a hair perish'd;

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,

But fresher than before; and, as thou bad'st me,

In troops I have dispers'd them 'bout the isle.

The King's son have I landed by himself,

Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs

In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting,

His arms in this sad knot.

PROSPERO.

Of the King's ship,

The mariners, say how thou hast dispos'd,

And all the rest o' th' fleet?

ARIEL.

Safely in harbour

Is the King's ship; in the deep nook, where once

Thou call'dst me up at midnight to fetch dew

From the still-vex'd Bermoothes, there she's hid;

The mariners all under hatches stowed,

Who, with a charm join'd to their suff'red labour,

I have left asleep; and for the rest o' th' fleet,

Which I dispers'd, they all have met again,

And are upon the Mediterranean flote

Bound sadly home for Naples,

Supposing that they saw the King's ship wreck'd,