Home > The Tempest Text > Act I, Scene II - Page 2

PROSP:

Now the condition.
The King of Naples, being an enemy
To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;
Which was that he, in lieu o'th’ premises
Of homage and I know not how much tribute,(145)
Should presently extirpate me and mine
Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan,
With all the honours, on my brother; whereon,
A treacherous army levied, one midnight
Fated to th’ purpose did Antonio open(150)
The gates of Milan, and, i'th’ dead of darkness,
The ministers for th’ purpose hurried thence
Me and thy crying self.

PROSP:

Now the situation.
This King of Naples, being an old enemy
Of mine, listens my brother's request,
Which was, that he, instead of the promises
Of allegiance and I don’t know how much protection money,
Should presently drive me and my family
Out of the dukedom, and give the fair city of Milan,
With all the honors to my brother: which,
With a treacherous army recruited, on a midnight
Assigned to the purpose, Antonio opened
The gates of Milan; and, in the dead of darkness,
The ones given the job hurried
Me and your crying self from there.

MIRAN:

Alack, for pity!
I, not rememb'ring how I cried out then,(155)
Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint
That wrings mine eyes to't.

MIRAN:

A pity that it should be so!
I, not remembering how I cried out then,
Will cry it out all over again: it is a moment
That makes my eyes cry.

PROSP:

Hear a little further,
And then I'll bring thee to the present business
Which now's upon's; without the which this story(160)
Were most impertinent.

PROSP:

Listen a little bit more,
And then I'll bring you to the present situation
Which is now here, without which, this story
Would be most irrelevant.

MIRAN:

Wherefore did they not
That hour destroy us?

MIRAN:

Why didn’t they
Destroy us then and there?

PROSP:

Well demanded, wench;
My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not,(165)
So dear the love my people bore me, nor set
A mark so bloody on the business, but
With colours fairer painted their foul ends
In few, they hurried us aboard a barque,
Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared(170)
A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast—the very rats
Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us,
To cry to th’ sea that roared to us, to sigh
To th’ winds, whose pity, sighing back again,(175)
Did us but loving wrong.

PROSP:

Good question, girl:
My tale invites that question. Dear, they didn’t dare,
So dear was the love my people had for me, and not
Wanting to make the business bloody, they went through
With their plan without doing us harm.
In short, they hurried us aboard a ship,
Carried us some miles to the sea, where they prepared
A rotten carcass of a boat, with no rigging,
No rope, sail, or mast: even rats
Instinctively left it. There they launched us,
To cry to the sea that roared at us, to sigh
To the winds, whose pity, sighing back again,
Only did us loving wrong.

MIRAN:

Alack, what trouble
Was I then to you!

MIRAN:

How sad! what trouble
I was to you then!

PROSP:

O, a cherubin
Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile,(180)
Infused with a fortitude from heaven,
When I have decked the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burden groaned; which raised in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up
Against what should ensue.(185)

PROSP:

Oh, you were an angel
That saved me! You smiled,
Instilled with strength from heaven,
When I have covered the sea with salty tears,
Groaning under my load, which raised in me
A new strength, to put with
Whatever should follow.

MIRAN:

How came we ashore?

MIRAN:

How did we come ashore?

PROSP:

By Providence divine.
Some food we had, and some fresh water, that
A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,
Out of his charity,—who being then appointed(190)
Master of this design,—did give us; with
Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries,
Which since have steaded much; so, of his
gentelness
Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me(195)
From mine own library with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom.

PROSP:

By Divine Providence.
We had some food and some fresh water that
A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,—who, being then appointed
Supervisor of this plot,— gave us out of his goodness, with
Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and other necessities,
Which have since been very useful: so, of his gentleness,
Knowing how I loved my books, he supplied me,
With volumes from my own library that
I prize more than my dukedom.

MIRAN:

Would I might
But ever see that man!

MIRAN:

I wish I might Only see that man again!

PROSP:

Now I arise. [Standing, he puts on his cloak](200)
Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arrived, and here
Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit
Than other princesess’ can, that have more time
For vainer hours and tutors not so careful.(205)

PROSP:

Now I’m getting up:—
Sit still, and hear the rest of our sad sea story.
We arrived here on this island: and here
I, your schoolmaster, have made you grow more
Than other princes can, who have more time
For worthless hours, and tutors that are not as careful.

MIRAN:

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.

MIRAN:

Heavens thank you for it! And now, please, sir,—
Because it is still on my mind,—your reason
For raising this storm at sea?

PROSP:

Know thus far north.
By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune,(210)
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(215)
Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions:
Thou art inclined to sleep; ’tis a good dulness,
And give it way—I know thou canst not choose. [Miranda sleeps]
Come away, servant, come!
I am ready now.(220)
Approach, my Ariel, come!

PROSP:

Know this much.
Now, my dear lady, by most strange accident,
Generous Luck, has brought my enemies
To this shore; and by my knowledge of things to come,
I find my highest point depends on
A very lucky star, that, if I don’t seek its influence now
And overlook it, my fortunes
Will sink forever after. Stop more questions here;
You want to sleep; it is a good drowsiness,
And give in to it;—I know you can’t choose not to.—
Come here, 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 curled clouds, to thy strong bidding task(225)
Ariel and all his quality

ARIEL:

Greetings, great master! Respected sir, greetings! I come
To answer your best requests; is it to fly,
To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride
On the curled clouds; give Ariel and all his quality
Your strong requests.

PROSP:

Hast thou, spirit,
Performed to point the tempest that I bade thee?

PROSP:

Have you performed, spirit, the storm that
I ordered you to do in every detail?

ARIEL:

To every article.
I boarded the King's ship; now on the beak,(230)
Now in the waist the deck, in every cabin,
I flamed 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(235)
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.(240)

ARIEL:

In every detail.
I boarded the King's ship; first on the front of the ship,
Then in the middle, the deck, in every cabin,
I confused them by turning into a flame; sometimes,
I’d divide myself, and burn in many places; on top of the mast,
The yard-arms and booms, I would burn clearly,
Then meet myself and join into one; Jove's lightning, the
Forerunners of the dreadful thunderstorms, was not more quick
And out of sight; the fire and cracks
Of hell, roaring the most mighty god of the seas
Seemed to attack and make his bold waves tremble,
Yes, and even shook his dreaded spear.

PROSP:

My brave spirit!
Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil
Would not infect his reason?

PROSP:

My brave spirit!
Who is so firm, so constant, that this noisy disturbance
Would not infect his sanity?

ARIEL:

Not a soul
But felt a fever of the mad and played(245)
Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners
Plunged 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,(250)
And all the devils are here.’

ARIEL:

There wasn’t a soul that
Only felt a fever of the madness and played
Some tricks out of desperation. All except the sailors
Jumped in the foaming ocean and abandoned ship,
Then I was all on fire: the King's son, Ferdinand,
With hair standing up straight —then like reeds, not hair—
Was the first man that jumped, crying “Hell is empty,
And all the devils are here.”

PROSP:

Why, that's my spirit!
But was not this nigh shore?

PROSP:

Why, that's my spirit!
But wasn’t this near the shore?

ARIEL:

Close by, my master.

ARIEL:

Close by, my master.

PROSP:

But are they, Ariel, safe?(255)

PROSP:

But are they safe, Ariel?

ARIEL:

Not a hair perished;
On their sustaining garments not a blemish,
But fresher than before; and as thou bad'st me,
In troops I have dispersed them ’bout the isle.
The King's son have I landed by himself,(260)
Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs
In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting,
His arms in this sad knot.

ARIEL:

Not even a hair died;
Not a spot on their clothing,
But fresher than they were before, and, as you ordered me,
I have dispersed them in groups around the island.
I have brought the king's son ashore by himself,
And I left him cooling off with the air that blows gently
In a remote spot of the island, and sitting,
His arms sadly folded like this.

PROSP:

Of the King's ship,
The mariners, say how thou hast disposed,(265)
And all the rest o'th’ fleet.

PROSP:

Tell me how you have disposed
Of the King's ship, the sailors,
And all the rest of the fleet?

ARIEL:

Safely in harbour
Is the King's ship, in the deep nook where once
Thou calld'st me up at midnight to fetch dew
From the still vexed Bermudas, there she's hid;(270)
The mariners all under hatches stowed
Who, with a charm joined to their suffered labour,
I have left asleep; and for the rest o'th’ fleet,
Which I dispersed, they all have met again,
And are upon the Mediterranean float,(275)
Bound sadly home for Naples,
Supposing that they saw the King's ship wrecked,
And his great person perish.

ARIEL:

The King’s ship is
Safely in harbor, in the deep nook, where you once
Called me up at midnight to get you dew
From the always stormy Bermudas; she’s hidden there.
The sailors are all stowed under hatches,
Whom I have left sleeping, by means of a magic spell
That combined with their exhausting work,
And, for the rest of the fleet
Which I scattered, they have all met up again,
And are on the Mediterranean sea
Sadly sailing home to Naples,
Assuming that they saw the king's ship wrecked,
And that his great person had drowned.

PROSP:

Ariel, thy charge
Exactly is performed; but there's more work.(280)
What is the time o'th’ day?

PROSP:

Ariel, your job Has been performed
Exactly as I ordered. Except that there's more work.
What time of the day is it?

ARIEL:

Past the mid season.

ARIEL:

Past noon.

PROSP:

At least two glasses. The time ’twixt six and now
Must by us both be spent most preciously.

PROSP:

At least two hours past that. The time between six and now
Must be spent most preciously by us both.

ARIEL:

Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains(285)
Let me remember thee what thou hast promised,
Which is not yet performed me.

ARIEL:

Is there more work? Since you give me so much trouble,
Let me remind you what you have promised,
Which is not yet done for me.

PROSP:

How now? Moody?
What is't thou canst demand?

PROSP:

How is it now! Moody?
What is it you demand?

ARIEL:

My liberty.(290)

ARIEL:

My freedom.

PROSP:

Before the time be out? No more!

PROSP:

Before the debt is paid? No more!

ARIEL:

I prithee,
Remember I have done thee worthy service,
Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, served
Without or grudge or grumblings. Thou did promise(295)
To bate me a full year.

ARIEL:

Please,
Remember I have worked faithfully for you,
Told you no lies, made no mistakes, served
Without a grudge or grumblings. You promised
To give it to me after a full year.