IIO

Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive she stirs :

[Hermione comes down.
Start not; her actions shall be holy as
You hear my spell is lawful : do not shun her
Until you see her die again; for then
You kill her double. Nay, present your hand :
When she was young you woo'd her; now in age
Is she become the suitor ?
Leon.

O, she's warm !
If this be magic, let it be an art
Lawful as eating.
Pol.

She embraces him
Cam. She hangs about his neck :
If she pertain to life let her speak too.
Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has

lived, Or how stolen from the dead. Paul.

That she is living, Were it but told you, should be hooted at Like an old tale : but it appears she lives, Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while. Please you to interpose, fair madam : kneel And pray your mother's blessing. Turn, good

lady; Our Perdita is found. Her.

You gods, look down
And from your sacred vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter's head! Teli

me,
mine

own, Where hast thou been preserved ? where lived ?

how found
Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear that I,
Knowing by Paulina that the oracle
Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserved
Myself to see the issue.
Paul.

There's time enough for that;

120 130

:

140

Lest they desire upon this push to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
You precious winners all; your exultation
Partake to every one. I, an old turtle,
Will wing me to some wither'd bough and there
My mate, that 's never to be found again,
Lament till I am lost.
Leon.

O, peace, Paulina !
Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent,
As I by thine a wife: this is a match,
And made between 's by vows. Thou hast found

mine:
But how, is to be question'd: for I saw her,
As I thought, dead, and have in vain said many
A prayer upon her grave. I'll not seek far-
For him, I partly know his mind-to find thee
An honourable husband. Come, Camillo,
And take her by the hand, whose worth and

honesty
Is richly noted and here justified
By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place.
What! look upon my brother : both your pardons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion. This' your son-in-law
And son unto the king, whom heavens directing,
Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence, where we may leisurely
Each one demand and answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time since first
We were dissever'd: hastily lead away.

150

THE TEMPEST

DRAMATIS PERSONA

Lords.

ALONSO, King of Naples.
SEBASTIAN, his brother.
PROSPERO, the right Duke of Milan.
ANTONIO, his brother, the usurping Duke of Milan.
FERDINAND, son to the King of Naples.
GONZALO, an honest old Counsellor.
ADRIAN,
FRANCISCO,
CALIBAN, a savage and deformed Slave.
TRINCULO, a Jester.
STEPHANO, a drunken Butler.
Master of a Ship.
Boatswain.
Mariners.
MIRANDA, daughter to Prospero.
ARIEL, an airy Spirit.
IRIS,
CERES,
JUNO, presented by Spirits.
Nymphs,
Reapers,

Other Spirits attending on Prospero.

SCENE : A ship at Sea : an island.

DURATION OF TIME The action occupies three or four hours of a single day, probably beginning about 2 P.M. (I. 2. 239, 240.)

INTRODUCTION

The TEMPEST, like most of Shakespeare's later plays, was first printed in the Folio edition of 1623, where it occupies the first place. It had then been, for at least ten years, one of his most popular and reputed pieces.

It was among the eighteen plays (six at least of them by Shakespeare) chosen for performance during the wedding festivities of the Palsgrave and the Princess Elizabeth in February 1613. Beyond this fact we have no direct evidence of its date.2 But it is extremely probable that the title contains an allusion to a tempest which wrecked Sir George Somers' ship, the 'Sea Venture,' in July 1609; and that various circumstances are drawn from the narratives afterwards published by Silvester Jourdain, one of the survivors, in October 1610, and by William Strachey, at a date which has not been precisely determined. The limits–October 1610 and February 1613—thus

1 Lord Treasurer Stanhope's • Cardenno.' Accounts (quoted in Century of 2 In the Induction to his Shakespeare's Praise, p. 103). Bartholomew Fair, 1614, Ben The exact number of Shake- Jonson delivered a passing gibe speare's plays given depends at · those that begetTales, upon the identification of Hot- Tempests, and such like Drolspur' with Henry IV. and of leries,' and 'If there be never

Sir John Falstaff' with this or a Servant-master i' the Fayre The Merry Wives.

He prob- who can help it?' But this ably had a share also in the adds nothing to our knowledge.