noisemaker. We are less afraid to be drowned
than thou art.

Gon. I'll warrant him for drowning; though the
ship were no stronger than a nutshell, and as
leaky as an unstanched wench.

Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses; off to sea again; lay her off.

Enter Mariners, wet.

Mariners. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
Boats. What, must our mouths be cold?

Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let's assist

Seb.

them,

For our case is as theirs.

I'm out of patience.

Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunk

Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gape at widest to glut him.

[A confused noise within: 'Mercy on us!'-
'We split, we split !'- Farewell my wife and

children!'

50

60

'Farewell, brother!'-'We split, we split, we split!'] Ant. Let's all sink with the king.

Seb. Let's take leave of him. [Exeunt Ant. and Seb. Gon. Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground, long heath, brown furze, any thing. The wills above be done! but I would fain die a dry death. [Exeunt. 70

Scene II.

The island. Before Prospero's cell.

Enter Prospero and Miranda.

Mir. If by your art, my dearest father, you have
Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them.

Pros.

Mir.

Pros.

Mir.

The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,
But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek.)
Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffer'd

With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel,
Who had, no doubt, some noble creature in her,
Dash'd all to pieces.

Against my very heart!

O, the cry did knock

Poor souls, they perish'd!

Had I been any god of power, I would

Have sunk the sea within the earth, or ere
It should the good ship so have swallow'd and
The fraughting souls within her.

Be collected:

No more amazement: tell your piteous heart
There's no harm done.

O, woe the day!

No harm.

I have done nothing but in care of thee,
Of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter, who
Art ignorant of what thou art, nought knowing
Of whence I am, nor that I am more better
Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell,
And thy no greater father.

More to know
Did never meddle with my thoughts.

IO

20

Pros.

Mir.

Pros.

Mir.

'Tis time

I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand,
And pluck my magic garment from me.-So:
[Lays down his mantle.

Lie there, my art. Wipe thou thine eyes; have

comfort.

The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd
The very virtue of compassion in thee,
I have with such provision in mine art
So safely ordered, that there is no soul,
No, not so much perdition as an hair
Betid to any creature in the vessel
Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink.

Sit down;

For thou must now know farther.

You have often

Begun to tell me what I am; but stopp'd,
And left me to a bootless inquisition,
Concluding Stay: not yet.'

The very minute bids thee

30

The hour 's now come;

ope thine ear;

Obey, and be attentive. Canst thou remember

A time before we came unto this cell?

I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not 40
Out three years old.

Certainly, sir, I can.

Pros. By what? by any other house or person?

Mir.

Of any thing the image tell me, that
Hath kept with thy remembrance.

'Tis far off,
And rather like a dream than an assurance
That my remembrance warrants. Had I not
Four or five women once that tended me?