Hark, hark! I hear

The strain of strutting chanticlere
Cry, Cock-a-doodle-doo.

Fer. Where should this music be? i' th' air, or th

earth?―

It sounds no more;-and sure, it waits upon
Some god o' th' island. Sitting on a bank,
Weeping again the king my father's wreck,
This music crept by me upon the waters,
Allaying both their fury, and my passion,
With its sweet air: thence I have follow'd it,
Or it hath drawn me rather:-but 'tis gone.—
No, it begins again.

ARIEL sings.

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.

Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:

[Burden ding-dong.

Hark! now I hear them,-ding-dong, bell.

Fer. The ditty does remember my drown'd father.

This is no mortal business, nor no sound

That the earth owes'.-I hear it now above me.

Pro. The fringed curtains of thine eye advance And say, what thou seest yond'.

Mira. What is't? a spirit? Lord, how it looks about! Believe me, sir,

It carries a brave form :-but 'tis a spirit.

Pro. No, wench: it eats and sleeps, and hath such

senses

As we have; such. This gallant, which thou seest,

1 That the earth owES.] i. e. owns. See Vol. ii. pp. 45. 136. 297. 416, &c.

Was in the wreck; and but he's something stain'd

With grief, that's beauty's canker, thou might'st call

him

A goodly person. He hath lost his fellows,

And strays about to find 'em.

Mira.

A thing divine, for nothing natural

I ever saw so noble.

Pro.

I might call him

As my soul prompts it.-Spirit, fine spirit! I'll free

thee

Within two days for this.

Fer.

Most sure, the goddess On whom these airs attend!-Vouchsafe, my prayer May know if you remain upon this island, And that you will some good instruction give, How I may bear me here: my prime request, Which I do last pronounce, is, O you wonder! If you be maid, or no??

Mira.

But, certainly a maid.

Fer.

No wonder, sir;

My language! heavens!

I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.

How! the best?

Pro.
What wert thou, if the king of Naples heard thee?
Fer. A single thing, as I am now, that wonders
To hear thee speak of Naples. He does hear me,
And that he does I weep: myself am Naples;
Who with mine eyes, ne'er since at ebb, beheld
The king, my father, wreck'd.
Mira.

Alack, for mercy!

If you be MAID, or no?] This is the reading of the three earliest folios, and seems unquestionably right. Ferdinand has at first supposed Miranda a goddess, and now inquires if she be really a mortal; not a celestial being, but a maiden. "Maid" is used in its general sense. Miranda's answer is to be taken in the same sense as Ferdinand's question. In the fourth folio "maid" is altered to made.

Fer. Yes, faith, and all his lords; the duke of Milan, And his brave son, being twain.

The duke of Milan,

Pro.
And his more braver daughter, could control thee,
If now 'twere fit to do't.-[Aside.] At the first sight
They have chang'd eyes:-delicate Ariel,

I'll set thee free for this!-[To him.] A word, good sir;
I fear, you have done yourself some wrong3: a word.
Mira. Why speaks my father so ungently? This
Is the third man that e'er I saw; the first

That e'er I sigh'd for.

To be inclin'd my way!

Fer.

Pity move my father

O! if a virgin,

And your affection not gone forth, I'll make you

The queen of Naples.

Pro.

Soft, sir: one word more.

[Aside.] They are both in either's powers: but this swift business

I must uneasy make, lest too light winning

Make the prize light.—[To him.] One word more: I

charge thee,

That thou attend me.

Thou dost here usurp

The name thou ow'st not; and hast put thyself

Upon this island as a spy, to win it

From me, the lord on't.

Fer.

No, as I am a man.

Mira. There's nothing ill can dwell in such a temple: If the ill spirit have so fair a house,

Good things will strive to dwell with't.

Pro. Follow me.

[To FERD.

Speak not you for him; he's a traitor.-Come.
I'll manacle thy neck and feet together;

Sea-water shalt thou drink, thy food shall be

The fresh-brook muscles, wither'd roots, and husks

Wherein the acorn cradled.

Follow.

3 I fear you have done yourself some wrong:] Some wrong to your character by asserting that you are king of Naples.

Fer.

No;

I will resist such entertainment, till

Mine enemy has more power.

Mira.

[He draws, and is charmed from moving.

Make not too rash a trial of him, for

He's gentle, and not fearful.

Pro.

O, dear father!

What! I say:

My foot my tutor?-Put thy sword up, traitor;

Who mak'st a show, but dar'st not strike, thy con

science

Is so possess'd with guilt: come from thy ward,

For I can here disarm thee with this stick,

And make thy weapon drop.

Mira.

Beseech you,

father!

Sir, have pity:

Pro. Hence! hang not on my garments.

Mira.

I'll be his surety.

Pro.

Silence! one word more

Shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee. What!

An advocate for an impostor? hush!

Thou think'st there are no more such shapes as he,
Having seen but him and Caliban: foolish wench!
To the most of men this is a Caliban,

And they to him are angels.

Mira.

My affections

Are then most humble: I have no ambition

To see a goodlier man.

My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up.

My father's loss, the weakness which I feel,

The wreck of all my friends, nor this man's threats,
To whom I am subdued, are but light to me,
Might I but through my prison once a day

Behold this maid: all corners else o' th' earth
Let liberty make use of; space enough

Have I in such a prison.

Pro.
Thou hast done well, fine Ariel!-Follow me.-

It works. Come on.

[To FERD. and MIR.

Be of comfort.

Hark, what thou else shalt do me.
Mira.

My father's of a better nature, sir,

[To ARIEL.

Than he appears by speech: this is unwonted,
Which now came from him.

Pro.

Thou shalt be as free

As mountain winds; but then, exactly do
All points of my command.

Ari.

To the syllable.

[Exeunt.

Pro. Come, follow.-Speak not for him.

ACT II. SCENE I.

Another Part of the Island.

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, GONZALO, ADRIAN, FRANCISCO, and Others.

Gon. Beseech you, sir, be merry: you have cause (So have we all) of joy, for our escape

Is much beyond our loss. Our hint of woe1

Is common: every day, some sailor's wife,

The masters of some merchants, and the merchant,

Our HINT of woe] Gonzalo seems to call it "hint of woe," in reference to its comparative triflingness and ordinary occurrence.

5 The MASTERS of some merchant,] Possibly, "masters," (as Steevens thought) has here been misprinted for mistress; or the passage may refer to the owners of the ship, who may be called the "masters" of the merchant embarked on board it. It has been suggested by Malone, that "merchant" might be taken in the sense of merchantman.