Mir. But wherefore did they not that hour destroy us? Prosp. They durst not, girl, in Milan, for the love My people bore me; in short, they hurried us Away to Savoy, and thence aboard a bark at Nissa's port, Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared Mir. Alack! what trouble Was I then to you ? Prosp. Thou and thy sister were Two cherubims, which did preserve me: You both Some food we had, and some fresh water, which Gave us; with rich garments, and all necessaries, tleness (Knowing I loved my books) he furnished me, From mine own library, with volumes, which I prize above my dukedom. Mir. Would I might see that man! I find, that my mid-heaven doth depend VOL. III. H Come away, my spirit: 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, To ride into the curled clouds; to thy strong bidding Task Ariel, and all his qualities. Prosp. Hast thou, spirit, performed to point The tempest, that I bade thee? Ariel. To every article. I boarded the duke's ship; now on the beak, Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil Did not infect his reason? Ariel. Not a soul, But felt a fever of the mind, and played But mariners, plunged in the foaming brine, And quit the vessel: The duke's son, Ferdinand, Prosp. Why, that's my spirit!- Ariel. Not a hair perished. In troops I have dispersed them round this isle: Whom I have left warming the air with sighs, Prosp. Say how thou hast disposed the mariners Of the duke's ship, and all the rest o'the fleet? Ariel. Safely in harbour Is the duke's ship; in the deep nook, where once Thou called'st me up, at midnight, to fetch dew From the still vexed Bermoothes, there she's hid; The mariners all under hatches stowed; Whom, with a charm, joined to their suffered labour, I have left asleep: And for the rest o'the fleet, Bound sadly home for Italy; Supposing that they saw the duke's ship wrecked, And his great person perish. Prosp. Ariel, thy charge Exactly is performed: But there's more work ;—— What is the time o'the day? Ariel. Past the mid season. Prosp. At least two glasses. The time 'tween six and now must by us both Be spent most preciously. Ariel. Is there more toil? Since thou dost give me pains, let me remember Thee what thou hast promised, which is not yet Performed me. Prosp. How now, moody! What is't thou canst demand? Ariel. My liberty. Prosp. Before the time be out?-no more! Ariel. I pr'ythee, Remember I have done thee faithful service, Told thee no lies; made thee no mistakings; Thou didst promise to bate me a full year. From what a torment I did free thee? Ariel. No. Prosp. Thou dost; and think'st it much to tread the ooze Of the salt deep; To run against the sharp wind of the north; Ariel. I do not, sir. Prosp. Thou liest, malignant thing!-Hast thou forgot The foul witch Sycorax, who, with age and envy, Was grown into a hoop? Hast thou forgot her? Ariel. No, sir. Prosp. Thou hast! Where was she born? Speak, tell me. Ariel. Sir, in Argier. Prosp. Oh, was she so!-I must, Once every month, recount what thou hast been, Which thou forgettest. This damned witch Syco rax, For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries Too terrible to enter human hearing, From Argier, thou know'st, was banished: But, for one thing she did, They would not take her life.-Is not this true? Prosp. This blue-eyed hag was hither brought with child, And here was left by the sailors: Thou, my slave, (In her unmitigable rage) into a cloven pine; Within whose rift imprisoned, thou didst painfully Remain a dozen years, within which space she died, And left thee there; where thou didst vent thy groans, As fast as mill-wheels strike. Then was this isle (Save for two brats, which she did litter here, The brutish Caliban, and his twin-sister, Two freckled hag-born whelps) not honoured with A human shape. Ariel. Yes; Caliban her son, and Sycorax his sister. Prosp. Dull thing! I say so.-He, That Caliban, and she, that Sycorax, Whom I now keep in service. Thou best know`st To lay upon the damned, which Sycorax When I arrived and heard thee, that made the pine gape, and let thee out. To Ariel. I thank thee, master. Prosp. If thou more murmurest, I will rend an oak, And peg thee in his knotty entrails, till thou Ariel. Pardon, master; I will be correspondent to command, Prosp. Do so; and after two days I'll discharge thee. Ariel. Thanks, my great master. But I have yet one request. Prosp. What's that, my spirit? Ariel. I know that this day's business is impor tant, |