I have with fuch provifion in mine art (4)
So fafely order'd, that there is no foyle, (5)
No not fo much perdition as an hair,
Betid to any creature in the vessel

Which thou heard 'ft cry, which thou faw'ft fink: fit down.
For thou must now know farther.

Mira. You have often

Begun to tell me what I am, but stopt,
And left me to a bootlefs inquifition;
Concluding, Stay; not yet.

Pro. The hour's now come,

The very minute bids thee ope thine ear;
Obey, and be attentive. Canft thou remember
A time, before we came unto this cell?

I do not think, thou canft; for then thou waft not
Out three years old. (6)

Mira. Certainly, Sir, I can.

Pro. By what by any other house, or perfon Of any thing the image tell me, that

Hath kept in thy remembrance.

Mira. 'Tis far off;

And rather like a dream, than an assurance

(4) Provifion in mine art.] This is the reading of the aft fol edition, which I have therefore restored. The word compaffion cook place afterwards, I prefume, from the mistake of the Printers, who threw their eyes twice inadvertently on the preceding line, where this word is, and fo happen'd to fubftitute it.

is no.

(5) is no foyle,] i. e. no damage, lofs, detriment. The two old Folio's read, foul which will not agree in Grammar with the following part of the fentence. Mr. Riwe first substituted-no foul loft, which does not much mend the matter, taking the context. together. Foyle is a word familiar with our Poet, and in fome degreefynonymous to perdition in the next line. So in the beginning of the third act of this play,

but fome defect in her

Did quarrel with the nobleft grace the ow'd,

And put it to the foil.

i. e abated, undid it.

(6) out three years old ] This is the old reading: 'tis true, the expreffion is obfolete, but it fupply'd the fenfe of, full out, out-right, on right-out, as in the fourth act of this play;

Swears, he will fhoot no more, but play with fparrows,
And be a boy right-out.

B.4

That

That my remembrance warrants. Had I not
Four, or five, women once, that tended me?

Pro. Thou hadft, and more, Miranda but how is it, That this lives in thy mind? what feeft thou elfe In the dark back-ward and abyfme of time? If thou remember'ft ought, ere thou cam'it here; How thou camft here, thou may'ft.

Mira. But that I do not.

I

Pro.'Tis twelve yearsfince, Miranda; twelve years fince, Thy father was the Duke of Milan, and

A Prince of pow'r.

Mira. Sir, are not you my father?

Pre. Thy moth was a piece of virtue, and She faid, thou wait my daughter; and thy father Was Duke of Milan, and his only heir

A Princess, no worfe iffu'd.

Mira. O the heav'ns!

What foul play had' we, that we came from thence & Or bleed was't, we did?

Pro. Both, both, my girl;

By foul play (as thou fay'ft) were we heav'd thence
But blefedly help'd hither.

Mira. O, my heart bleeds

To think o'th'teene that I have turn'd you to,
Which is from my remembrance. Please you, farther.
Pro. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Anthonio

I pray thee, mark me;-(that a brother should
Be to perfidious!) he whom next thyfelf
Of all the world I lov❜d, and to him put
The manage of my ftate; (as, at that time,
Through all the fignories it was the first;
And Profpero the prime Duke, being fo reputed
In dignity; and for the liberal arts,

Without a parallel; thofe being all my ftudy :)
The government I caft upon my brother,

And to my ftate grew ftranger; being tranfported,
And rapt in fecret ftudies. Thy falie uncle-
(Doft thou attend me?)

Mira. Sir, mot heedfully.

Pro. Being once perfected how to grant fuits,

How

How to deny them; whom t' advance, and whom
To trash or over-topping; new created

The creatures, that were mine; I fay, or chang'd 'em,
Or elfe new form'd 'em; having both the key
Of officer and office, set all hearts i'th'ftate
To what tune pleas'd his ear; that now he was
The ivy, which had hid my princely trunk,
And fuckt my verdure out on't. Thou attend'st not.
Mira. Good Sir, I do.

Pro I pray, thre, mark me then.

I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated
To clofenefs, and the bettering of my mind,
With that which, but by being fo retired,
O'er-priz'd all popular rate, in my falie brother
Awak'd an evil nature; and my trust,..
Like a good parent, did beget of him

A falfhood in its contrary, as great

As my truft was; which had, indeed, no limit,
A confidence fans bound. He being thus lorced,
Not only with what my revenue yielded,

But what my power might elfe exact; like one,
Who having into truth, by telling of it,
Made fuch a finner of his memory,

To credit his own lye, he did believe.
He was, indeed, the Duke; from fabilitution,
And executing th' outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative. Hence his ambition growing
Doft thou hear?

Mira. Your tale, Sir, would cure deafness.

Pro. To have no fereen between this part he play'd, And him he play'd it for, he needs will be Abfolute Milan. Me, poor man!--my library Was Dukedom large enough; of temporal royalties He thinks me now incapable: confederates (So dry he was for fway) wi' th' King of Naples To give him annual tribute, do him homage; Subject his coronet to his crown; and bend The Dukedom, yet unbow'd, (alas, poor Milan!) To moft ignoble stooping.

Mira. O the heav'ns ?

Pro. Mark his condition, and th'event; then tell me, If this might be a brother.

Mira. I fhould fin, (7)

To think but nobly of my grand mother
Good wombs have bore bad fons. (8)
Pro. Now the condition.

This King of Naples, being an enemy
To me inveterate, hearks my brother's fuit;
Which was, that he in lica o'th' premises,
Of homage, and I know not how much tribute,
Should prefently extirpate me and mine

Qut of the Dukedom; and confer fair, Milan,
With all the honours, on my brother. Whereon
A treacherous army levy'd, one mid-night
Fated to th' purpose, did Anthonio open

The gates of Milan; and, i' th' dead of darkness,
The minitters for th' purpofe hurry'd thence
Me, and thy crying felf,

Mira. Alack, for pity!

(7)

I should fin,

To think not nobly of my grandmother ;] This is Mr. Pope's readings from no authority, I prefume: All the copies, that I have feen, have it; to think but nobly, e otherwife than nobly; according to our Author's ufage. So, in Much Ado about Nothing;

I know not; if they speak but truth of her,

Thefe hands fhall tear her..

And fo in Timon;

4 to bear this,

That never knew but better, is fome burden.

&c. &c.

(3) God wombs have bore had fons.

Pro. Now, the condition:] Thos have all the editions divided thefe. Speeches; but, tho' I have pot attempted to regulate them otherwife. I have great fufpicion, that our Author plac'd them thus ;

Pro Gond wombs kave bore bgd Jons.- Now, the condition: How could Miranda, that came into this defart and an infant, that had never feen any other creatures of the world, but her father and Calibar, with any propriety be furnish'd to make fuch an obfervation from life, that the iffue has often degenerated from the parent? But it comes very properly from Profpero, as a fhort document, by the bv, to his daughter; implying," that he did very well to think with 5, honour of her anceflor; for that it was common in life, for good people to have bad children.".

J,. not rememb'ring how I cry'd out then,
Will cry it o'er again; it is a hint,
That wrings mine eyes to't.

Pro. Hear a little further,

And then I'll bring thee to the prefent bufinefs,
Which now's upon's, without the which this ftory.
Were most impertinent.

Mira. Why did they not

That hour deftroy us ?

Pro. Well demanded, wench;

My tale provokes that question. Dear, they dark noz (So dear the love my people bore me;) fet

A mark fo bloody on the business; but
With colours fairer painted their foul ends.
In few, they hurry'd us aboard a bark;

Bore us fome leagues to fea; where they prepar'di
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,
Nor tackle, fail, nor maft; the very rats
Instinctively had quit it: there they hoift us
To cry to th' fea, that roar'd to us; to figh
To th' winds, whofe pity, fighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Mira. Alack! what trouble

Was I then to you?

Pro. O a cherubim

Thou wait, that did preferve me: Thou didit fmile, Infufed with a fortitude from heav'n,

(When I have deck'd the fea with drops full-falt ;. Under my. burden groan'd ;) which rais'd in me An undergoing ftomach, to bear up.

Against what should ensue.

Mira. How. came we a-fhore ?

Pro. By providence divine.

Some food we had, and fome fresh water, that,

A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

Out of his charity (being then appointed"
Mafter of this defign) did give us, with

Rich garments, linnens, fluffs, and neceffaries, .
Which fince have fteeded much. So of his gentleness,
Knowing Ilov'd my books, he furnish'd me