The Tempest(3) PROSPERO Now the condition. The King of Naples, being an enemy To me inveterate, hearkens my brothers suit; Which was, that he, in lieu o the premises Of homage and I know not how much tribute, Should presently extirpate me and mine Out of the dukedom and confer fair Milan With all the honours on my brother: whereon, A treacherous army levied, one midnight Fated to the purpose did Antonio open The gates of Milan, and, i the dead of darkness, The ministers for the purpose hurried thence Me and thy crying self. MIRANDA Alack, for pity! I, not remembering how I cried out then, Will cry it oer again: it is a hint That wrings mine eyes tot. PROSPERO Hear a little further And then Ill bring thee to the present business Which nows upons; without the which this story Were most impertinent. MIRANDA Wherefore did they not That hour destroy us? PROSPERO Well demanded, wench: My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not, So dear the love my people bore me, nor set A mark so bloody on the business, but With colours fairer painted their foul ends. In few, they hurried us aboard a bark, Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared A rotten carcass of a boat, not riggd, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats Instinctively had quit it: there they hoist us, To cry to the sea that roard to us, to sigh To the winds whose pity, sighing back again, Did us but loving wrong. MIRANDA Alack, what trouble Was I then to you! PROSPERO O, a cherubim Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile. Infused with a fortitude from heaven, When I have deckd the sea with drops full salt, Under my burthen groand; which raised in me An undergoing stomach, to bear up Against what should ensue. MIRANDA How came we ashore? PROSPERO By Providence divine. Some food we had and some fresh water that A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, Out of his charity, being then appointed Master of this design, did give us, with Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries, Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness, Knowing I loved my books, he furnishd me From mine own library with volumes that I prize above my dukedom. MIRANDA Would I might But ever see that man! PROSPERO Now I arise: Resumes his mantleSit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow. Here in this island we arrived; and here Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit Than other princesses can that have more time For vainer hours and tutors not so careful. MIRANDA Heavens thank you fort! And now, I pray you, sir, For still tis beating in my mind, your reason For raising this sea-storm? PROSPERO Know thus far forth. By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune, Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies Brought to this shore; and by my prescience I find my zenith doth depend upon A most auspicious star, whose influence If now I court not but omit, my fortunes Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions: Thou art inclined to sleep; tis a good dulness, And give it way: I know thou canst not choose. MIRANDA sleepsCome away, servant, come. I am ready now. Approach, my Ariel, come. Enter ARIELARIEL All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure; bet to fly, To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride On the curld clouds, to thy strong bidding task Ariel and all his quality. PROSPERO Hast thou, spirit, Performd to point the tempest that I bade thee? ARIEL To every article. I boarded the kings ship; now on the beak, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, I flamed amazement: sometime Ild divide, And burn in many places; on the topmast, The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, Then meet and join. Joves lightnings, the precursors O the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary And sight-outrunning were not; the fire and cracks Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune Seem to besiege and make his bold waves tremble, Yea, his dread trident shake. PROSPERO My brave spirit! Who was so firm, so constant, that this coil Would not infect his reason? ARIEL Not a soul But felt a fever of the mad and playd Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the vessel, Then all afire with me: the kings son, Ferdinand, With hair up-staring,--then like reeds, not hair,-- Was the first man that leapd; cried, Hell is empty And all the devils are here. PROSPERO Why thats my spirit! But was not this nigh shore? ARIEL Close by, my master. PROSPERO But are they, Ariel, safe? To be continued... As usual, your comments bring out the beauty in our stories. We love reading them. Have your say in the comment box. Invite your freinds to like our page # literature_lovers
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 11:54:47 +0000
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