This cell’s my court. Here have I few attendants,

And subjects none abroad. Pray you, look in.

My dukedom since you have given me again,

I will requite you with as good a thing;

At least bring forth a wonder to content ye

As much as me my dukedom.

Here Prospero discovers Ferdinand and Miranda, playing at chess

MIRANDA

Sweet lord, you play me false.

FERDINAND No, my dearest love,

I would not for the world.

MIRANDA

Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle,

An I would call it fair play.

ALONSO

If this prove

A vision of the island, one dear son

Shall I twice lose.

SEBASTIAN

A most high miracle.

FERDINAND (coming forward)

Though the seas threaten, they are merciful.

I have cursed them without cause.

He kneels

ALONSO

Now all the blessings

Of a glad father compass thee about.

Arise and say how thou cam’st here.

Ferdinand rises

MIRANDA (coming forward)

O wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world

That has such people in’t!

PROSPERO

’Tis new to thee.

ALONSO (to Ferdinand)

What is this maid with whom thou wast at play?

Your eld’st acquaintance cannot be three hours.

Is she the goddess that hath severed us,

And brought us thus together?

FERDINAND

Sir, she is mortal;

But by immortal providence she’s mine.

I chose her when I could not ask my father

For his advice, nor thought I had one. She

Is daughter to this famous Duke of Milan,

Of whom so often I have heard renown,

But never saw before; of whom I have

Received a second life; and second father

This lady makes him to me.

ALONSO

I am hers.

But O, how oddly will it sound, that I

Must ask my child forgiveness!

PROSPERO

There, sir, stop.

Let us not burden our remembrance with

A heaviness that’s gone.

GONZALO

I have inly wept,

Or should have spoke ere this. Look down, you gods,

And on this couple drop a blessed crown,

For it is you that have chalked forth the way

Which brought us hither.

ALONSO

I say amen, Gonzalo.

GONZALO

Was Milan thrust from Milan, that his issue

Should become kings of Naples? O rejoice

Beyond a common joy! And set it down

With gold on lasting pillars: in one voyage

Did Claribel her husband find at Tunis,

And Ferdinand her brother found a wife

Where he himself was lost; Prospero his dukedom

In a poor isle; and all of us ourselves,

When no man was his own.

ALONSO (to Ferdinand and Miranda) Give me your hands.

Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart

That doth not wish you joy.

GONZALO

Be it so! Amen!

Enter Ariel, with the Master and Boatswain amazedly following

O look, sir, look, sir, here is more of us!

I prophesied if a gallows were on land

This fellow could not drown. (To the Boatswain) Now,

blasphemy,

That swear’st grace o’erboard: not an oath on shore?

Hast thou no mouth by land? What is the news?

BOATSWAIN

The best news is that we have safely found

Our King and company. The next, our ship,

Which but three glasses since we gave out split,

Is tight and yare and bravely rigged, as when

We first put out to sea.

ARIEL (aside to Prospero) Sir, all this service

Have I done since I went.

PROSPERO (aside to Ariel)

My tricksy spirit!

ALONSO

These are not natural events; they strengthen

From strange to stranger. Say, how came you hither?

BOATSWAIN

If I did think, sir, I were well awake

I’d strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep,

And—how we know not—all clapped under hatches,

Where but even now, with strange and several noises

Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,

And more diversity of sounds, all horrible,

We were awaked; straightway at liberty;

Where we in all her trim freshly beheld

Our royal, good, and gallant ship, our Master

Cap’ring to eye her. On a trice, so please you,

Even in a dream, were we divided from them,

And were brought moping hither.

ARIEL (aside to Prospero)

Was’t well done?

PROSPERO (aside to Ariel)

Bravely, my diligence. Thou shalt be free.

ALONSO

This is as strange a maze as e’er men trod,

And there is in this business more than nature

Was ever conduct of. Some oracle

Must rectify our knowledge.

PROSPERO

Sir, my liege,

Do not infest your mind with beating on

The strangeness of this business. At picked leisure,

Which shall be shortly, single I’ll resolve you,

Which to you shall seem probable, of every

These happened accidents; till when be cheerful,

And think of each thing well. (Aside to Ariel) Come

hither, spirit.

Set Caliban and his companions free.

Untie the spell.

Exit Ariel

(To Alonso) How fares my gracious sir?

There are yet missing of your company

Some few odd lads that you remember not.

Enter Ariel, driving in Caliban, Stefano, and Trinculo, in their stolen apparel

STEFANO Every man shift for all the rest, and let no man take care for himself, for all is but fortune. Coragio, bully-monster, coragio!