Prospero's Books Page #3

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set all hearts i' th' state To what tune pleas'd his ear;

that now he was The ivy

which had hid my princely trunk

And suck'd my verdure out on't.

Thou attend'st not.

I pray thee, mark me.

I thus neglecting worldly ends,

all dedicated To closeness

and the bettering of my mind

With that which, but by being so retir'd,

O'er-priz'd all popular rate,

in my false brother Awak'd an evil nature;

and my trust, like a good parent,

did beget of him A falsehood, in its

contrary as great as my trust was;

which had indeed no limit,

a confidence sans bound.

He being thus lorded,

Not only with what my revenue yielded,

but what my power might else exact,

he did believe he was indeed the Duke;

To have no screen between this part

he play'd And him he play'd it for,

he needs will be Absolute Milan.

Me, poor man-my library

Was dukedom large enough-

of temporal royalties he thinks

me now incapable;

confederates, So dry he was for sway,

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 most ignoble stooping.

a treacherous army levied,

one midnight fated to th' purpose,

did Antonio open the gates of Milan;

nd, i' th' dead of darkness,

The ministers for th' purpose

hurried thence me and thy crying self.

Wherefore did they not that hour destroy us?

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 butt,

not rigg'd, nor tackle, sail, nor mast;

the very rats instinctively have quit it.

There they hoist us, To cry to th' sea,

that roar'd to us;

to sigh To th' winds, whose pity,

sighing back again,

9. A Primer of the Small Stars

Did us but loving wrong.

Alack, what trouble was I then to you!

O, a cherubin thou wast that did preserve me!

Thou didst smile, infused with

a fortitude from heaven,

when I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt.

Some food we had and some fresh water

that a noble Neapolitan,

Gonzalo, out of his charity, who 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 lov'd my books,

he furnish'd me from mine own library

with volumes that I prize

above my dukedom.

Here in this island we arriv'd;

and here have I, thy schoolmaster,

made thee more profit

Than other princess' can,

that have more time for vainer hours,

and tutors not so careful.

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