the stage, and encourages her brother in the parricide. What horror does this not raise! Clytemnestra was a wicked woman, and had deserved to die; nay, in the truth of the story, she was killed by her own son; but to represent an action of this kind on the stage is certainly an offence against those rules of manners, proper to the persons, that ought to be observed there. On the contrary, let us only look a little on the conduct of Shakspeare. Hamlet is represented with the same piety towards his father, and resolution to revenge his death, as Orestes; he has the same abhorrence for his mother's guilt, whien, to provoke him the more, is heightened by incest: but it is with wonderful art and justness of judgment, that the poet restrains him from doing violence to his mother. To prevent any thing of that kind he makes his father's Ghost forbid that part of his vengeance:

"But howsoever thou pursu'st this act,

"Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
"Against thy mother aught; leave her to heaven,
"And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
"To prick and sting her."

This is to distinguish rightly between horror and terror. The latter is a proper passion of tragedy, but the former ought always to be carefully avoided. And certainly no dramatic writer ever succeeded better in raising terror in the minds of an audience than Shakspeare has done. The whole tragedy of Macbeth, but more especially the scene where the king is murdered, in the second act, as well as this play, is a noble proof of that manly spirit with which he writ; and both shew how powerful he was, in giving the strongest motions to our souls that they are capable of. I cannot leave Humlet, without taking notice of the advantage with which we have seen this master-piece of Shakspeare distinguish itself upon the stage, by Mr. Betterton's fine performance of that part. A man, who, though he had no other good qualities, as he has a great many, must have inade his way into the esteem of all inen of letters by this only excellency. No man is better acquainted with Shakspeare's manner of expression, and indeed he has studied him so well, and is so much a master of him, that whatever part of his he performs, he does it as if it had been written on purpose for him, and that the author had exactly conceived it as he plays it. I must own a particular obligation to him for the most considerable part of the passages relating to this life, which I have here transmitted the public; his veneration for the memory of Shakspeare having engaged him to make a journey into Warwickshire, on purpose to gather up what remains he could of a Lame for which he had so great a veneration.

ALONSO, king of Naples.
SEBASTIAN, his brother.

TEMPEST.

Persons represented.

PROSPERO, the rightful duke of Milan.
ANTONIO, his brother, the usurping duke
of Milan.

FERDINAND, son to the king of Naples.
GONZALO, an honest old counsellor of
Naples.
ADRIAN,

FRANCISCO,} lords.

CALIBAN, a savage and deformed slave.

Other spirits attending on PROSPERO.

Scene,-The sea, with a ship; afterwards an uninhabited island.

ACT I.

SCENE I. On a ship at sen.
A storm, with thunder and lightning.
Enter a Ship-master and a Boatswain.
Master. Boatswain,-

Boats. Here, master: What cheer?
Mast. Good: Speak to the mariners: fal!
to't yarely, or we run ourselves aground:
bestir, bestir.
[Exit.

Enter Mariners.

Boats. Heigh, my hearts; cheerly, cheerly, my hearts; yare, yare: Take in the top sail; tend to the master's whistle. Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO,
FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others.
Alon. Good boatswain, have care. Where's
the master? Play the men.

Boats. I pray now, keep below.
Ant. Where is the master, boatswain?
Boats. Do you not hear him? You mar our
labour! keep your cabins: you do assist the
Gon. Nay, good, be patient.

[storm. Boats. When the sea is. Hence! What care these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence: trouble us not.

Gon. Good; yet remember whom thou hast aboard.

fast, good fate, to his hanging! make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage! If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable. [Exeunt.

Re-enter Boatswain. Boats. Down with the top-mast; yare: lower, lower; bring her to try with main-course. A cry within.] A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather, or our office. Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, & GONZALO. Yet again? what do you here? Shall we give o'er and drown? Have you a mind to sink? Seb. A pox o' your throat! you bawling, blasphemous, uncharitable dog!

Bouts. Work you, then.

solent noise-maker, we are less afraid to be Ant. Hang, car, hang! you whoreson, indrowned than thon art.

Gon. I'll warraut him from drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell, and as leaky as an unstanched wench.

Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold; set her two
courses; off to sea again, lay her off.
Enter Mariners wet.
Mar. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all
[Exeunt.
Boats. What, must our mouths be cold?
Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let us
For our case is as theirs. [assist them,

lost!

Seb. I am out of patience.
Ant. We are merely § cheated of our lives by
drunkards.- है
[lie drowning,

Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a counsellor; if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present t, we will not hand a rope more; use your authority. If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself This wide-chapped rascal--Would thou might'st ready in your cabin for the mischance of the The washing of ten tides! hour, if it so hap.-Cheerly, good hearts.-Out of our way, I say. [Exit. Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow : metoinks, he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand + Present instant.

• Readily.

Gon. He'll be hanged yet; Though every drop of water swear against it. And gape at wid'st to glut him. [A confused noise within.] Mercy on us:We split, we split!-Farewell, my wife and § Absolutely.

* Incontinent.

B

With that, which, but by being so retired,
O'er-prized 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,-like one
Who having, unto truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,
To credit his own lie,-he did believe
He was the duke; out of the substitution,
And executing the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative:-Hence his ambition
Growing-Dost hear?

Mira. Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.
Pro. 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 roy-
alties

He thinks me now incapable: confederates
(So dryt he was for sway) with the 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.
Mira.
O the heavens!
Pro. Mark his condition, and the event;
then tell me,

If this might be a brother.

Mira.

should sin

To think but nobly of my grandmother:
Good wombs have borne bad sons.

Pro.

Now the condition.
This king of Naples, being an enemy
To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's 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.
Mira.

Alack, for pity!

I, not rememb❜ring how I cried out then,
Will cry it o'er again! it is a hint §,
This wrings mine eyes.

Pro.

Hear a little further,
And then I'll bring thee to the present business
Which now's upon us; without the which,
Were most impertinent.
[this story
Mira.
Wherefore did they not

That hour destroy us?
Pro.

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

• Without. Thirsty. Consideration.

With colours fairer painted their foul ends.
In few, they hurried us aboard a bark;
Bore us some leagues to sea; where they pre-
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd, [pared
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats
Instinctively had quit it: there they hoist us,
To cry to the sea that roar'd to us; to sigh
To the winds, whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.
Mera.
Alack! what trouble

Was I then to you!
Pro.
O! a cherubim
Thou wast, that did preserve me! Thou didst
Infused with a fortitude from heaven, [smile,
When I have deck'd the sea with drops fuil
salt;

Under niy burden groan'd; which rais'd in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up
Against what should ensue.
Mira.

How came we ashore

Pro. By Providence divine.
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 loved my books, he furnish'd me
From my own library, with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom.
Mira.

But ever see that man!

Would I might

Pro.
Now I arise:-
Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.
Here in this island we arriv'd; and here
Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more
profit

Than other princes can, that have more time
For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful.

Mira. Heavens thank you for't! And now,
I pray you, sir,
(For still 'tis beating in my mind,) your reason
For raising this sea-storm?
Pro.
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 inclin'd to sleep; 'tis a good dulness,
And give it way;-1 know thou can'st not
choose.-
[MIRANDA Sleeps.
Come away, servant, come: I am ready now;
Approach, my Ariel; come.
Enter ARIEL.

Art. All hail, great master! grave sir, hail!
I come

To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly,
To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride
On the curl'd clouds to thy strong bidding
Ariel, and all his quality.
[task

Suggestion. Sprinkled. Stubborn resolution

Pro. Dull thing, I say so; he, that Caliban,
Whom now I keep in service.Thou best know'st
What torment I did find thee in: thy groans
Did make wolves howl, and penetrate the
breasts

Of ever-angry bears: it was a torment
To lay upon the damn'd, which Sycorax
Could not again undo; it was mine art,
When I arriv'd, and heard thee, that made gape
The pine, and let thee out.

The minutest article. Bustle, tumult. Bermudas. § Wave. Algiers. ¶ Commands.