The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (608 page)

Of officials and the role of office, he set all the minds in the government
To what tune pleased his ear; that now he was

To whatever message he desired; now he was
The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,

The ivy that had grown over the tree trunk of my own right to rule,
And suck'd my verdure out on't. Thou attend'st not.

And sucked my liveliness out with it. You aren’t listening.

MIRANDA

O, good sir, I do.

Oh, good sir, I am.

PROSPERO

I pray thee, mark me.

Please, listen to me.
I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated

I, having neglected endeavors in this world, completely dedicated
To closeness and the bettering of my mind

To solitude and the bettering of my mind
With that which, but by being so retired,

With things which, except that they were so secluded,
O'er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother

Would be overvalued by the common consensus, in my deceitful brother
Awaked an evil nature; and my trust,

This awakened an evil nature; and my trust,
Like a good parent, did beget of him

Like a good parent, did create in him
A falsehood in its contrary as great

A disloyalty that was the complete opposite but as great
As my trust was; which had indeed no limit,

As my trust had been; which in fact had no limit,
A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded,

A confidence without boundaries.  In that was, he was made a lord,
Not only with what my revenue yielded,

Not only through what my income produced,
But what my power might else exact, like one

But also what my authority might obtain, like one
Who having into truth, by telling of it,

Who having said something against the truth, because he told it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,

Made such an impostor of his memory
To credit his own lie, he did believe

That it gave credit to his own lie, he did believe
He was indeed the duke; out o' the substitution

He was actually the duke; because he substituted in my place of authority
And executing the outward face of royalty,

And fulfilled the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative: hence his ambition growing—

With all its privileges: from here his ambition grew—
Dost thou hear?

Do you hear what I’m saying?

MIRANDA

Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.

Your story, sir, would cure deafness.

PROSPERO

To have no screen between this part he play'd

In order to have no separation between this role he was performing
And him he play'd it for, he needs will be

And the one who he was performing it for—that is myself—he desired to become
Absolute Milan. Me, poor man, my library

The absolute ruler of Milan. For me, poor man, my library
Was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties

Was a large enough dukedom: of wordly power
He thinks me now incapable; confederates—

He thought I was now incapable; he was allies—
So dry he was for sway--wi' the King of Naples

He was so thirty for power—with the King of Naples
To give him annual tribute, do him homage,

And had to give him annual taxes, to pay him homage,
Subject his coronet to his crown and bend

And subject his lesser crown to the greater ruler and lowered
The dukedom yet unbow'd--alas, poor Milan!—

The province that hadn’t yet been overcome—sadly, poor Milan!—
To most ignoble stooping.

To a very shameful position.

MIRANDA

O the heavens!

Oh, good heavens±

PROSPERO

Mark his condition and the event; then tell me

Notice his agreement and the outcome; then tell me
If this might be a brother.

If you think a brother could do this.

MIRANDA

I should sin

It would be a sin
To think but nobly of my grandmother:

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

But good women have given birth to bad sons.

PROSPERO

Now the condition.

Now the agreement.
The King of Naples, being an enemy

The King of Naples, being an enemy
To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit;

Of mine for a long time, paid attention to my brothers proposition;
Which was, that he, in lieu o' the premises

Which was, that he, in place of the pledges
Of homage and I know not how much tribute,

Of homage and I’m not sure how much taxes,
Should presently extirpate me and mine

Would instead immediately eliminate me and my family
Out of the dukedom and confer fair Milan

From the province and give over the beautiul Milan
With all the honours on my brother: whereon,

With all the it’s powers to my brother: After this,
A treacherous army levied, one midnight

A treacherous army was enlisted, and one midnight,
Fated to the purpose did Antonio open

Destined for this task, Antonio opened
The gates of Milan, and, i' the dead of darkness,

The gates of Milan and in the dead of night,
The ministers for the purpose hurried thence

The agents of this plan hurried to
Me and thy crying self.

Me and your crying self.

MIRANDA

Alack, for pity!

What a shame, what a pity!
I, not remembering how I cried out then,

I now, since I don’t remember how I cried then,
Will cry it o'er again: it is a hint

Will cry over it again: it is a situation
That wrings mine eyes to't.

That forces my eyes to weep.

PROSPERO

Hear a little further

Listen a little more
And then I'll bring thee to the present business

And then I’ll get to the current business
Which now's upon's; without the which this story

That is now upon us; without which this story
Were most impertinent.

Would be beside the point.

MIRANDA

Wherefore did they not

Why did they not
That hour destroy us?

Destroy us then?

PROSPERO

Well demanded, wench:

Good question, girl:
My tale provokes that question. Dear, they durst not,

My story invites that question. My dear, they didn’t dare,
So dear the love my people bore me, nor set

So dear was the love my people had for me, nor did they dare to place
A mark so bloody on the business, but

Such a bloody mark on their business, but
With colours fairer painted their foul ends.

Painted a prettier picture of their evil plan.
In few, they hurried us aboard a bark,

In short, they hurried us aboard a ship,
Bore us some leagues to sea; where they prepared

And carried us some miles out into the sea; where they prepared
A rotten carcass of a boat, not rigg'd,

The rotting remains of a boat, without ropes,
Nor tackle, sail, nor mast; the very rats

Without gear, sail, and mast; even the rats
Instinctively had quit it: there they hoist us,

Instinctively had left it: there they left us,
To cry to the sea that roar'd to us, to sigh

To cry to the sea that roared back at us, to sigh
To the winds whose pity, sighing back again,

To the winds whose pity, sighing back again,
Did us but loving wrong.

Did us only affectionate wrong.

MIRANDA

Alack, what trouble

What a shame, what trouble
Was I then to you!

I was then for you!

PROSPERO

O, a cherubim

Oh, little angel
Thou wast that did preserve me. Thou didst smile.

You were what saved me. You made me smile.
Infused with a fortitude from heaven,

Empowered with a strength from heaven,
When I have deck'd the sea with drops full salt,

When I crossed the salty sea,
Under my burthen groan'd; which raised in me

And groaned under my burden; it was that strength which raised in me
An undergoing stomach, to bear up

A continuous courage, to withstand
Against what should ensue.

What was to come.

MIRANDA

How came we ashore?

How did we come ashore?

PROSPERO

By Providence divine.

By Divine Providence.
Some food we had and some fresh water that

We had some food and some fresh water that
A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo,

A noble man from Naples, named Gonzalo,Out of his charity, being then appointed

Out of his kindness, having been put
Master of this design, did give us, with

In charge of this plan, gave to us, with
Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries,

Nice clothes, linens, equipment and necessary things,
Which since have steaded much; so, of his gentleness,

Which have since been very helpful; so, because of his nobility,
Knowing I loved my books, he furnish'd me

And knowing that I loved my books, he provided me
From mine own library with volumes that

With books from my own library that
I prize above my dukedom.

I prized more than my dukedom.

MIRANDA

Would I might

I wish that I might
But ever see that man!

Someday see that man!

PROSPERO

Now I arise:

Now I will stand up:

Resumes his mantle (cloak)

Sit still, and hear the last of our sea-sorrow.

Sit still, and listen to the last of our sad times at sea.
Here in this island we arrived; and here

We arrived here on this island; and here
Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit

I have, as your school teacher, made you more capable
Than other princesses can that have more time

Than other princesses who have more time
For vainer hours and tutors not so careful.

To be foolishly spent and tutors who are not so careful.

MIRANDA

Heavens thank you for't! And now, I pray you, sir,

And the heavens thank you for it! And now, I ask you, sir,
For still 'tis beating in my mind, your reason

Because it’s still heavy on my mind, what was your reason
For raising this sea-storm?

For raising this sea-storm?

PROSPERO

Know thus far forth.

Know this much.
By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune,

By a strange accident, from generous Fortune,
Now my dear lady, hath mine enemies

Now my dear lady, my enemies have been
Brought to this shore; and by my prescience

Brought to this shore; and because of my knowledge beforehand
I find my zenith doth depend upon

I found my high point depends on
A most auspicious star, whose influence

A very favorable star, which
If now I court not but omit, my fortunes

If I don’t follow its influence now, but instead disregard it, my fortune
Will ever after droop. Here cease more questions: