Junior High School Literature, Book 1Elson, William H. (William Harris)
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Junior High School Literature, Book 1
Elson, William H. (William Harris)
American literature; English literature; Readers
Antonio with tears, and sad words of sorrow and true repentance, implored
his brother’s forgiveness, and the King expressed his sincere remorse
for having assisted Antonio to depose his brother; and Prospero forgave
them; and, upon their engaging to restore his dukedom, he said to the
King of Naples, “I have a gift in store for you, too”; and opening a
door, showed him his son Ferdinand playing at chess with Miranda.
Nothing could exceed the joy of the father and the son at this unexpected
meeting, for they each thought the other drowned in the storm.
“O wonder!” said Miranda, “what noble creatures these are! It must surely
be a brave world that has such people in it.”
The King of Naples was almost as much astonished at the beauty and
excellent graces of the young Miranda, as his son had been. “Who is this
maid?” said he; “she seems the goddess that has parted us, and brought
us thus together.” “No, sir,” answered Ferdinand, smiling to find his
father had fallen into the same mistake that he had done when he first
saw Miranda, “she is a mortal, but by immortal Providence she is mine;
I chose her when I could not ask you, my father, for your consent, not
thinking you were alive. She is the daughter to this Prospero, who is the
famous duke of Milan, of whose renown I have heard so much, but never saw
him till now; of him I have received a new life: he has made himself to
me a second father, giving me this dear lady.”
“Then I must be her father,” said the King; “but oh! how oddly will it
sound, that I must ask my child forgiveness.”
“No more of that,” said Prospero; “let us not remember our troubles
past, since they so happily have ended.” And then Prospero embraced his
brother, and again assured him of his forgiveness; and said that a wise
over-ruling Providence had permitted that he should be driven from his
poor dukedom of Milan, that his daughter might inherit the crown of
Naples, for that by their meeting in this desert island, it had happened
that the King’s son had loved Miranda.
These kind words which Prospero spoke, meaning to comfort his brother,
so filled Antonio with shame and remorse, that he wept and was unable to
speak; and the kind old Gonzalo wept to see this joyful reconciliation,
and prayed for blessings on the young couple.
Prospero now told them that their ship was safe in the harbor, and the
sailors all on board her, and that he and his daughter would accompany
them home the next morning. “In the meantime,” says he, “partake of
such refreshments as my poor cave affords; and for your evening’s
entertainment I will relate the history of my life from my first landing
in this desert island.” He then called for Caliban to prepare some food,
and set the cave in order; and the company were astonished at the uncouth
form and savage appearance of this ugly monster, who (Prospero said) was
the only attendant he had to wait upon him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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