Meanwhile the rest of the royal party who had plunged into the sea
from the King’s ship were wandering in another part of the island.
Among them were Alonso, King of Naples, and his brother Sebastian;
Antonio, the usurping Duke of Milan; Gonzalo, an honest old counsellor
of the King of Naples, with Adrian and Francisco, two of his lords.
[Illustration: “What? Put thy sword up, traitor.”]
Exhausted with the labour they had undergone, the whole party, with
the exception of Sebastian and Antonio, presently fell asleep.
Antonio, not content with having driven his own brother from the
dukedom of Milan, now began to suggest treachery to Sebastian, the
brother of the King of Naples. Ferdinand, the son of the King of
Naples, he said, must certainly have been drowned, his only daughter,
Claribel, was married, and far away in Africa--in fact, they were at
this moment on their way home from her wedding festivities--there was
therefore no near heir to the throne of Naples. Antonio suggested
that Sebastian should seize the kingdom of Naples, as he himself had
usurped that of Milan. He pointed out how easy it would be to slay
King Alonso as he lay there asleep; in fact, he offered to do the deed
himself, while Sebastian at the same moment was to put an end to the
faithful Gonzalo. The other lords would offer no resistance, but would
willingly agree to any suggestions made to them.
Sebastian was only too ready to fall in with this wicked scheme, but
in the meanwhile, invisible to them, Ariel came near, and at the very
moment when the traitors had drawn their swords and were about to kill
Alonso and Gonzalo he sang in the ear of the latter and awakened him.
“Good angels save the King!” cried Gonzalo; and Alonso started awake
at the shout.
“Why! how now? Ho, awake!” cried the King. “Why are your swords drawn?
Why do you look so ghastly?”
“What’s the matter?” added Gonzalo, still dazed with sleep.
“While we stood here guarding your repose just now,” said Sebastian,
with a ready lie, “we heard a hollow burst of bellowing like bulls,
or, rather, lions. Did it not wake you? It struck my ear most
terribly.”
“I heard nothing,” said the King.
“Oh, it was din enough to frighten a monster--to make an earthquake!”
said Antonio. “Surely it was the roar of a whole herd of lions.”
“Did you hear this, Gonzalo?” asked the King.
“Upon mine honour, sir, I heard a humming, and that a strange one,
too, which wakened me. I shook you, sir, and cried out. As my eyes
opened I saw their weapons. There certainly was a noise. We had better
stand on guard, or leave this place. Let us draw our weapons.”
“Lead away from here,” commanded the King. “Let us make further search
for my poor son.”
“Heaven keep him from these beasts!” said Gonzalo. “For he is surely
in the island.”
“Lead away,” repeated Alonso.
“Prospero shall know what I have done,” said Ariel, as Alonso and his
companions started again on their wanderings. “Go, King--go safely on
to seek thy son.”