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admiration, have only fliocked belief. How judicioufly therefore 

 is the imagination prepared by terror and compaffion for the 

 enchanted fcenes to which we are now to be introduced. It is 

 a common obfervation that the weakcft minds are moft inclined 

 to credulity. And it is no lefs true that tear, grief, pity, and 

 all thofe paiTions which tend to deprefs the foul, produce (in 

 proportion to their violence) a fimilar efFe£t. Hence the numerous 

 prodigies with which hifiorians abound, in times of danger and 

 diftrefs. Hence that pronenefs to fuperfiition yvhich has appeared 

 in the greateft charadlers, when oppreffed by the fliock of any 

 fudden calamity. To be convinced of the importance of this 

 remark, let us only confider how difterenlly we fhould have 

 been afFeded by the appearance of Profpero and his fpirits, had 

 not the awfulnefs of a ftorm and fhipwreck preceded their 

 introdu6lion. Should we not have turned with difguft from that 

 which at prefent only iills us with afloniftinient ? 



The poet now tranfports us to the cave of an enchanter, 

 whofe potent art had " called forth the jnutinous ■winds.'" His 

 daughter befeeching him to allay the ftorm to which fhe had 

 been witnefs, is comforted with the affurance that no life was 

 loft, and that what was done, was done " /// care of her." The 

 plot gradually opens in a manner natural, folemn and affeding. 

 " The hour ivas ?iow come" when Profpero's daughter muft be 

 informed of that which to have known before would have been 

 both ufelefs and prejudicial. We become every moment more 

 interefted in the fortunes of Miranda and her father. The one, 

 who at firft only excited furprife and awe as a magician, now 

 claims our pity and refped, as a prince unjuflly difpoffefled of 



his 



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