Scene III. OTHELLO, THE MOOR OF VENICE. Off. 'Tis true, most worthy signior, Bra. How! the duke in council! In this time of the night!-Bring him away: Cannot but feel this wrong as 'twere their own : no composition in these 1 Sen. Indeed, they are disproportion'd; My letters say, a hundred and seven gallies. Duke. And mine, a hundred and forty. 2 Sen. And mine two hundred : But though they jump not on a just account, (As in these cases, where the aim reports, 'Tis oft with difference,) yet do they all confirm A Turkish fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus. Duke. Nay, it is possible enough to judg ment; I do not so secure me in the error, In fearful sense. 207 Enter BRABANTIO, OTHELLO, IAGO, RODERIGO' Duke. Valiant Othello, we must straight em Against the general enemy Ottoman. I did not see you; welcome, gentle Signior; me; ness, Neither my place, nor aught I heard of busi- Take hold on me; for my particular grief And it is still itself. Duke. Why, what's the matter? Bra. Ay, to me; She is abus'd, stolen from me, and corrupted Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense, Duke. Whoe'er he be, that in this foul pio- Hath thus beguil'd your daughter of herself, Sailor. [Within.] What ho! what ho! what You shall yourself read in the bitter letter, ho! Enter an OFFICER, with a SAILOR. Off. A messenger from the gallies. Sailor. The Turkish preparation makes for So was I bid report here to the state, Duke. How say you by this change? 1 Sen. This cannot be, By no assay of reason; 'tis pageant, To keep us in false gaze: When we consider That Rhodes is dress'd in :-if we make thought of this, We must not think the Turk is so unskilful, After your own sense; yea, though our proper son Stood in your action. Bra. Humbly I thank your grace. Here is the man, this Moor; whom now it seems, Your special mandate, for the state affairs, Duke & Sen. We are very sorry for it. to this? Bra. Nothing but this is so. niors, My very noble and approv'd good masters, And little bless'd with the set phrase of peace; Till now some nine moons wasted, they have Duke. Nay, in all confidence, he's not for And little of this great world can I speak, Mess. Of thirty sail: and now do they restem Duke. 'Tis certain then for Cyprus.- Duke. Write from us; wish him post-post- 1 Sen. Here comes Brabantio, with the valiant • Le. Our offices of state will be filled by the pa- More than pertains to feats of broil and battle; In speaking for myself: Yet, by your gracious I will a round unvarnish❜d tale deliver What conjuration, aud what mighty magic, Bra. A maiden never bold; ture, Of years, of country, credit, every thing.- Or with some dram conjur❜d to this effect, Duke. To vouch this, is no proof; Without more certain and more overt-test, tions? Good Brabantio, Take up this mangled matter at the best : Bra. I pray you, hear her speak; affec-If she confess that she was half the wooer, Destruction on my head, if my bad blame Light on the man!-Come hither, gentle mistress; Or came it by request, and such fair question As soul to soul affordeth? Oth. I do beseech you, Send for the lady to the Sagittary, t And let her speak of me before her father: If you do find me foul in her report, Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither. Oth. Ancient, conduct them; you best know the place. [Exeunt IAGO and Attendants. And, till she come, as truly as to heaven I do confess the vices of my blood, So justly to your grave ears I'll present How I did thrive in this fair lady's love, And she in mine. Duke. Say it, Othello. Oth. Her father lov'd me; oft invited me ; I ran it through, even from my boyish days, It was my hint to speak, such was the process Would Desdemona seriously incline: [thence; means To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart, Do you perceive in all this noble company, Des. My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you, I am bound for life and education; And so much duty as my mother show'd Bra. God be with you !-I have done :- heart I here do give thee that with all my heart, When remedies are past, the griefs are ended, By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended. To mourn a mischief that is past and gone, He robs himself, that spends a bootless grief. But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow, row. These sentences, to sugar, or to gall, I humbly beseech you, proceed to the affairs of pass-state. That heaven had made her such a man; she thank'd me ; And bade me if I had a friend that lov'd ber, ter too. Duke. The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for Cyprus :-Othello, the fortitude of the place is best known to you: Aud though we have there a substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer voice on you: you must therefore be content to slubber § the gloss of your new fortunes with this more stubborn and boisterous expedition. Oth. The tyrant custom, most grave senators, I find in hardness; and do undertake MOOR OF VENICE. With such accommodation and besort, Duke. If you please, Be't at her father's. Bra. I'll not have it so. Oth. Nor I. Des. Nor I; I would not there reside, Duke. What would you, Desdemona ? Des. That I did love the Moor to live with him, My downright violence and storm of fortunes May trumpet to the world; my heart's subdued 209 Of love, of worldly matters, and direction, Iago. What say'st thou, noble heart? Rod. It is silliness to live, when to live is a torment and then have we a prescription to die, when death is our physician. Jago. O villainous! I have looked upon the world for four times seven years; and since I could distinguish between a benefit and an injury, I never found a man that knew how to love himself. Ere I would say, I would drown myself for the love of a Guinea-hen, † I would change my humanity with a baboon." Rod. What should I do? I confess it is my shame to be so fond; but it is not in virtue to amend it. Even to the very quality of my lord: her will Have a free way. me, Vouch with me, heaven; I therefore beg it not I will your serious and great business scant, of feather'd Cupid seel with wanton dulness Duke. Be it as you shall privately determine, Either for her stay or going: the affair cries, baste, And speed must answer it: you must hence to-night. Des. To-night, my lord? Duke. This night. Oth. With all my heart. lago. Virtue a fig! 'tis in ourselves, that we are thus, or thus. Our bodies are our gardens; to the which our wills are gardeners: so that if we will plant nettles, or sow lettuce; set one gender of herbs, or distract it with many; Iago. It is merely a lust of the blood, and a Duke. At nine i'the morning here we'll meet in thy purse.-These Moors are changeable in again. Othello, leave some officer behind, And he shall our commission bring to you; Oth. Please your grace, my ancient; A man he is of honesty and trust: [think To his conveyance I assign my wife, Bra. Look to her, Moor; have a quick eye to see; She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee. [Exeunt DUKE, SENATORS, OFFICERS, &c. their wills;-fill, thy purse with money: the food that to him now is as luscious as locusts, shall be to him shortly as bitter as coloquintida. She must change for youth: when she is sated with his body, she will find the error of her choice.-She must have change, she must: therefore put money in thy purse.-If thou wilt needs damn thyself, do it a more delicate way than drowning. Make all the money thou canst: If sanctimony and a frail vow, betwixt an erring ¶ barbarian and a supersubtle Venetian, be not too hard for my wits, and all the tribe of hell, thou shalt enjoy her; therefore make money. A pox of drowning thyself! it is clean out of the way: seek thou rather to be hanged in compassing thy joy, thau to be drowned and go without her. Rod. Wilt thou be fast to my hopes, If I depend on the issue? of me;-Go, make lago. Thou art sure money :-I have told thee often, and I re-tell thee again and again, I hate the Moor: My cause is hearted: thine hath no less reason: Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him: if thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thy self a pleasure, and me a sport. There are many events in the womb of time, which will be de. livered. Traverse; go; provide thy money. We will have more of this to-morrow. Adieu. Rod. Where shall we meet i'the morning? Iago. At my lodging. Rod. I'll be with thee betimes. Iago. Go to; farewell. Do you hear, Roderigo Rod. What say you! Iago. No more of drowning, do you hear. If I would time expend with such a snipe, see: me Enter MONTANO and Two GENTLEMEN. Mon. What from the cape can you discern at sea ? 1 Gent. Nothing at all: it is a high-wrought flood; I cannot, 'twixt the heaven and the main, Mon. Methinks, the wind hath spoke aloud at land: A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements: 2 Gent. segregation of the Turkish fleet: strons main, Seems to cast water on the burning bear $ On th' enchafed flood. Mon. If that the Turkish fleet Mon. How is this true ? 3 Gent. The ship is here put in, A Veronesé; Michael Cassio, Lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello, Is come on shore: the Moor himself's at sea, And is in full commission here for Cyprus. Mon. I am glad on't; 'tis a worthy governor. 3 Gent. But this same Cassio, though he speak of comfort, Touching the Turkish loss, yet he looks sadly, With foul and violent tempest. For I have serv'd him, and the man commands 3 Gent. Come, let's do so; Stand ranks of people, and they cry-a sail. nor. 2 Gent. They do discharge their shot of cour- Our friends, at least. Cas. I pray you, Sir, go forth, [Exit. Mon. But, good lieutenant, is your general wiv'd? Cas. Most unfortunately: he hath achiev'd a That paragons description and wild fame : Re-enter second GENTLEMAN. 2 Gent. 'Tis one lago, ancient to the general. Gas. He has had most favourable and happy speed: Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling The gutter'd rocks, and congregated sands,- Be not inshelter'd and embay'd, they are The divine Desdemona. drown'd; It is impossible they bear it out. Enter a third GENTLEMAN. 3 Gent. News, lords! our wars are done; Hath seen a grievous wreck and sufferance Give renew'd fire to our extincted spirits, Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, IAGO, RODERIGO, The riches of the ship is come on shore! Des. I thank you, valiant Cassio. Des. O but I fear;-How lost you company? Cas. The great contention of the sea and skies Parted our fellowship. But, hark! a sail. [Cry within, A sail, a sail! Then Guns heard. 2 Gent. They give their greeting to the citadel: This likewise is a friend. Cas. See for the news. [Exit GENTLEMAN. Good ancient, you are welcome;-Welcome, mistress :[TO EMILIA. Let it not gall your patience, good lago, [Kissing her. Jago. Sir, would she give you so much of her lips, As of her tongue she oft bestows on me, Des. Alas! she has no speech. Jago. In faith, too much; I find it still, when I have list to sleep: Emil. You have little cause to say so. Bells in your parlours, wild cats in your kit chens, Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds. Des. O fie upon thee, slanderer! Iago. Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk ; Des. What wouldst thou write of me, if thou shouldst praise ine? lago. O gentle lady, do not put me to't: For I am nothing, if not critical. + Iago. There's none so foul, and foolish there. unto, {do. But does foul pranks which fair and wise ones Des. O heavy ignorance !-thou praisest the worst best. But what praise couldst thou oestow on a deserving woman indeed! one, that, in the authority of her merit, did justly put on the vouch of very malice itself? Iago. She that was ever fair, and never proud; Had tongue at will, and yet was never loud; Bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly; See suitors following, and not look behind; Iago. To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer. Des. O most lame and impotent conclusion -Do not learn of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband.-How say you, Cassio? is he not a most profane and liberal counsellor ? Cas. He speaks home, madam; you may relish him more in the soldier, than in the scholar. Iago. [Aside.] He takes her by the palm: Ay, well said, whisper with as little a web as this, will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do; I will gyve+ thee in thine own courtship. You say true; 'tis so indeed : if such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft, which now again you are most apt to play the Sir in. Very good; well kissed! an excellent courtesy ! 'tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingers to your lips? would they were clyster-pipes for your sake ?- -Trum pet.] The Moor, I know his trumpet. Cas. 'Tis truly so. Des. Let's meet him, and receive him. Enter OTHELLO, and Attendants. Oth. O my fair warrior! Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content, To see you here before me. O my soul's joy! If after every tempest come such calms, Des. Come on, assay :-There's one gone to May the winds blow till they have waken'd the harbour. lago. Ay, madam. Des. I am not merry; but I do beguile The thing I am, by seeming otherwise.Come, how wouldst thou praise me? lago. I am about it; but, indeed, my invention [frize, Comes from my pate, as birdlime does from It plucks out brains and all: But my muse labours, And thus she is deliver'd. If she be fair and wise,-fairness and wit,- Des. Well prais'd! How if she be black and Iago. If she be black, and thereto have a wit, She'll find a white that shall her blackness fit. Des. Worse and worse. Emil. How, if fair and foolish? lago. She never yet was foolish that was fair; For even her folly help'd her to an heir. Des. These are old fond paradoxes, to make fools laugh i'the alehouse. What miserable praise hast thou for her that's foul and foolish? ✰ Foolish. • Desire. 1 Censorious, death! And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas, As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die, Des. The heavens forbid, But that our loves and comforts should increase, Even as our days do grow! Oth. Amen to that, sweet powers! I cannot speak enough of this content, That e'er our hearts shall make! Oth. Come, let's to the castle.News, friends: our wars are done, the Turks are drown'd. |