men, Yet do I hold it very stuff o'the conscience, Oth. 'Tis better as it is. Iago. Nay, but he prated, And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms Against your honour, That, with the little godliness I have, I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray, Sir, As double as the duke's; he will divorce you ; Oth. Let him do his spite: My services, which I have done the signiory, Shall out-tongue his complaints. 'Tis yet to know, [our, (Which, when I know that boasting is an honI shall promulgate,) I fetch my life and being From men of royal siege; and my demerits May speak, unbonnetted,|| to as proud a for tune As this that I have reach'd: For know, lago, Put into circumspection and confine For the sea's worth. But, look! what lights come yonder? Enter CASSIO, at a distance, and certain Officers with Torches. Iago. These are the raised father, and his You were best go in. [friends: Oth. Not I: I must be found; My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, Oth. The servants of the duke, and my lieu Oth. Have with you. Cas. Here comes another troop to seek for you. Enter BRABANTIO, RODERIGO, and Officers of Oth. Hola! stand there! [They draw on both sides. Iago. You, Roderigo! come, Sir, I am for you. Oth. Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.[years, Good signior, you shall more command with Than with your weapons. Bra. O thou foul thief, where hast thou Damp'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her: stow'd my daughter? For I'll refer me to all things of sense, If she in chains of magic were not bound, Whether a maid-so tender, fair, and happy; So opposite to marriage, that she shunn'd The wealthy curled darlings of our nation,Would ever have, to incur a general mock, Run from her guardage to the sooty-bosom Of such a thing as thou: to fear, not to delight.§ Both you of my inclining, and the rest: [it Were it my cue to fight, I should have known Without a prompter.-Where will you that I To answer this your charge? Bra. To prison: till fit time Of law, and course of direct session, Oth. What if I do obey? How may the duke be therewith satisfied; [go Off. 'Tis true, most worthy signior, The duke's in council; and your noble self, I am sure, is sent for. Bra. How! the duke in council! In this time of the night!-Bring him away: Mine's not an idle cause: the duke himself, Or any of my brothers of the state, [own: Cannot but feel this wrong, as 'twere their For if such actions may have passage free, Bond-slaves and pagans,* shall our statesmen be. [Exeunt. So may he with more facile question* bear it, We must not think, the Turk is so unskilful, Off. Here is more news. Enter a MESsenger. SCENE III.-The same.-A Council Chamber. Enter BRABANTIO, OTHELLO, IAGO, RODERIGO, The DUKE, and SENATORS, sitting at a Table; Officers attending. and Officers. Duke. Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you Duke. There is no compositiont in these Against the general enemy Ottoman. news, That gives them credit. 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 judgement; I do not so secure me in the error, Sailor. [Within.] What ho! what ho! what ho! Enter an OFFICER, with a SAILOR. Off. A messenger from the gallies. I did not see you; welcome, gentle Signior; Take hold on me; for my particular grief Duke. Why, what's the matter? Bru. My daughter! O, my daughter! For nature so preposterously to err, Sailor. The Turkish preparation makes for Sans witchcraft could not Rhodes; So was I bid report here to the state, By signior Angelo. Duke. How say you by this change? 1 Sen. This cannot be, By no assay of reason; 'tis a pageant, To keep us in false gaze: When we consider The pagans and bond-slaves of Africa. + Consistency. * Conjecture. Duke. Whoe'er he be, that, in this foul proceeding, Hath thus beguil'd your daughter of herself, It is most true; true, I have married her; And little bless'd with the set phrase of peace; I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms, What conjuration, and what mighty magic, (For such proceeding I am charg'd withal,) I won his daughter with. Bra. A maiden never bold; Of spirit so still and quiet, that her motion Blush'd at herself; And she,-in spite of nature, Of years, of country, credit, every thing,- Or with some dram conjur'd to this effect, Duke. To vouch this, is no proof; Or came it by request, and such fair question Oth. I do beseech you, 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; Best exertion. + Open proof. + Weak show. The sign of the fictitious creature so called. Still question'd me the story of my life, It was my hint to speak, such was the process; Which ever as she could with haste despatch, means To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart, 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful: That heaven had made her such a man: she thank'd me; And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her, I should but teach him how to tell my story, And that would woo her. Upon this hint, I So much I challenge that I may profess Bra. God be with you!-I have done :Please it your grace, on to the state affairs; I had rather to adopt a child, than get it. Come hither, Moor: I here do give thee that with all my heart, Which, but thou hast already, with all my [jewel, heart I would keep from thee.-For your sake, 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. 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 Even to the very quality of my lord: Have a free way. Vouch with me, heaven; I therefore beg it not I will your serious and great business scant, Of feather'd Cupid seels with wanton dulness But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow, That, to pay grief, must of poor patience Duke. The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for Cyprus:-Othello, the fortitude of the place is best known to you: And 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, Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war My thrice-driven bed of down: I do agnize§ A natural and prompt alacrity, I find in hardness; and do undertake These present wars against the Ottomites. Most humbly therefore bending to your state, I crave fit disposition for my wife; Due reference of place, and exhibition.|| With such accommodation, and besort, As levels with her breeding. Duke. If you please, Be't at her father's. Bra. I'll not have it so. Des. Nor I; I would not there reside, Duke. Be it as you shall privately determine, Either for her stay, or going: the affair crieshaste, And speed must answer it; you must hence to-night. Des. To-night, my lord? Oth. With all my heart. Duke. At nine i'the morning here we'll meet again. Othello, leave some officer behind, Oth. Please your grace, my ancient; [think Duke. Let it be so.Good night to every one.-And, noble Signior, [TO BRABANTIO. If virtue no delighted beauty fack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black. 1 Sen. Adieu, brave Moor! use Desdemona well. Bra. Look to her, Moor; have a quick eye Iago. What say'st thou, noble heart? * Affections. + Forbid * Because. Blind. A small kettle. 1 Helmet. Rod. What will I do, thinkest thou? lago. Why, go to bed, and sleep. Rod. I will incontinently drown myself. Iago. Well, if thou dost, I shall never love thee after it. Why, thou silly gentleman! 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. Iago. O villanous! 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. Iago. 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 hyssop, and weed up thyme; supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many; either to have it steril with idleness, or manured with industry; why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most preposterous conclusions: But we have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted; lusts; whereof I take this, that you call-love, to be a sect, or scion. Rod. It cannot be. 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 delivered. Traverse; go; provide thy money. We will have more of this to-mor row. Adieu. Rod. Where shall we meet i'the morning? lago. 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: After some time, to abuse Othello's ear, I have't;-it is engender'd:-Hell and night ACT II. Platform. 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; lago. It is merely a lust of the blood, and a permission of the will. Come, be a man: Drown thyself? drown cats, and blind puppies. I have professed me thy friend, and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness; I could never better stead thee than now. Put money in thy purse; follow these wars; defeat thy favour with an usurped beard; I say, put money in thy purse. It cannot be, that Desdemona should SCENE I.-A Sea-port Town in CYPRUS.-A long continue her love to the Moor,-put money in thy purse;-nor he his to her: it was a violent commencement, and thou shalt see an answerable sequestration ;-put but money in thy purse. These Moors are changeable in 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, than to be drowned and go without her. Rod. Wilt thou be fast to my hopes, if I depend on the issue? Iago. Thou art sure of me;-Go, make 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: * Immediately. + Foolish. Unbridled. A sect is what the gardeners call a cutting. Change your countenance with a false beard. ¶ Wandering. I cannot, 'twixt the heaven and the main, Mon. Methinks, the wind hath spoke aloud A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements: this? 2 Gent. A segregation of the Turkish fleet: For do but stand upon the foaming shore, The chiding billow seems to pelt the clouds; The wind-shak'd surge, with high and monstrous main, Seems to cast water on the burning bear, Mon. If that the Turkish fleet It is impossible they bear it out. * An ancient military word of command. |