Caf. I pray you fir goe forth,

And giue vs truth, who tis that is arriu'd.

2 Gent. I fhall.

Mon. But good leiutenant, is your generall wiu'd?

Caf. Most fortunately, he hath atchieu'd a maide,
That parragons description, and wild fame :
One that excells the blafoning pens,

And in the effentiall vefture of creation,

Does beare all excellency :-now, who has put in?

Enter 2. gentleman.

2 Gent. Tis one lago, ancient to the generall,
He has had moft fauourable and happy speede,
Tempests themfelues, by † feas, and houling windes,
The guttered rocks, and congregated fands,
Traitors enfcerped‡; to clog the guiltleffe keele,
As hauing fence of beauty, do omit

Their common natures, letting goe fafely by
The diuine Defdemona.

Mon. What is fhe?

Caf. She that I fpoke of, our great captains captaine, Left in the conduct of the bold lago.

Whose footing here anticipates our thoughts

A fennights speede-great Ioue Othello guard,

And fwell his faile with thine owne powerfull breath,
That he may bleffe this bay with his tall shippe,

And swiftly come to Defdemona's armes.

Enter Defdemona, Iago, Emillia, and Roderigo.

Giue renewd fire,

To our extincted fpirits.

And bring all Cypreffe comfort,-O behold

Exit.

the quirkes. + an.

+ bigh. I enfleep'd.

The

Y 2

The riches of the fhip is come afbore \\.
Ye men of Cypres, let her haue your knees :
Haile to thee lady: and the grace of heauen,
Before, behinde thee, and on euery hand,
Enwheele thee round.

Defd. I thanke you valiant Caffio:

What tidings can you tell me of my lord?

Caf. He is not yet arriued, nor know I ought, But that hee's well, and will be shortly here. Desd. O but I feare :-how loft you company?

[Within.] A faile, a faile.

Caf. The great contention of the fea and fkies Parted our fellowship: but harke, a faile.

2 Gent. They giue their greeting to the cittadell, This likewife is a friend.

Caf. So fpeakes this voyce §:

Good ancient, you are welcome, welcome mistresse,
Let it not gall your patience, good lago,

That I extend my manners, tis my breeding,

That giues me this bold fhew of courtefie.

*

lag. For would she giue you so much of her lips, As of her tongue, she has bestowed on me,

You'd haue enough.

Def. Alas! fhee has no fpeech.

lag. I know too much :

I finde it t, I; for when I ha lift to fleepe,

Mary, before your ladiship I grant,

She puts her tongue a little in her heart,

And chides with thinking.

Em. You ha little caufe to fay fo.

lag. Come on, come on, you are pictures out adores: Bells in your parlors: wildcats in your kitchins :

on shore. See for the newes.

* Sir.

+ In faith.

† it ftill.

leave.

Saints in your iniuries: diuells being offended:
Players in your houswifery; and houfwiues in your beds.
O fie vpon thee flanderer.

Iag. Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turke,
You rife to play, and goe to bed to worke.
Em. You fhall not write my praise.
Iag. No, let me not.

Defd. What wouldst thou write of me,

If thou shouldst praise me?

lag. O gentle lady, doe not put me to't,

For I am nothing, if not criticall.

Defd. Come on, affay-there's one gone to the harbor? lag. I madam.

Defd. I am not merry, but I doe beguile

The thing I am, by feeming otherwise:

Come, how wouldst thou praise me?

lag. I am about it, but indeed my inuention Comes from my pate, as birdlime does from freeze,

It plucks out braine and all: but my mufe labors,
And thus fhe is deliuer'd:

If the be faire and wife, fairenesse and wit;

The one's for vse, the other vfing * it.

Defd. Well praifde: how if she be blacke and witty?
Iag. If fhe be blacke, and thereto haue a wit,

Shee'le finde a white, that fhall her blackneffe hit +.
Defd. Worfe and worse.

Em. How if faire and foolish?

lag. She neuer yet was foolish, that was faire,

For euen her folly helpt her, to a haire †.

Def. These are old paradoxes, to make fooles laugh i'the alehouse,

What miserable praise haft thou for her,

That's foule and foolish?

⚫ufetb.

+fit.

+ to an beire.

Iag.

Y 3

Jag. There's none fo foule, and foolish thereunto, But does foule prankes, which faire and wife ones doe.

Defd. O heauy ignorance, that praises the worst best: but what praife couldst thou bestow on a deferuing woman indeed? one, that in the authority of her merrits, did iuftly put on the vouch of very malice it felfe?

Iag. She that was euer faire, and neuer proud,
Had tongue at will, and yet was neuer lowd,
Neuer lackt gold, and yet went neuer gay,
Fled from her wifh, and yet faid, now I may:
She that being angred, her reuenge being nigh,
Bad her wrong ftay, and her displeasure flye;
She that in wifedome, neuer was fo fraile,

To change the codfhead for the falmons taile.

She that could thinke, and ne're difclofe her minde, *
She was a wight, if euer fuch wight were.

Def. To doe what?

Jag. To fuckle foolcs, and chronicle small beere.

Def. O moft lame and impotent conclufion:

Doe not learne of him Emillia, tho he be thy husband; How fay you Caffio, is he not a moft prophane and liberall Counfellour?

Caf. He fpcakes home madam, you may rellish him More in the fouldier then in the fcholler.

Iag. He takes her by the palme; I well fed, whisper: as little a webbe as this will enfnare as great a flee † as Caffio. I fmile vpon her, doe: I will catch you in your owne courtefies: you fay true, tis fo indeed. If fuch trickes as these strip you out of your leiutenantry, it had beene better you had not rist your three fingers fo oft, which now againe, you are most apt to play the fir in: good, well kift, an excellent courtefie; tis fo indeed yet againe, your fingers at your lips? would they

:

*See futors following and not looke behinde

+ flic.

were

were clifterpipes for your fake.The Moore, I know his

trumpet.

Trumpets within.

Enter Othello, and attendants.

Caf. Tis truely fo.

Def. Lets meete him, and receive him.

Caf. Loe, where he comes.

Oth. O my faire warriour.

Def. My deare Othello.

Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content,
To see you here before me: O my foules ioy,
If after euery tempeft, come fuch calmeneffe,
May the winds blow, till they haue wakened death,
And let the labouring barke clime hills of feas,
Olympus high, and duck againe as low,

As hell's from heauen: If it were now to dye,
T'were now to be moft happy, for I feare
My foule hath her content fo abfolute,
That not another comfort, like to this
Succeeds in vnknowne fate.

Def. The heauens forbid,

But that our loues and comforts fhould increafe,
Euen as our dayes doe growe."

Oth. Amen to that sweete power*,

I cannot fpeake enough of this content,
It stops me heere, it is too much of ioy:

And this, and this, the greatest discord be,

That ere our hearts fhall make.

Iag. O, you are well tun'd now,

But I'le fet downe the pegs, that make this musique,

As honeft as I am.

powers. X 4

they kiffe.

Oth.