self! 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: Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him: if thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself 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-morrow. Adieu. Rod. Where shall we meet i'the morning? 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. Rod. I am changed. I'll sell all my land. Iago. Go to; farewell: put money enough in your purse. [Exit RODERIGO. Thus do I ever make my fool my purse: For I mine own gain'd knowledge should profane, If I would time expend with such a snipe, But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor; And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets He has done my office: I know not if't be true; But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do, as if for surety.' He holds me well; The better shall my purpose work on him. 6 Traverse;] This was an ancient military word of command. as if for surety.] That is, "I will act as if I were certain of the fact." 7 He holds me well;] i. e. esteems me. Cassio's a proper man: Let me see now; As asses are. I have't; it is engender'd:-Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light. [Exit. ACT II. SCENE I. A Sea-port Town in Cyprus. A 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: 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: The wind-shak'd surge, with high and monstrous main, Seems to cast water on the burning bear, And quench the guards of the ever-fixed pole: On th' enchafed flood. Mon. If that the Turkish fleet Be not inshelter'd and embay'd, they are drown'd; It is impossible they bear it out. Enter a third Gentleman. 3 Gent. News, lords! our wars are done; The desperate tempest hath so bang'd the Turks, That their designment halts: A noble ship of Venice Hath seen a grievous wreck and sufferance On most part of their fleet. Mon. How! is this true? 3 Gent. The ship is here put in, A Veronesé; Michael Cassio, Lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello, Mon. I am glad on't; 'tis a worthy governor. Touching the Turkish loss,-yet he looks sadly, And prays the Moor be safe; for they were parted With foul and violent tempest. 'Pray heaven he be; Mon. Like a full soldier.' Let's to the sea-side, ho! As throw out our eyes for brave Othello; 9 And quench the guards of the ever-fixed pole:] Alluding to the star Arctophylax. 1 Like a full soldier.] Like a complete soldier. Even till we make the main, and the aerial blue, An indistinct regard. 3 Gent. Come, let's do so; For every minute is expectancy Of more arrivance. Enter CASSIO. Cas. Thanks to the valiant of this warlike isle, That so approve the Moor; O, let the heavens Give him defence against the elements, For I have lost him on a dangerous sea! Cas. His bark is stoutly timber'd, and his pilot [Within.] A sail, a sail, a sail! Enter another Gentleman. Cas. What noise? 4 Gent. The town is empty; on the brow o'the sea Stand ranks of people, and they cry—a sail. Cas. My hopes do shape him for the governour. 2 Gent. They do discharge their shot of cour[Guns heard. tesy: Our friends, at least. Cas. I pray you, sir, go forth, And give us truth who 'tis that is arriv'd. 2 Gent. I shall. [Exit. 2 Of very expert and approv'd allowance;] Expert and approv'd allowance is put for allow'd and approv'd expertness. This mode of expression is not unfrequent in Shakspeare. 3 Therefore my hopes, not surfeited to death, Stand in bold cure.] Presumptuous hopes, which have no foundation in probability, may poetically be said to surfeit themselves to death, or forward their own dissolution. To stand in bold cure, is to erect themselves in confidence of being fulfilled. Mon. But, good lieutenant, is your general wiv'd? Cas. Most fortunately: he hath achiev'd a maid That paragons description, and wild fame; One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens, And in the essential vesture of creation, Does bear all excellency.*-How now? who has put in? Re-enter second Gentleman. 2 Gent. 'Tis one Iago, ancient to the general. Cas. He has had most favourable and happy speed: Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling winds, Their mortal natures,' letting go safely by Mon. What is she? Cas. She that I spake of, our great captain's captain, Left in the conduct of the bold Iago; Whose footing here anticipates our thoughts, And in the essential vesture of creation, Does bear all excellency.] The author seems to use essential, for existent, real. She excels the praises of invention, says he, and in real qualities, with which creation has invested her, bears all excellency. 5 Their mortal natures,] i. e. their deadly, destructive natures. |