Sometimes, to do me service. Nine or ten times I had thought to have yerk'd him here, under the ribs. Oth. "Tis better as it is. That, with the little godliness I have, I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray, sir, Oth. For the sea's worth. But, look! what lights come yonder? Iago. These are the raised father, and his friends: You were best go in. Oth. Enter CASSIO, and certain Officers with torches. Oth. The servants of the duke, and my lieutenant. The goodness of the night upon you, friends. What is the news? Cas. The duke does greet you, general; And he requires your haste, post-haste appearance, Even on the instant. Oth. What is the matter, think you? Cas. Something from Cyprus, as I may divine. It is a business of some heat: the galleys Have sent a dozen sequent messengers This very night at one another's heels; And many of the consuls, rais'd and met, Are at the duke's already. You have been hotly call'd for; When, being not at your lodging to be found, 'Tis well I am found by you. I will but spend a word here in the house, And go with you. [Exit. Cas. Ancient, what makes he here? Iago. 'Faith, he to-night hath boarded a land carack: If it prove lawful prize, he's made for ever. Iago. Cas. He's married. To whom? Re-enter OTHello. Iago. Marry, to-Come, captain, will you go? Oth. Have with you. Cas. Here comes another troop to seek for you. Iago. It is Brabantio.-General, be advis'd: He comes to bad intent. will rust them. Good signior, you shall more command with years, Than with your weapons. Bra. O, thou foul thief! where hast thou 'stow'd my daughter? Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her; I, therefore, apprehend, and do attach thee, Oth. Hold your hands! To prison; till fit time Of law, and course of direct session, Call thee to answer. Oth. What if I do obey? How may the duke be therewith satisfied, Whose messengers are here about my side, Upon some present business of the state, To bear me to him? 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, Cannot but feel this wrong, as 'twere their own; For if such actions may have passage free, Bond-slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The Same. A Council-Chamber. The DUKE, and Senators, sitting at a table; Duke. There is no composition in these news, That gives them credit. 1 Sen. Indeed, they are disproportion'd: My letters say, a hundred and seven galleys. 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 Their purposes toward Cyprus.-Signior Montano, With his free duty recommends you thus, Duke. 'Tis certain then for Cyprus. Marcus Luccicos, is not he in town? 1 Sen. He's now in Florence. Duke. Write from us to him; post, post-haste dispatch. 1 Sen. Here comes Brabantio, and the valiant Moor. Enter BRABANTIO, OTHELLO, IAGO, RODERIGO, and Officers. Duke. Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you Against the general enemy Ottoman.- [To BRABANTIO. We lack'd your counsel and your help to night. Bra. So did I yours. Good your grace, pardon me; Neither my place, nor aught I heard of business, Hath raised me from my bed; nor doth the gen eral care Take hold of me, for my particular grief Dead? Ay, to me; She is abus'd, stol'n from me, and corrupted Duke. Whoe'er he be that, in this foul proceeding, Hath thus beguil'd your daughter of herself, Bra. Duke and Sen. We are very sorry for it. Duke. What, in your own part, can you say to [TO OTHELLO. this? Bra. Nothing, but this is so. Oth. Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, My very noble and approv'd good masters, That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter, It is most true; true, I have married her: The very head and front of my offending Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech, And little bless'd with the set phrase of peace; For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith, Of spirit so still and quiet, that her motion Duke. Did you by indirect and forced causes Oth. I do beseech you, Send for the lady to the Sagittary, Oth. Her father lov'd me; oft invited me; I ran it through, even from my boyish days, Of being taken by the insolent foe, And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence, It was my hint to speak, such was the process; But still the house affairs would draw her thence; When I did speak of some distressful stroke, 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful: She wished she had not heard it; yet she wish'd Men do their broken weapons rather use, Than their bare hands. Bra. I pray you, hear her speak : 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: Do you perceive in all this noble company, Where most you owe obedience? Des. My noble father, I am hitherto your daughter: but here's my husband; And so much duty as my mother show'd Bra. God be with you!—I have done.— I here do give thee that with all my heart, Which, as a grise, or step, may help these lovers When remedies are past, the griefs are ended The robb'd, that smiles, steals something from the thief: He robs himself, that spends a bootless grief. 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, I find in hardness; and do undertake Due reference of place, and exhibition, With such accommodation, and besort, As levels with her breeding. Duke. Be't at her fathers. Bra. Oth. Nor I. Des. If you please, I'll not have it so. 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 Even to the very quality of my lord: I saw Othello's visage in his mind; By his dear absence. Let me go with him. Oth. Your voices, lords: 'beseech you, let her will Have a free way. Vouch with me, heaven, I therefore beg it not, Duke. Be it as you shall privately determine, Either for her stay or going. Th' affair cries haste, And speed must answer it: you must hence to-night. Des. To-night, my lord? Duke. Oth. This night. With all my heart. Duke. At nine i' the morning here we'll meet To be sent after me. Duke. If virtue no delighted beauty lack, 1 Sen. Adieu, brave Moor! use Desdemona well. Bra. Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee. [Exeunt DUKE, Senators, Officers, &c. Oth. My life upon her faith.-Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leave to thee: I pr'ythee, let thy wife attend on her, And bring her after in the best advantage.- Rod. Iago. Iago. What say'st thou, noble heart? Rod. What will I do, thinkest thou? Iago. 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 villainous! I have looked upon the world for four times seven years, and since I could distinguish betwixt 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 my virtue to amend it. Iago. Virtue? a fig! 'tis in ourselves that we are thus, or thus. Our bodies are 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 calllove, to be a sect or scion. Rod. It cannot be. Iago. 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 profess 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 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 super-subtle 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. Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him: if thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, 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? Iago. At my lodging. Rod. I'll be with thee betimes. Iago. Go to; farewell. Do you hear, Roderigo? Rod. What say you? your purse. 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 [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; Yet 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. Cassio's a proper man: let me see now; To get his place, and to plume up my will; In double knavery,-How, how?-Let's see :After some time, to abuse Othello's ear, That he is too familiar with his wife: He hath a person, and a smooth dispose, To be suspected; fram'd to make women false. The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest, that but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by the nose, As asses are. I have't;-it is engender'd:-hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light. [Exit. |