Rod. What say you? Iago. No more of drowning, do you hear. purse. Iago. Go to; farewell: put money enough in your To be suspected; fram'd to make women false. That thinks men honest, that but seem to be so; As asses are. I have't;—it is engender'd :-Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light. ACT II. [Exit. 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, Descry a sail. a—as if for surety.] That is, "I will act as if I were certain of the fact.” -M. MASON. b He holds me well;] i. e. Esteems me.- REED. Mon. Methinks, the wind hath spoke aloud at land; A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements; If it hath ruffian'd so upon the sea, What ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them, 2 Gent. A segregation of the Turkish fleet : And quench the guards of the ever-fixed pole :d On th' enchafed flood. Mon. If that the Turkish fleet Be not inshelter'd and embay'd, they are drown'd; Enter a third Gentleman.. 3 Gent. News, lords! our wars are done; On most part of their fleet. Mon. How is this true? 3 Gent. The ship is here put in, The Veronessa; Michael Cassio, Lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello, Is come on shore: the Moor himself's at sea, 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, banning-] i. e. That execrates the ravages of the waves; the reading of the elder quarto. In the folio, fouming. d guards of the ever-fixed pole:] Alluding to the star Arctophylax. It is some argument in favour of Shakspeare's knowledge of Greek, that Arctophylax literally signifies, the guard of the bear. The Veronessa ;] The reading of the old copies is, A Veronessa; by which a ship of Verona is denoted; but Verona is an inland city. Every inconsistency may, however, be avoided, if we read-The Veronessa, i. e. the name of the ship is the Veronessa.-STEEVENS. And prays the Moor be safe; for they were parted Mon. As to throw out our eyes for brave Othello; 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 For I have lost him on a dangerous sea! Mon. Is he well shipp'd? Cas. His bark is stoutly timber'd, and his pilot Of very expert and approv'd allowance ; Therefore my hopes, not surfeited to death, Stand in bold cure." [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 governor. 2 Gent. They do discharge their shot of courtesy: [Guns heard. Our friends, at least. a 1 full soldier.] i. e. A complete soldier. 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.-STEEVENS. 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.-STEEVENS. Cas. I pray you, sir, go forth, And give us truth who 'tis that is arriv'd. 2 Gent. I shall. [Exit. Mon. But, good lieutenant, is your general wiv'd? One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens, Does bear all excellency. How now? who has put in? 2 Gent. 'Tis one lago, ancient to the general. Cas. He has had most favourable and happy speed: Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling winds, The gutter'd rocks, and congregated sands,— Traitors ensteep'd to clog the guiltless keel, As having sense of beauty, do omit Their mortal natures, letting go safely by The divine Desdemona. 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, A se'nnight's speed.-Great Jove, Othello guard, Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, IAGO, RODERIGO, and The riches of the ship is come on shore! Ye men of Cyprus, let her have your knees:- Before, behind thee, and on every hand, i essential-] i. e. Existent, real. * Their mortal natures,] i. e. Their deadly, destructive natures. Des. I thank you, valiant Cassio. What tidings can you tell me of my lord? Cas. He is not yet arriv'd; nor know I aught But that he's well, and will be shortly here. 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. [TO EMILIA. Good ancient, you are welcome;-Welcome, mistress : Let it not gall your patience, good Iago, [Kissing her. Des. Alas, she has no speech. Iago. In faith, too much; I find it still, when I have list to sleep: Emil. You have little cause to say so. Iago. Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, Bells in your parlours, wild cats in your kitchens, Saints in your injuries,' devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds. Des. O, fye upon thee, slanderer! Iago. Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk; You rise to play, and go to bed to work. Emil. You shall not write my praise. ■ Saints in your injuries, &c.] When you have a mind to do injuries, you put on an air of sanctity.-JOHNSON. |