Page images
PDF
EPUB

In honest plainness thou hast heard me say,

My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,
Being full of supper and distempering draughts,

Upon malicious bravery' dost thou come

To start my quiet.

Rod. Sir, sir, sir,

Bra.

But thou must needs be sure,

My spirit and my place have in them power

To make this bitter to thee.

Rod.

Patience, good sir.

Bra. What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice; My house is not a grange.

Rod.

Most grave Brabantio, In simple and pure soul I come to you.

Iago. 'Zounds, sir! you are one of those, that will not serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service, and you think we are ruffians, you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse: you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans.

Bra. What profane wretch art thou?

Iago. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you, your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. Bra. Thou art a villain.

Iago.

You are a senator.

Bra. This thou shalt answer: I know thee, Roderigo. Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But I beseech you,

If't be your pleasure, and most wise consent,

(As partly, I find, it is) that your fair daughter,
At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night,
Transported with no worse nor better guard,
But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,
To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor,
If this be known to you, and your allowance,
We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs;
But if you know not this, my manners tell me,
We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe,
That from the sense of all civility,

7 Upon malicious BRAVERY] So the 4tos, 1622 and 1630: the folio has knavery. In Brabantio's next speech, the folio has spirits for "spirit."

If't be your pleasure,] The portion of Roderigo's speech, from these words inclusive, down to "straight satisfy yourself," is not in the 4to, 1622, but it is in the folio, and in the 4to, 1630.

I thus would play and trifle with your reverence:
Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,
I say again, hath made a gross revolt,

Laying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes,
On an extravagant and wheedling stranger',
Of here and every where, Straight satisfy yourself:
If she be in her chamber, or your house,

Let loose on me the justice of the state
For thus deluding you'.

Bra.

Strike on the tinder, ho!

Give me a taper!-call up all my people!—
This accident is not unlike my dream;

Belief of it oppresses me already.—

Light, I say! light!

[Exit from above.

Iago.
Farewell, for I must leave you.
It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,
To be produc'd' (as if I stay I shall)
Against the Moor: for, I do know, the state,-
However this may gall him with some check,-
Cannot with safety cast him; for he's embark'd
With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,
(Which even now stand in act) that, for their souls,
Another of his fathom they have none,
To lead their business: in which regard,
Though I do hate him as I do hell pains',
Yet for necessity of present life,

I must show out a flag and sign of love,

Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him, Lead to the Sagittary the raised search ';

And there will I be with him. So, farewell.

9 LAYING her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes,

[Exit.

ON an extravagant and WHEEDLING stranger,] So the corr. fo. 1632, the usual text having been Tying for " Laying," In for "On," and wheeling for "wheedling." All three misprints were easy; and though we may readily accept "extravagant" for wandering, what are we to understand by wheeling? "Wheedling" (A. S. wœdlian) is just the epithet that would be applied by Roderigo to Othello, who had cajoled and cheated Brabantio out of his daughter.

1 For thus deluding you.] We follow the folio, and the 4to, 1630: the 4to, 1622, has "For this delusion."

2 - nor wholesome to my PLACE,] The 4to, 1622, alone, has "to my pate." 3 To be PRODUC'D] So the 4tos, 1622 and 1630. The folio, to the injury of the verse, reads, "To be producted."

4

as I do hell PAINS,] The folio has apines for "pains" of the 4tos: the folio, 1632, having omitted the word, the old corrector inserted it in the margin. 5 Lead to the SAGITTARY the raised search;] The "Sagittary" (spelt Sagittar in the 4to, 1622) was the name, or sign of the house in which Othello resided.

Enter BRABANTIO, and Servants with torches.

Bra. It is too true an evil: gone she is;

And what's to come of my despised time,
Is nought but bitterness.-Now, Roderigo,
Where didst thou see her?-Oh, unhappy girl!—
With the Moor, say'st thou ?-Who would be a father?—
How didst thou know 'twas she?-Oh! thou deceiv'st me
Past thought. What said she to you?-Get more tapers!
Raise all my kindred!-Are they married, think you?
Rod. Truly, I think, they are.

6

Bra. Oh heaven!-How got she out ?-Oh, treason of the blood!

Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters' minds

By what you see them act.-Are there not charms,
By which the property of youth and maidhood
May be abus'd? Have you not read, Roderigo,
Of some such thing?

Rod.

Yes, sir; I have, indeed.

Bra. Call up my brother.-Oh, that you had had her! Some one way, some another.-Do you know Where we may apprehend her and the Moor? Rod. I think, I can discover him, if you please

To get good guard, and go along with me.

Bra. Pray you, lead on. At every house I'll call;
I may command at most.-Get weapons, ho!
And raise some special officers of night'.-
On, good Roderigo;-I'll deserve your pains.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The Same. Another Street.

Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Attendants, with torches.

Iago. Though in the trade of war I have slain men, Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience

• Oh! thou deceiv'st me] Apostrophizing his lost daughter: the folio poorly reads, "Oh! she deceives me."

- officers of NIGHT.] So the 4to: the folio has might for "night," probably a misprint. Malone showed from Lewkenor's "Commonwealth of Venice," 1599, that "officers of night" were employed in that city.

VOL. VI.

C

To do no contriv'd murder: I lack iniquity,

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.

Iago.

Nay, but he prated,

And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms
Against your honour,

That, with the little godliness I have,

Are

I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray, sir,
you
fast married? for, be sure of this3,
That the magnifico is much beloved;
And hath, in his effect, a voice potential
As double as the duke's: he will divorce you ;
Or put upon you what restraint, or grievance,
The law (with all his might to enforce it on)
Will give him cable.

Oth.
Let him do his spite:
My services, which I have done the signiory,
Shall out-tongue his complaints. 'Tis yet to know,
Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,
I shall promulgate', I fetch my life and being
From men of royal siege; and my demerits'
May speak, unbonneted, to as proud a fortune.
As this that I have reach'd: for know, Iago,
But that I love the gentle Desdemona,

I would not my unhoused free condition

Put into circumscription and confine

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.

[blocks in formation]

Are you fast married? FOR, be SURE of this,] The folio reads,

"But, I pray you, sir,

Are you fast married? Be assured of this."

Our text is that of the 4tos, 1622 and 1630.

9

'Tis yet to know,

Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,

I shall promulgate,] The 4to, 1622, omits the words "Which when I know," but they are in the folio, and in the 4to, 1630.

1 From men of royal SIEGE; and my DEMERITS] Both the 4tos. read "From men of royal height:" "siege" of the folio means seat, or throne. "Demerits " was constantly used for merits by authors of the time: we have already had it in that sense in "Coriolanus," Vol. iv. p. 610. In the address of J. C. before "A poore Knight his Pallace of Private Pleasures," 1579, 4to, we have " demerits " used as a verb :-"If, on the contrary, any thinge demerits blame, I submit myself to have the reproch." This is by no means common.

Oth.

Not I;

I must be found:

My parts, my title, and my perfect soul,

Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?
Iago. By Janus, I think no.

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.

What is the matter, think you?

Oth.

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,

The senate hath sent about three several quests",

To search you out.

Oth.

I will but spend a word here in the house,

And go with you.

Cas.

"Tis well I am found by you.

[Exit.

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.

2

Cas. I do not understand.

Iago.

Cas.

He's married.

To whom?

SEQUENT messengers,] The folio and the 4to, 1630, read "sequent ;" the 4to, 1622, frequent.

3 The senate HATH sent ABOUT three several quests,] The corr. fo. 1632 omits but as 66 "hath," injurious to the measure, "" senate may be read in the time of a monosyllable, we retain a word found in all the old copies, 4to. and folio. "Above" of the 4tos. is about in the folios; and as the old annotator does not change the word, we follow his example.

4 - a land CARACK:] A carack, or carick, says Malone, was so denominated from the Spanish word, caraca, which signifies a vessel of great bulk, constructed to carry a heavy burthen. The Spanish caraca, Minsheu thinks, may have been formed from the Italian carico, a lading, or freight.

« PreviousContinue »