325Duke. There's no composition in this Newes,

326That giues them Credite.

3271. Sen. Indeed, they are disproportioned;

328My Letters say, a Hundred and seuen Gallies.

329Duke. And mine a Hundred fortie.

3302. Sena. And mine two Hundred:

331But though they iumpe not on a iust accompt,

332(As in these Cases where the ayme reports,

333'Tis oft with difference) yet do they all confirme

334A Turkish Fleete, and bearing vp to Cyprus.

335Duke. Nay, it is possible enough to iudgement:

336I do not so secure me in the Error,

337But the maine Article I do approue

338In fearefull sense.

339Saylor within. What hoa, what hoa, what hoa.

341Officer. A Messenger from the Gallies.

342Duke. Now? What's the businesse?

343Sailor. The Turkish Preparation makes for Rhodes,

344So was I bid report here to the State,

345By Signior Angelo.

346Duke. How say you by this change?

3471. Sen. This cannot be

348By no assay of reason. 'Tis a Pageant

349To keepe vs in false gaze, when we consider

350Th'importancie of Cyprus to the Turke;

351And let our selues againe but vnderstand,

352That as it more concernes the Turke then Rhodes,

353So may he with more facile question beare it,

354For that it stands not in such Warrelike brace,

355But altogether lackes th'abilities

356That Rhodes is dress'd in. If we make thought of this,

357We must not thinke the Turke is so vnskillfull,

358To leaue that latest, which concernes him first,

359Neglecting an attempt of ease, and gaine

360To wake, and wage a danger profitlesse.

361Duke. Nay, in all confidence he's not for Rhodes.

362Officer. Here is more Newes.

364Messen. The Ottamites. Reueren'd, and Gracious,

365Steering with due course toward the Ile of Rhodes,

366Haue there inioynted them with an after Fleete.

3671. Sen. I, so I thought: how many, as you guesse?

368Mess. Of thirtie Saile: and now they do re-stem

369Their backward course, bearing with frank appearance

370Their purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano,

371Your trustie and most Valiant Seruitour,

372With his free dutie, recommends you thus,

373And prayes you to beleeue him.

374Duke. 'Tis certaine then for Cyprus:

375Marcus Luccicos is not he in Towne?

3761. Sen. He's now in Florence.

377Duke. Write from vs,

378To him, Post, Post-haste, dispatch.

3791. Sen. Here comes Brabantio, and the Valiant Moore.

382Duke. Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you

383Against the generall Enemy Ottoman.

384I did not see you: welcome gentle Signior,

385We lack't your Counsaile, and your helpe to night.

386Bra. So did I yours: Good your Grace pardon me.

387Neither my place, hor ought I heard of businesse

388Hath rais'd me from my bed; nor doth the generall care

389Take hold on me. For my perticular griefe

390Is of so flood-gate, and ore-bearing Nature,

391That it engluts, snd swallowes other sorrowes,

392And it is still it selfe.

393Duke. Why? What's the matter?

394Bra. My Daughter: oh my Daughter!

395Sen. Dead?

396Bra. I, to me.

397She is abus'd, stolne from me, and corrupted

398By Spels, and Medicines, bought of Mountebanks;

399For Nature, so prepostrously to erre,

400(Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,)

401Sans witch-craft could not.

402Duke. Who ere he be, that in this foule proceeding

403Hath thus beguil'd your Daughter of her selfe,

404And you of her; the bloodie Booke of Law,

405You shall your selfe read, in the bitter letter,

406After your owne sense: yea, though our proper Son

407Stood in your Action.

408Bra. Humbly I thanke your Grace,

409Here is the man; this Moore, whom now it seemes

410Your speciall Mandate, for the State affaires

411Hath hither brought.

412All. We are verie sorry for't.

413Duke. What in yonr owne part, can you say to this?

414Bra. Nothing, but this is so.

415Othe. Most Potent, Graue, and Reueren'd Signiors,

416My very Noble, and approu'd good Masters;

417That I haue tane away this old mans Daughter,

418It is most true: true I haue married her;

419The verie head, and front of my offending,

420Hath this extent; no more. Rude am I, in my speech,

421And little bless'd with the soft phrase of Peace;

422For since these Armes of mine, had seuen yeares pith,

423Till now, some nine Moones wasted, they haue vs'd

424Their deerest action, in the Tented Field:

425And little of this great world can I speake,

426More then pertaines to Feats of Broiles, and Battaile,

427And therefore little shall I grace my cause,

428In speaking for my selfe. Yet, (by your gratious patience)

429I will a round vn-varnish'd u Tale deliuer,

430Of my whole course of Loue.

431What Drugges, what Charmes,

432What Coniuration, and what mighty Magicke,

433(For such proceeding I am charg'd withall)

434I won his Daughter.

435Bra. A Maiden, neuer bold:

436Of Spirit so still, and quiet, that her Motion

437Blush'd at her selfe, and she, in spight of Nature,

438Of Yeares, of Country, Credite, euery thing

439To fall in Loue, with what she fear'd to looke on;

440It is a iudgement main'd, and most imperfect.

441That will confesse Perfection so could erre

442Against all rules of Nature, and must be driuen

443To find out practises of cunning hell

444Why this should be. I therefore vouch againe,

445That with some Mixtures, powrefull o're the blood,

446Or with some Dram, (coniur'd to this effect)

447He wtought vp on her.

448To vouch this, is no proofe,

449Without more wider, and more ouer Test

450Then these thin habits, and poore likely-hoods

451Of moderne seeming, do prefer against him.

452Sen. But Othello, speake,

453Did you, by indirect, and forced courses

454Subdue, and poyson this yong Maides affections?

455Or came it by request, and such faire question

456As soule, to soule affordeth?

457Othel. I do beseech you,

458Send for the Lady to the Sagitary.

459And let her speake of me before her Father;

460If you do finde me foule, in her report,

461The Trust, the Office, I do hold of you,

462Not onely take away, but let your Sentence

463Euen fall vpon my life.

464Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither.

465Othe. Aunciant, conduct them:

466You best know the place.

467And tell she come, as truely as to heauen,

468I do confesse the vices of my blood,

469So iustly to your Graue eares, Ile present

470How I did thriue in this faire Ladies loue,

471And she in mine.

472Duke. Say it Othello.

473Othe. Her Father lou'd me, oft inuited me:

474Still question'd me the Storie of my life,

475From yeare to yeare: the Battaile, Sieges, Fortune,

476That I haue past.

477I ran it through, euen from my boyish daies,

478To th'very moment that he bad me tell it.

479Wherein I spoke of most disastrous chances:

480Of mouing Accidents by Flood and Field,

481Of haire-breadth scapes i'th'imminent deadly breach;

482Of being taken by the Insolent Foe,

483And sold to slauery. Of my redemption thence,

484And portance in my Trauellours historie.

485Wherein of Antars vast, and Desarts idle,

486Rough Quarries, Rocks, Hills, whose head touch heauen,

487It was my hint to speake. Such was my Processe,

488And of the Canibals that each others eate,

489The Antropophague, and men whose heads

490Grew beneath their shoulders. These things to heare,

491Would Desdemona seriously incline:

492But still the house Affaires would draw her hence:

493Which euer as she could with haste dispatch,

494She'l'd come againe, and with a greedie eare

495Deuoure vp my discourse. Which I obseruing,

496Tooke once a pliant houre, and found good meanes

497To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart,

498That I would all my Pilgrimage dilate,

499Whereof by parcels she had something heard,

500But not instinctiuely: I did consent,

501And often did beguile her of her teares,

502When I did speake of some distressefull stroke

503That my youth suffer'd: My Storie being done,

504She gaue me for my paines a world of kisses:

505She swore in faith 'twas strange: 'twas passing strange,

506'Twas pittifull: 'twas wondrous pittifull.

507She wish'd she had not heard it, yet she wish'd

508That Heauen had made her such a man. She thank'd me,

509And bad me, if I had a Friend that lou'd her,

510I should but teach him how to tell my Story,

511And that would wooe her. Vpon this hint I spake,

512She lou'd me for the dangers I had past,

513And I lou'd her, that she did pitty them.

514This onely is the witch-craft I haue vs'd.

515Here comes the Ladie: Let her witnesse it.

517Duke. I thinke this tale would win my Daughter too,

518Good Brabantio, take vp this mangled matter at the best:

519Men do their broken Weapons rather vse,

520Then their bare hands.

521Bra. I pray you heare her speake?

522If she confesse that she was halfe the wooer,

523Destruction on my head, if my bad blame

524Light on the man. Come hither gentle Mistris,

525Do you perceiue in all this Noble Companie,

526Where most you owe obedience?

527Des. My Noble Father,

528I do perceiue heere a diuided dutie.

529To you I am bound for life, and education:

530My life and education both do learne me,

531How to respect you. You are the Lord of duty,

532I am hitherto your Daughter. But heere's my Husband;

533And so much dutie, as my Mother shew'd

534To you, preferring you before her Father:

535So much I challenge, that I may professe

536Due to the Moore my Lord.

537Bra. God be with you: I haue done.

538Please it your Grace, on to the State Affaires;

539I had rather to adopt a Child, then get it.

540Come hither Moore;

541I here do giue thee that with all my heart,

542Which but thou hast already, with all my heart

543I would keepe from thee. For your sake (Iewell)

544I am glad at soule, I haue no other Child;

545For thy escape would teach me Tirranie

546To hang clogges on them. I haue done my Lord.

547Duke. Let me speake like your selfe:

548And lay a Sentence,

549Which as a grise, or step may helpe these Louers.

550When remedies are past, the griefes are ended

551By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.

552To mourne a Mischeefe that is past and gon,

553Is the next way to draw new mischiefe on.

554What cannot be presern'd, when Fortune takes:

555Patience, her Iniury a mock'ry makes.

556The rob'd that smiles, steales something from the Thiefe,

557He robs himselfe, that spends a bootelesse griefe.

558Bra. So let the Turke of Cyprus vs beguile,

559We loose it not so long as we can smile:

560He beares the Sentence well, that nothing beares,

561But the free comfort which from thence he heares.

562But he beares both the Sentence, and the sorrow,

563That to pay griefe, must of poore Patience borrow.

564These Sentences, to Sugar, or to Gall,

565Being strong on both sides, are Equiuocall.

566But words are words, I neuer yet did heare:

567That the bruized heart was pierc'd through the eares.

568I humbly beseech you proceed to th'Affaires of State.

569Duke. The Turke with a most mighty Preparation

570makes for Cyprus: Othello, the Fortitude of the place is

571best knowne to you. And though we haue there a Substi-

572tute of most allowed sufficiencie; yet opinion, a more

573soueraigne Mistris of Effects, throwes a more safer

574voice on you : you must therefore be content to slubber

575the glosse of your new Fortunes, with this more stub-

576borne, and boystrous expedition.

577Othe. The Tirant Custome, most Graue Senators,

578Hath made the flinty and Steele Coach of Warre

579My thrice-driuen bed of Downe. I do agnize

580A Naturall and prompt Alacartie,

581I finde in hardnesse: and do vndertake

582This present Warres against the Ottamites.

583Most humbly therefore bending to your State,

584I craue fit disposition for my Wife,

585Due reference of Place, and Exhibition,

586With such Accomodation and besort

587As leuels with her breeding.

588Duke. Why at her Fathers?

589Bra. I will not haue it so.

590Othe. Nor I.

591Des. Nor would I there recide,

592To put my Father in impatient thoughts

593By being in his eye. Most Grcaious Duke,

594To my vnfolding, lend your prosperous eare,

595And let me finde a Charter in your voice

596T'assist my simplenesse.

597Duke. What would you Desdemona?

598Des. That I loue the Moore, to liue with him,

599My downe-right violence, and storme of Fortunes,

the Moore of Venice. 315

600May trumpet to the world. My heart's subdu'd

601Euen to the very quality of my Lord;

602I saw Othello's visage in his mind,

603And to his Honours and his valiant parts,

604Did I my soule and Fortunes consecrate.

605So that (deere Lords) if I be left behind

606A Moth of Peace, and he go to the Warre,

607The Rites for why I loue him, are bereft me:

608And I a heauie interim shall support

609By his deere absence. Let me go with him.

610Othe. Let her haue your voice.

611Vouch with me Heauen, I therefore beg it not

612To please the pallate of my Appetite:

613Nor to comply with heat the yong affects

614In my defunct, and proper satisfaction.

615But to be free, and bounteous to her minde:

616And Heauen defend your good soules, that you thinke

617I will your serious and great businesse scant

618When she is with me. No, when light wing'd Toyes

619Of feather'd Cupid, seele with wanton dulnesse

620My speculatiue, and offic'd Instrument:

621That my Disports corrupt, and taint my businesse:

622Let House-wiues make a Skillet of my Helme,

623And all indigne, and base aduersities,

624Make head against my Estimation.

625Duke. Be it as you shall priuately determine,

626Either for her stay, or going: th'Affaire cries hast:

627And speed must answer it.

628Sen. You must away to night.

629Othe. With all my heart.

630Duke. At nine i'th'morning, here wee'l meete againe.

631Othello, leaue some Officer behind

632And he shall our Commission bring to you:

633And such things else of qualitie and respect

634As doth import you.

635Othe. So please your Grace, my Ancient,

636A man he is of honesty and trust:

637To his conueyance I assigne my wife,

638With what else needfull, your good Grace shall think

639To be sent after me.

640Duke. Let it be so:

641Good night to euery one. And Noble Signior,

642If Vertue no delighted Beautie lacke,

643Your Son-in-law is farre more Faire then Blacke.

644Sen. Adieu braue Moore, vse Desdemona well.

645Bra. Looke to her (Moore) if thou hast eies to see:

646She ha's deceiu'd her Father, and may thee. Exit.

647Ot-he. My life vpon her faith. Honest Iago,

648My Desdemona must I leaue to thee:

649I prythee let thy wife attend on her,

650And bring them after in the best aduantage.

651ComeDesdemona, I haue but an houre

652Of Loue, of wordly matter, and direction

653To spend with thee. We must obey the the time. Exit.

654Rod. Iago.

655Iago. What saist thou Noble heart?

656Rod. What will I do, think'st thou?

657Iago. Why go to bed and sleepe.

658Rod. I will incontinently drowne my selfe.

659Iago. If thou do'st, I shall neuer loue thee after. Why

660thou silly Gentleman?

661Rod. It is sillynesse to liue, when to liue is torment:

662and then haue we a prescription to dye, when death is

663our Physition.

664Iago. Oh villanous: I haue look'd vpon the world

665for foure times seuen yeares, and since I could distinguish

666betwixt a Benefit, and an Iniurie: I neuer found man that

667knew how to loue himselfe. Ere I would say, I would

668drowne my selfe for the loue of a Gynney Hen, I would

669change my Humanity with a Baboone.

670Rod. What should I do? I confesse it is my shame

671to be so fond, but it is not in my vertue to amend it.

672Iago. Vertue? A figge, 'tis in our selues that we are

673thus, or thus. Our Bodies are our Gardens, to the which,

674our Wills are Gardiners. So that if we will plant Net-

675tels, or sowe Lettice: Set Hisope, and weede vp Time:

676Supplie it with one gender of Hearbes, or distract it with

677many: either to haue it sterrill with idlenesse, or manu-

678red with Industry, why the power, and Corrigeable au-

679thoritie of this lies in our Wills. If the braine of our liues

680had not one Scale of Reason, to poize another of Sensu-

681alitie, the blood, and basenesse of our Natures would

682conduct vs to most prepostrous Conclusions. But we

683haue Reason to coole our raging Motions, our carnall

684Stings, or vnbitted Lusts: whereof I take this, that you

685call Loue, to be a Sect, or Seyen.

686Rod. It cannot be.

687Iago. It is meerly a Lust of the blood, and a permission

688of the will. Come, be a man: drowne thy selfe? Drown

689Cats, and blind Puppies. I haue profest me thy Friend,

690and I confesse me knit to thy deseruing, with Cables of

691perdurable toughnesse. I could neuer better steed thee

692then now. Put Money in thy purse: follow thou the

693Warres, defeate thy fauour, with an vsurp'd Beard. I say

694put Money in thy purse. It cannot be long that Desdemona

695should continue her loue to the Moore. Put Money in

696thy purse: nor he his to her. It was a violent Commence-

697ment in her, and thou shalt see an answerable Seque-

698stration, put but Money in thy purse. These Moores

699are changeable in their wils: fill thy purse with Money.

700The Food that to him now is as lushious as Locusts,

701shalbe to him shortly, as bitter as Coloquintida. She

702must change for youth: when she is sated with his body

703she will find the errors of her choice. Therefore, put Mo-

704ney in thy purse. If thou wilt needs damne thy selfe, do

705it a more delicate way then drowning. Make all the Mo-

706ney thou canst: If Sanctimonie, and a fraile vow, be-

707twixt an erring Barbarian, and super-subtle Venetian be

708not too hard for my wits, and all the Tribe of hell, thou

709shalt enioy her: therefore make Money: a pox of drow-

710ning thy selfe, it is cleane out of the way. Seeke thou ra-

711ther to be hang'd in Compassing thy ioy, then to be

712drown'd, and go without her.

713Rodo. Wilt thou be fast to my hopes, if I depend on

714the issue?

715Iago. Thou art sure of me: Go make Money: I haue

716told thee often, and I re-tell thee againe, and againe, I

717hate the Moore. My cause is hearted; thine hath no lesse

718reason. Let vs be coniunctiue in our reuenge, against

719him. If thou canst Cuckold him, thou dost thy selfe a

720pleasure, me a sport. There are many Euents in the

721Wombe of Time, which wilbe deliuered. Trauerse, go,

722prouide thy Money. We will haue more of this to mor-

723row. Adieu.

724Rod. Where shall we meete i'th'morning?

725Iago. At my Lodging.

726Rod. Ile be with thee betimes.

727Iago. Go too, farewell. Do you heare Rodorigo?

728Rod. Ile sell all my Land. Exit.

729Iago. Thus do I euer make my Foole, my purse:

730For I mine owne gain'd knowledge should prophane

731If I would time expend with such Snpe ,

732But for my Sport, and Profit: I hate the Moore,

733And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets

734She ha's done my Office. I know not if't be true,

735But I, for meere suspition in that kinde,

736Will do, as if for Surety. He holds me well,

737The better shall my purpose worke on him:

738Cassio's a proper man: Let me see now,

739To get his Place, and to plume vp my will

740In double Knauery. How? How? Let's see.

741After some time, to abuse Othello's eares,

742That he is too familiar with his wife:

743He hath a person, and a smooth dispose

744To be suspected: fram'd to make women false.

745The Moore is of a free, and open Nature,

746That thinkes men honest, that but seeme to be so,

747And will as tenderly be lead by'th'Nose

748As Asses are:

749I haue't: it is engendred: Hell, and Night,

750Must bring this monstrous Birth, to the worlds light.