As doth import you.

Oth. Please your grace, my ancient ;

A man he is of honesty, and trust:
To his conveyance I affign my wife,

With what else needful your good grace shall think
To be fent after me.

Duke. Let it be fo.

Good night to every one.-And, noble fignior,

[To Brab.

5

fhame to be fo fond; but it is not in my virtue té amend it.

Iago. Virtue? a fig! 'tis in ourselves, that we are thus, or thus. Our bodies are our gardens; to the which, our wills are gardeners: fo that if we will plant nettles, or fow lettuce; fet hyffop, and weed up thyme; fupply it with one gender of herbs, or diftract it with many; either have it steril with idleness, or manur'd with industry; why, the 10 power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reafon to poise another of fenfuality, the blood and bafenefs of our natures would conduct us to most prepofterous conclufions: But we have rea15 fon, to cool our raging motions, our carnal ftings, our unbitted lufts; whereof I take this, that you call-love, to be a fect * or scyon.

Rod. It cannot be.

Lago. It is merely a luft of the blood, and a 20 permiffion of the will. Come, be a man: Drown thyfelf? drown cats, and blind puppies. I have profefs'd me thy friend, and I confefs me knit to thy deferving with cables of perdurable toughness; I could never better fteed thee than now. Put money in thy purfe: follow thou these wars; defeat 5 thy favour with an ufurped beard: I say, put money in thy purfe. It cannot be, that Def demona fhould long continue her love to the Moor, -put money in thy purfe;-nor he his to her: it [Exeunt Duke and Senators. 30 was a violent commencement in her, and thou

If virtue no delighted beauty lack,
Your fon-in-law is far more fair than black.
Sen. Adieu, brave Moor! use Desdemona well.
Bra. Look to her, Moor; have a quick eye
to fee;

She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee.

Oth. My life upon her faith.-Honest Iago,
My Defdemona muft I leave to thee:
I pr'ythee, let thy wife attend on her;
And bring them after in the best advantage 2.
Come, Desdemona; I have but an hour
Of love, of worldly matter and direction,
To spend with thee: we must obey the time.
[Exeunt Othello, and Desdemona.

Rod. Iago,

lago. What fay'ft thou, noble heart? Red. What will I do, think'st thou? Iago. Why, go to bed, and fleep.

Rod. I will incontinently drown myself. Iago. Well, if thou doft, I fshall never love thee after it. Why, thos filly gentleman!

Rod. It is fillinefs to live, when to live is a torment: and then have we a prescription to die when death is our phyfician.

25

fhalt fee an answerable sequestration";-put but money in thy purfe.-Thefe Moors are changeable in their wills;-fill thy purfe with money: the food that to him now is as luscious as locufts", fhall 35 be to him fhortly as bitter as coloquintida. She muft change for youth: when she is fated with his body, the will find the error of her choice.She must have change, fhe muft: therefore put money in thy purfe.-If thou wilt needs damn 40 thyfelf, do it a more delicate way than drowning. Make all the money thou canft: If fanctimony and a frail vow, betwixt an erring Barbarian and a fuper-fubtle Venetian, be not too hard for my wits, and all the tribe of hell, thou shalt enjoy her; 45 therefore make money. A pox of drowning thy. felf! it is clean out of the way: feek thou rather to be hang'd in compaffing thy joy, than to be drown'd and go without her.

Jago. O villainous! I have look'd upon the world for four times feven years: and fince I could 50 distinguish betwixt a benefit and an injury, I never found man that knew how to love himself. Ere 1 would fay, I would drown myself for the love of a Guinea hen 3, I would change my humanity with a baboon.

Rod. What fhould I do? I confefs, it is my

1 Delighted, for indifcriminately. for a prostitute.

Rod. Wilt thou be fast to my hopes, if I depend on the iffue?

Iago. Thou art fure 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 lefs reafon: Let us be conjunctive 55 in our revenge against him: if thou canst cuckold him, thồu dost thyfelf a pleasure, and me a sport.

delighting, or delightful. Shakspeare often ufes the active and paffive participles 2 i. e. faireft opportunity. 3 A Guinea-ben was anciently the cant term 4 A fet is what the more modern gardeners call a cutting. 5 To defeat, The poet probably here ufes fequeftration for fequel. Sequeftration, however, may mean no more than feparation. 7 The fruit of the locuft-tree is a long black pod, which contains the reeds, among which there is a very fweet lufcious juice of much the fame confiftency as fresh honey.

is to undo, to change.

There

A C T II.

1 Gent. Nothing at all: it is a high-wrought |35 I cannot, 'twixt the heaven and the main, Defcry a fail.

Be not infhelter'd, and embay'd, they are drown'd;|
It is impoffible they bear it out.

2 By a Veronese a fhip of Verona is denoted. 3 Expert and approv'd allowance is put for allow'd and approv'd expertnefs. 4 The meaning, Mr. Steevens thinks, is, Therefore, my hopes, not being destroy'd by their own excefs, but being reafonable and moderate, are likely to be fulfilled.

5

Mont. But, good lieutenant, is your general 10

wiv'd?

Caf. Moft fortunately: he hath atchiev'd a maid
That paragons description, and wild fame;
One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens,
And, in the effential vefture of creation,
Does bear all excellency'. How now? who has
put in?

Re-enter Gentleman.

As of her tongue she oft bestows on me,
You'd have enough.

Def. Alas, the has no speech.

Iago. In faith, too much;

I find it ftill, when I have lift to fleep;
Marry, before your ladyship, I grant,
She puts her tongue a little in her heart,
And chides with thinking.

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, 15 Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds.

Gent. 'Tis one Iago, ancient to the general.
Caf. He has had most favourable and happy 20
speed:

Tempefts themselves, high feas, and howling winds,
The gutter'd rocks, and congregated fands,-
Traitors enfteep'd to clog the guiltlefs keel,-
As having fenfe of beauty, do omit
Their mortal natures, letting go fafely by
The divine Desdemona.

Mont. What is she?

[captain,

Caf. She that I fpake of, our great captain's
Left in the conduct of the bold Iago;
Whofe footing here anticipates our thoughts,
A fe'nnight's speed.-Great Jove, Othello guard,
And fwell his fail with thine own powerful breath ;]
That he may blefs this bay with his tall ship,
Make love's quick pants in Defdemona's arms,
Give renew'd fire to our extincted spirits,
And bring all Cyprus comfort!-O, behold,

Enter Desdemona, Iago, Roderigo, and Æmilia.
The riches of the ship is come on fhore!-
Ye men of Cyprus, let her have your knees:
Hail to thee, lady! and the grace of heaven,
Before, behind thee, and on every hand,
Enwheel thee round!

Def. I thank you, valiant Caffio.
What tidings can you tell me of my lord?

Caf. He is not yet arriv'd; nor know I aught

But that he's well, and will be shortly here.
Def. O, but I fear;-How loft you company?
Caf. The great contention of the fea and skies
Parted our fellowship: But, hark! a fail.

Within.] A fail, a fail!

[Guns beard.

Gent. They give this greeting to the citadel; This likewife is a friend.

Def. O, fie upon thee, flanderer!
Iago. Nay, it is true, or else I am Turk;
You rife to play, and go to bed to work.
Æmil. You shall not write my praise.
Iago. No, let me not.

Def. What wouldst thou write of me, if thou
fhould praise me?

25 Iago. O gentle lady, do not put me to 't; For I am nothing, if not critical 2.

30

Def. Come on, assay :—' -There's one gone to the harbour?

Jago. Ay, madam.

Def. I am not merry; but I do beguile
The thing I am, by feeming otherwise.-
Come, how wouldst thou praise me?

Iago. I am about it; but, indeed, my invention
Comes from my pate, as bird-lime does from frize,
35 It plucks out brains and all: But my mufe labours,
And thus fhe is deliver'd.

140

145

If the be fair and wife,-fairness, and wit,
The one's for ufe, the other ufeth it.

Def. Well prais'd! How if the be black and
witty ?

Iago. If the be black, and thereto have a wit, She'll find a white that shall her blackness fit.

Def. Worfe and worse.

Emil. How, if fair and foolish?

Iago. She never yet was foolish that was fair; For even her folly help'd her to an heir. Def. Thefe are old fond paradoxes, to make 50 fools laugh i' the alehoufe. What miferable praife haft thou for her that's foul and foolish?

Caf. See for the news. [An attendant goes out. Good ancient, you are welcome ;-Welcome, 55 miftrefs. [To Emilia. Let not it gall your patience, good Iago, That I extend my manners; 'tis my breeding That gives me this bold fhew of courtesy.

Lago. There's none fo foul, and foolish thereunto,
But does foul pranks which fair and wife

ones do.

Def. O heavy ignorance!-thou praifeft the worft beft. But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deferving woman indeed? one, that, in the authority of her merit, did juflly put on the vouch [Kiffes ber. 60 of very malice itself 3?

* That is, She excels the praises of invention, and in real (the author feeming to ufe effential for real) qualities, with which creation has invefted her; bears all excellency. 2 That is, cenforious. 3 Dr. Johnfon fays, To put on the vouch of malice, is to affume a character vouched by the teftimony of malice itfelf.

Lag

To change the cod's head for the falmon's 10 How do our old acquaintance of this isle?—

Def. To do what?

Honey, you shall be well defir'd in Cyprus,

I have found great love amongst them. O myfweet,

I prattle out of fashion, and I dote

In mine own comforts.-I pr'ythee, good Iago,
15 Go to the bay, and difembark my coffers:
Bring thou the mafter to the citadel;
He is a good one, and his worthiness
Does challenge much refpe&t.-Come, Desdemona,
Once more well met at Cyprus.

Lago. To fuckle fools, and chronicle small beer 2.| Def. O most lame and impotent conclufion!-| Do not learn of him, Æmilia, though he be thy hufband.-How fay you, Caffio? is he not a moft 20 profane 3 and liberal 4 counsellor?

Caf. He speaks home, madam; you may relish him more in the foldier, than in the scholar.

Iago. [Afide.] He takes her by the palm: Ay, well faid, whisper: with as little a web as this, 25 will I enfnare as great a fly as Caffio. Ay, fmile upon her, do; I will gyve 5 thee in thine own courtship. You fay true; 'tis fo, indeed : if fuch tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kifs'd your 30 three fingers fo oft, which now again you are moft apt to play the fir in. Very good; well kifs'd! an excellent courtefy! 'tis fo indeed. Yet again your fingers to your lips? 'would, they were clyfter-pipes for your fake!The Moor, I know his trumpet.

Caf. 'Tis truly fo.

Def. Let's meet him, and receive him.
Caf. Lo, where he comes!

Enter Othello, and Attendants.

Oth. O my fair warrior!

Def. My dear Othello!

[Exeunt Othello, Desdemona, and Attendants. Iago. Do thou meet me presently at the harbour. Come hither. If thou be'ft valiant; as (they fay) bafe men, being in love, have then a nobility in their natures more than is native to them,-lift me. The lieutenant to-night watches on the court of guard 7:-First, I must tell thee this, -Desdemona is directly in love with him.

Rod. With him! Why, 'tis not poffible.

Iago. Lay thy finger-thus, and let thy foul be inftructed. Mark me with what violence she firft lov'd the Moor, but for bragging, and telling her fantaftical lies: And will the love him ftill for prating? let not thy difcreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed; and what delight shall she [Trumpet. 35 have to look on the devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be,again to inflame it, and to give fatiety a fresh appetite,-lovelinefs in favour; fympathy in years, manners, and beauties; all which the Moor is de40fective in: Now, for want of these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will find itself abus'd, begin to heave the gorge, difrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature will inftruct her in it, and compel her to some second choice. Now, 45'fir, this granted, (as it is a moft pregnant and un

Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content,
To fee you here before me. O my foul's joy!
If after every tempeft come fuch calmness,
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!
And let the labouring bark climb hills of feas,
Olympus high; and duck again as low

As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die,
'Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear,
My foul hath her content so abfolute,

That not another comfort like to this

Succeeds in unknown fate.

Def. The heavens forbid,

forc'd pofition) who ftands fo eminently in the degree of this fortune, as Caffio does; a knave very voluble; no farther confcionable, than in putting on the mere form of civil and humane 50feeming, for the better compaffing of his falt and moft hidden loofe affection? Why, none; why, none: A flippery and subtle knave; a finder out of occafions; that has an eye can ftamp and counterfeit advantages, though true advantage never

But that our loves and comforts should encrease, 55 prefent itfelf: A devilish knave! Befides, the

Even as our days do grow!

Otb. Amen to that, sweet powers!

I cannot speak enough of this content,

It stops me here; it is too much of joy;

1 i. e. to exchange a delicacy for coarfer fare.

grofs of language, of expreffion broad and brutal.

knave is handsome, young; and hath all those requifites in him, that folly and green minds 9 look after: A peftilent complete knave; and the woman hath found him already.

2 i.e. to keep the accounts of a housebold. 3 i. e.

4 i. e. a licentious talker. 5 i. e. catch, fhackle.

i. e. out of method, without any fettled order of discourse. 7 i. e. the place where the guard mufters. 8 i. e. on thy mouth, to ftop it while thou art listening to a wiser man. yet fully formed.

9 Minds not

Rod.

Rod. I cannot believe that in her; fhe is full of moft blefs'd condition'.

Jago. Blefs'd figs' end! the wine the drinks is made of grapes: if fhe had been blefs'd, the would never have lov'd the Moor: Blefs'd pudding! Didft thou not fee her paddle in the palm of his hand? didft not mark that?

5

Red. Yes, that I did; but that was but courtesy. Jago. Lechery, by this hand! an index, and obfcure prologue to the history of luft and foul 10 thoughts. They met fo near with their lips, that their breaths embrac'd together. Villainous thoughts, Roderigo! When thefe mutualities fo marshal the way, hard at hand comes the mafter and main exercife, the incorporate conclusion:[15] Pish-But, fir, be you rul'd by me: I have brought you from Venice. Watch you to-night;| for the command, I'll lay't upon you: Caffio knows you not ;-I'll not be far from you: Do you find fome occafion to anger Caffio, either by fpeaking too loud, or tainting his difcipline 3; or from what other courfe you please, which the time fhall more favourably minifler.

Rod. Well.

Or, failing fo, yet that I put the Moor
At least into a jealousy so strong

That judgment cannot cure. Which thing to do,
If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trash 7
For his quick hunting, stand the putting on,
I'll have our Michael Caffio on the hip;
Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb 9,—
For I fear Caffio with my night-cap too;
Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me,
For making him egregiously an ass,
And practifing upon his peace and quiet
Even to madness. "Tis here, but yet confus'd;
Knavery's plain face is never seen, 'till us'd. [Exit.
SCENE II.
A Street.

Enter Herald, with a proclamation.

Her. It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and vazoliant general, that, upon certain tidings now ar riv'd, importing the mere 10 perdition of the Turkish fleet, every man put himself into triumph; fome to dance, fome to make bonfires, each man to what fport and revels his addiction leads him; for, befides thefe beneficial news, it is the celebration of his nuptials: So much was his pleasure should be proclaimed. All offices are open; and there is full liberty of feafting, from this prefent hour of five, 'till the bell hath told eleven. Heaven bless the ifle of Cyprus, and our noble general Othello. [Exit.

Iago. Sir, he is rafh, and very fudden 4 in 25 choler; and, haply, with his truncheon may strike at you: Provoke him, that he may: for, even out of that, will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny ;[ whofe qualification fhall come into no true taste 5 again, but by the difplanting of Caffio. So fhall you 30 have a fhorter journey to your defires, by the means I fhall then have to prefer them; and the impediment most profitably removed, without the which there were no expectation of our profperity.

Rod. I will do this, if you can bring it to any opportunity.

lago. I warrant thee. Meet me by and by at the citadel: 1 muft fetch his neceffaries afhore. Farewel.

35

40

[Exit.

Rod. Adieu.
Lago. That Caffio loves her, I do well believe it;
That the loves him, 'tis apt, and of great credit:
The Moor-howbeit that I endure him not,
Is of a conftant, loving, noble nature;
And, I dare think, he'll prove to Defdemona
A moft dear husband. Now I do love her too;
Not out of abfolute luft, (though, peradventure,
I ftand accountant for as great a fin)
But partly led to diet my revenge,
For that I do fufpect the lufty Moor
Hath leap'd into my feat: The thought whereof
Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards:
And nothing can or fhall content my foul,
'Till I am even with him, wife for wife;

i.e. qualities, difpofition of mind.

4-51

Caf. Iago hath direction what to do;

But, notwithstanding, with my personal eye
Will I look to 't.

Let me have fpeech with you.-Come, my dear
The purchase made, the fruits are to enfue;

[To Defdemana.
That profit's yet to come 'twixt me and you.-
[Exeunt Othello and Defdemona.
Enter Lago.

50 Good night.

Caf. Welcome, Iago: We must to the watch. Iage. Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten o'clock: Our general caft us thus early, for the 155love of his Defdemona: whom let us not there.

2 Indexes were formerly prefixed to books. 3 i. e. throwing a flur upon his difcipline. 4 Sudden, is precipitately violent. 5 i. e. whofe refentment fhall not be fo qualified or tempered, as to be well tafted, as not to retain fame bitterness. 6 A trifling, infignificant fellow may, in fome refpects, very well be called trash. 7 To trash a bound is a term of hunting ftill ufed in the North, and perhaps not uncommon in other parts of England. It is, to correct, to A phrafe from the art of wrestling. 9 Rank garb may mean grofsly, i. e. without mincing the matter. 10 More in this place fignifies entire. II That is, appointed us to our stations, according to Dr. Johnfon; whereas Mr. Steevens thinks, that caf us only means difmiffed us, or get rid of cur company.

rate.

8

fore