ACT I BRA. So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile; But the free comfort which from thence he hears;1 That to pay Grief must of poor Patience borrow. Being strong on both sides, are equivocal : But words are words; I never yet did hear 210 That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear. 220 I humbly beseech you, proceed to the affairs of State. 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 allow'd 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. OTн. The tyrant Custom, most grave Senators, Hath made the flinty and steel couch of War I find in hardness; and do undertake DUKE. Be 't at her father's. BRA. ОTн. Nor I. DES. State, Nor I; I would not there reside, 1 i.e. Othello easily bears the sentence which gives Desdemona to him. 230 240 And let me find a charter in your voice, To assist my simpleness. DUKE. What would you, Desdemona? DES. That I did love the Moor to live with him, A moth of peace, and he go to the war, The rites for which I love him are bereft me, By his dear absence. Let me go with him. Vouch with me, Heaven, I therefore beg it not, To please the palate of my appetite, Nor to comply with heat the young affects In my defunct1 and proper satisfaction, But to be free and bounteous to her mind. 250 260 And Heaven defend your good souls, that you think I will your serious and great business scant For she is with me: no, when light-wing'd toys 270 That my disports corrupt and taint my business, And all indign and base adversities Make head against my estimation! DUKE. Be it as you shall privately determine, Either for her stay or going: the affair cries haste, And speed must answer it. FIRST SEN. You must away to-night. Отн. With all my heart. DUKE. At nine i' the morning here we'll meet again. And he shall our commission bring to you; 1 used in the Latin sense of fulfilled—‘in the fulfilment of my private satisfaction.' 280 ACT I ACT I With such things else of quality and respect As doth import you. Отн. So please your Grace, my Ancient; A man he is of honesty and trust: To his conveyance I assign my wife, With what else needful your good Grace shall think Good night to every one. [to BRABANTIO.] And, noble If virtue no delighted1 beauty lack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black. FIRST SEN. Adieu, brave Moor; use Desdemona well. BRA. Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: 290 [Exeunt DUKE, Senators, Officers, etc. Oтн. My life upon her faith! Honest Iago, I pr'ythee, let thy wife attend on her; 300 To spend with thee: we must obey the time. ROD. Iago IAGO. What say'st thou, noble Heart? IAGO. Why, go to bed, and sleep. ROD. I will incontinently drown myself. IAGO. If thou dost, I shall never love thee after. Why, thou silly Gentleman! ROD. It is silliness to live when to live is torment; and 310 then have we a prescription to die when Death is our physician. IAGO. O villainous! I have look'd upon the world for four times seven years; and, since I could distinguish betwixt a benefit and an injury, I never found 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. 1 rich in delights. Cf. 'talented.' 318 Sc. III ROD. What should I do? I confess it is my shame to be ACT I 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 our 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 sterile with idleness or manur'd 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 call Love to be a sect or scion. ROD. It cannot be. 332 IAGO. It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of for 1 used to suggest ‘a parting in the sequel.' ACT I her; 360 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 deliver❜d. 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 ? IAGO. No more of drowning, do you hear? ROD. I am chang'd: I'll go sell all my land. That he is too familiar with his wife: 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; 371 [exit. 380 390 |