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. 318 Sc. III 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 the will. Come, be a man: drown thyself? drown cats and blind puppies. I have profess'd me thy friend, and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness; I could never better stead thee than now. Put money in thy purse; follow thou the wars; defeat thy favour with an usurped beard; I say, put money in thy purse. It cannot be that Desdemona should long continue her love to the Moor-put money in thy purse-nor he his to her: it was a violent commencement, and thou shalt see an answerable sequestration;1 put but money in thy purse. These Moors are changeable in their wills;-fill thy purse with money: -the food that to him now is as luscious as locusts shall be to him shortly as bitter as coloquintida. She must change for youth: when she is sated with his body, she will find the error of her choice: she must have change, she must; therefore put money in thy purse. If thou wilt needs damn thyself, do it a more delicate way than drowning. Make all the money thou canst: if sanctimony and a frail vow betwixt an erring barbarian and a supersubtle Venetian be not too hard for my wits and all the tribe of Hell, thou shalt enjoy

I used to suggest 'a parting in the sequel.'

ACT I
Sc. III

her;
therefore make money. A pox of drowning
thyself! it is clean out of the way: seek thou rather to
be hang'd in compassing thy joy than to be drown'd
and go without 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.
IAGO. Thus do I ever make my fool my purse;
For I mine own gain'd knowledge should profane,
If I would time expend with such a snipe,
But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor;
And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets
He has done my office: I know not if't be true;
But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,
Will do as if for surety. He holds me well;
The better shall my purpose work on him.
Cassio's a proper man: let me see now;
To get his place, and to plume up my will

In double knavery-How, how? Let's see :—
After some time, to abuse Othello's ear

That he is too familiar with his wife:
He hath a person, and a smooth dispose,

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

And will as tenderly be led by the nose

As asses are.

I have 't; it is engender'd: Hell and night

Must bring this monstrous birth to the World's light.

[exit.

A

ACT II

SCENE I. 4 Seaport in Cyprus. An Open Place near the Quay.

Enter MONTANO and two Gentlemen.

MON. What from the cape can you discern at sea?
FIRST GENT. Nothing at all: it is a high-wrought flood;
I cannot 'twixt the Heaven and the Main
Descry a sail.

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,
Can hold the mortise? What shall we hear of this?

SEC. GENT. A segregation of the Turkish fleet:

For, do but stand upon the foaming shore,

The chidden billow seems to pelt the clouds;

ΤΟ

The wind-shak'd surge, with high and monstrous mane,
Seems to cast water on the burning Bear,

And quench the guards of the ever-fixed Pole:

I never did like molestation view

On the enchafed flood.

MON.

If that the Turkish fleet

Be not enshelter'd and embay'd, they are drown'd;
It is impossible they bear it out.

Enter a third Gentleman.

THIRD GENT. News, Lads! our wars are done.

The desperate tempest hath so bang'd the Turks,
That their designment halts; a noble ship of Venice
Hath seen a grievous wrack and sufferance

On most part of their fleet.

20

ACT I
Sc. III

ACT II
Sc. I

MON. How! is this true?

THIRD GENT.

The ship is here put in,

A Veronesa; Michael Cassio,

Lieutenant to the warlike Moor Othello,
Is come on shore: the Moor himself at sea,
And is in full commission here for Cyprus.
MON. I am glad on 't; 'tis a worthy Governor.

30

THIRD GENT. But this same Cassio-though he speak of comfort

Touching the Turkish loss, yet he looks sadly,

And prays the Moor be safe; for they were parted
With foul and violent tempest.

MON.

Pray Heavens he be;
For I have serv'd him, and the man commands
Like a full soldier. Let's to the seaside, ho!

As well to see the vessel that's come in

As to throw out our eyes for brave Othello,

Even till we make the Main and the aerial blue
An indistinct regard.

CAS. Thanks, you the valiant of this warlike Isle,
That so approve the Moor! O, let the Heavens

Give him defence against the elements,

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,'

50

Stand in bold cure. [A cry within: A sail, a sail, a sail!

Enter a fourth Gentleman.

CAS. What noise?

FOURTH GENT. The Town is empty; on the brow o' the

sea

Stand ranks of people, and they cry A sail!

1 the idea is that hope feeds on hope till it dies of surfeit.

CAS. My hopes do shape him for the Governor.

ACT II

SEC. GENT. They do discharge their shot of courtesy :

60

MON. But, good Lieutenant, is your General wiv'd?
CAS. Most fortunately: he hath achiev'd a maid

That paragons description and wild fame;
One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens,
And in the essential vesture of creation

Does tire the ingener.

Re-enter second Gentleman.

How now! who has put in?

SEC. GENT. 'Tis one Iago, 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.

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,
And swell his sail with thine own powerful breath,
That he may bless this bay with his tall ship,
Make love's quick pants in Desdemona's arms,
Give renew'd fire to our extincted spirits,
And bring all Cyprus comfort! O, behold,

Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, IAGO, RODERIGO,
and Attendants.

The riches of the ship is come on shore!

Ye Men of Cyprus, let her have your knees.

Hail to thee, Lady! and the grace of Heaven,

IX: D

1 submerged in the water.

25