Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman. Iago. But there's no remedy, 'tis the curse of service; Preferment goes by letter,' and affection, Not by the old gradation, where each second To love the Moor. Rod. I would not follow him then. Iago. O, sir, content you; I follow him to serve my turn upon him: Whip me such honest knaves: Others there are, Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul; And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir, It is as sure as you are Roderigo, Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago: 1 by letter,] By recommendation from powerful friends. 2 Whether I in any just term am affin'd-] Do I stand within any such terms of propinquity, or relation to the Moor, as that it is my duty to love him? honest knaves:] Knave is here for servant, but with a sly mixture of contempt. In following him, I follow but myself; 4 For when my outward action doth demonstrate Rod. What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, If he can carry't thus! Iago. Call up her father, Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen, And, though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy, Yet throw such changes of vexation on't, As it may lose some colour. Rod. Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud, lago. Do; with like timorous accent, and dire yell, As when, by night and negligence, the fire Rod. What ho! Brabantio! signior Brabantio, ho! Iago. Awake! what, ho! Brabantio! thieves ! thieves! thieves ! Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags! Thieves! thieves! BRABANTIO, above, at a Window. Bra. What is the reason of this terrible summons? What is the matter there? Rod. Signior, is all your family within? In compliment extern,] In that which I do only for an outward show of civility. 5 What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,] Full fortune is, a complete piece of good fortune. To owe is to possess. Why? wherefore ask you this? Iago. Are your doors lock'd? Bra. Iago. 'Zounds, sir, you are robb'd; for shame, put on your gown; Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul; Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise; Bra. What, have you lost your wits? Rod. Most reverend signior, do you know my voice? Bra. Not I; What are you? Rod. My name is-Roderigo. Bra. The worse welcome: I have charg'd thee, not to haunt about my doors: To start my quiet. Rod. Sir, sir, sir, sir, Bra. My spirit, and my place, have in them power But thou must needs be sure, Patience, good sir. To make this bitter to thee. Rod. Bra. What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice; My house is not a grange.* 6 is burst,] i. e. broken. 7 distempering draughts,] To be distempered with liquor, was, in Shakspeare's age, the phrase for intoxication. My house is not a grange.] That is, " you are in a populous city, not in a lone house, where a robbery might easily be committed." Grange is strictly and properly the farm of a monastery, 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, 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.1 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, Ro derigo. Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But I beseech you, If't be your pleasure, and most wise consent, where the religious reposited their corn. Grangia, Lat. from Granum. But in Lincolnshire, and in other northern counties, they call every lone house, or farm which stands solitary, a grange. your nephews neigh to you:] Nephew, in this instance, has the power of the Latin word nepos, and signifies a grandson, or any lineal descendant, however remote. 9 1 gennets for germans.] A jennet is a Spanish horse. 2 At this odd-even and dull watch o'the night,] By this singular expression," this odd-even of the night," our poet appears to have meant, that it was just approaching to, or just past, that it was doubtful whether at that moment it stood at the point of midnight, or at some other less equal division of the twenty-fourhours; which a few minutes either before or after midnight would be. If this be known to you, and your allowance,3 I thus would play and trifle with your reverence: Of here and every where: Straight satisfy yourself: Let loose on me the justice of the state Bra. Strike on the tinder, ho! Give me a taper;-call up all my people:- Belief of it oppresses me already Light, I say! light! Against the Moor: For, I do know, the state,— To lead their business: in which regard, 3 and your allowance,] i. e. done with your approbation. That, from the sense of all civility,] That is, in opposition to, or departing from, the sense of all civility. 5 In an extravagant-] For wandering. some check,] Some rebuke. 6 7 cast him;] That is, dismiss him; reject him. |