3

Des. That I did love the Moor to live with him,
My downright violence and storm of fortunes 3
May trumpet to the world; my heart's subdued
Even to the very quality of my lord: *
I saw Othello's visage in his mind; 5
And to his honours, and his valiant parts,
Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.
So that, dear lords, if I be left behind,
A moth of peace, and he go to the war,

The rites, for which I love him, are bereft me,
And I a heavy interim shall support

By his dear absence: Let me go with him.

Oth. Your voices, lords: 'beseech you, let her will

Have a free way.

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 distinct + and proper satisfaction;

But to be free and bounteous to her mind:

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
Of feather'd Cupid seel with wanton dulness
My speculative and active instruments, 7

3 My downright violence and storm of fortunes-] Violence is not violence suffered, but violence acted. Breach of common rules and obligations.

4 Even to, &c.] Quality here means profession. "I am so much enamoured of Othello, that I am even willing to endure all the inconveniencies incident to a military life, and to attend him to the wars."

5 I saw Othello's visage in his 'mind;] It must raise no wonder, that I loved a man of an appearance so little engaging; I saw his face only in his mind; the greatness of his character reconciled me to his form. disjunct" MALONE.

6

- defend, &c.] To defend, is to forbid.

7 My speculative and active instruments,] Speculative instruments, in Shakspeare's language, are the eyes; and active instruments, the hands and feet.

That my disports corrupt and taint my business,
Let housewives make a skillet of my helm,
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; you must hence to-night. Des. To-night, my lord?

Duke.

Oth.

This night.

With all my heart.

Duke. At nine i'the morning here we'll meet again. Othello, leave some officer behind,

And he shall our commission bring to you;
With such things else of quality and respect,

As doth import you.

Oth.

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
To be sent after me.

Good night to every one. And, noble signior,

If virtue no delighted beauty lack, 8

[To BRABANTIO.

Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.

1 Sen. Adieu, brave Moor! use Desdemona well. Bra. Look to her, Moor; have a quick eye to see; She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee.

[Exeunt Duke,

Oth. My life upon her faith.

Senators, Officers, &c.
Honest Iago,

My Desdemona must I leave to thee;
I pry'thee, let thy wife attend on her;

And bring them after in the best advantage. —

9

If virtue no delighted beauty lack,] The meaning probably is, if virtue comprehends every thing in itself, then your virtuous son-inlaw of course is beautiful: he has that beauty which delights every one. Delighted, for delighting.

9- best advantage.] Fairest opportunity.

Come, Desdemona, I have but an hour
Of love, of worldly matters and direction,
To spend with thee: we must obey the time.

Rod. Iago.

[Exeunt OTHELLO and DESDEMONA.

Iago. What say'st thou, noble heart?
Rod. What will I do, thinkest thou?
Iago. Why, go to bed, and sleep.
Rod. I will incontinently drown myself.

Iago. Well, if thou dost, I shall never love thee after it. Why, thou silly gentleman !

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

Iago. O villainous! I have looked upon the world for four times seven years! and since I could distinguish between a benefit and an injury, I never found a man that knew how to love himself. Ere I would say, I would drown myself for the love of a Guinea-hen1, I would change my humanity with a baboon.

Rod. What should I do? I confess, it is my shame to be so fond; but it is not in 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 steril with idleness, or manured 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 rea

1

— a Guinea-hen,] A Guinea-hen was anciently the cant term for a prostitute.

son to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts; whereof I take this, that you call-love, to be a sect2, or scion.

Rod. It cannot be.

-

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 professed 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 these 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 *;-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 her; therefore make money. A

cutting.

3

-

5

a sect,] A sect is what the more modern gardeners call a

defeat thy favour with an usurped beard;] Favour here means that combination of features which gives the face its distinguishing character. Defeat, from defaire, in French, signifies to unmake, decompose, or give a different appearance to, either by taking away something, or adding.

4

5

an answerable sequestration;] for separation.
betwixt an erring barbarian —] i. e. wandering.

pox of drowning thyself! it is clean out of the way: seek thou rather to be hanged in compassing thy joy, than to be drowned and go without her.

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, and me a sport. There are many events in the womb of time, which will be delivered. 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 hear.

you

Rod. I am changed. I'll sell all my land.

purse.

Iago. Go to; farewell: put money enough in your [Exit RODERIGO. 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 7. He holds me well; The better shall my purpose work on him. Cassio's a proper man: Let me see now;

8

6 Traverse;] This was an ancient military word of command. as if for surety.] That is, "I will act as if I were certain

7

of the fact."

8

He holds me well;] i. e. esteems me