Oth. Hold your Hands,
Both you of my inclining, and the reft.
Were it my Cue to fight, I should have known it
Without a Prompter. Whither will you that I go
To answer this your Charge?
Bra. To Prifon, 'till fit time
Of Law, and Course of direct Seffion
Call thee to answer.
Oth. What if I do obey?
How may the Duke be therewith fatisfied,
Whose Messengers are here about my fide,
Upon fome prefent Bufinefs of the State,
To bring me to him.
Offi. 'Tis true, moft worthy Signior,
The Duke's in Council, and your noble self
I am fure is fent for.
Bra. How! the Duke in Council?
In this time of the Night? bring him away;
Mine's not an idle Caufe. The Duke himself,
Or any of my Brothers of the State,
Cannot but feel this wrong, as 'twere their own;
For if fuch Actions may have Paffage free,
Bond-flaves and Pagans fhall our Statesmen be. [Exeunt
SCENE III. The Senate Houfe.
Enter Duke, Senators, and Officers.
Duke. There is no Compofition in this News, That gives them Credit.
I Sen. Indeed, they are difproportioned; My Letters fay, a hundred and feven Gallies. Duke. And mine a hundred and forty.
2 Sen. And mine two hundred ;
But though they jump not on a juft Account,
As in thefe Cafes where the aim reports,
'Tis oft with difference, yet do they all confirm
A Turkish Fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus.
Duke. Nay, it is poffible enough to judgment;
I do not fo fecure me in the Error,
But the main Article I do approve,
Saylor within.] What hoa! What hoa! What hoa!
Enter Saylor.
Offi. A Meffenger from the Gallies.
Sail. The Turkish Preparation makes for Rhodes,
So was I bid report here to the State,
By Signior Angelo.
Duke. How fay you by this Change?
I Sen. This cannot be
By no affay of Reafon. 'Tis a Pageant
To keep us in falfe Gaze; when we confider
Th'importancy of Cyprus to the Turk,
And let our felves again but understand,
That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes,
So may he with more facile Question bear it,
For that it ftands not in fuch warlike Brace,
But altogether lacks th'abilities
That Rhodes is drefs'd in. If we make thought of this,
We must not think the Turk is fo unskilful,
To leave that lateft, which concerns him first,
Neglecting an Attempt of eafe and gain,
To wake and wage a Danger profitlefs.
Duke. Nay, in all Confidence he's not for Rhodes.
Off. Here is more News..
Mef. The Ottomites, reverend, and gracious,
Steering with due Courfe toward the Ifle of Rhodes,
Have there injoin'd them with an after Fleet
I Sen. Ay, fo I thought; how many, as you guess?
Mef. Of thirty Sail; and now they do re-stem
This backward Courfe, bearing with frank appearance
Their purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano,
Your trufty and moft valiant Servitor,
With his free Duty, recommends you thus,
And prays you to believe him.
Duke. 'Tis certain then for Cyprus :
Marcus Luccicos, is he not in Town?
I Sen. He's now in Florence.
Duke. Write from us,
To him, Poft, Post-haste, dispatch.
1 Sen. Here comes Barbantio, and the Moor,
Enter Brabantio, Othello, Caffio, Jago, Rodorigo,
and Officers.
Duke. Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you,
Against the general Enemy Ottoman.
I did not fee you; welcome, gentle Signior,
We lackt your Counsel, and your help to Night.
Bra. So did I yours; Good your Grace pardon me.
Neither my place, nor ought I heard of Bufinefs,
Hath rais'd me from my Bed; nor doth the general care
Take hold on me. For my particular Grief
Is of fo Flood-gate, and o'er-bearing Nature,
That it ingluts, and fwallows other Sorrows,
And yet is ftill it felf.
Duke. Why? what's the matter?
Bra. My Daughter! oh my Daughter!
Sen. Dead I
Bra. Ay, to me.
She is abus'd, ftolen from me, and corrupted
By Spells and Medicines, bought of Mountebanks;
For Nature fo prepofterously to err,
Being not deficient, blind, or lame of Senfe,
Sans Witchcraft could not
Duke. Who e'er he be, that in this foul proceeding,
Hath thus beguil'd your Daughter of her felf,
And you of her; the bloody Book of Law,
You shall your felf read in the bitter Letter,
After your own Senfe; yea, though our proper Son
Stood in your Action.
Bra. Humbly I thank your Grace,
Here is the Man; this Moor, whom now it seems
Your fpecial Mandate, for the State Affairs,
Hath hither brought.
All. We are very forry for't.
Duke. What in your own part can you say to this?
Bra. Nothing, but this is fo.
Oth. Moft potent, grave, and reverend Signiors,
My very noble, and approv'd good Mafters;
That I have ta'en away this old Man's Daughter,
It is moft true, true I have married her;
The very head, and front of my offending,
Hath this extent; no more. Rude am I in my fpeech,
And little blefs'd with the foft Phrase of Peace;
For fince these Arms of mine had feven Years Pith,
'Till now, fome nine Moons wafted, they have us'd
Their deareft A&tion, in the tented Field;
And little of this great World can I speak,
More than pertains to Feats of Broils and Battel;
And therefore little fhall I grace my Cause,
In fpeaking for my felf. Yet, by your gracious Patience,
I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver,
Of my whole courfe of Love. What Drugs? what Charms? What Conjuration? and what mighty Magick,
(For fuch proceeding I am charg'd withal,)
I won his Daughter with.
Bra. A Maiden, never bold;
Of Spirit fo ftill and quiet, that her Motion
Blush'd at her felf; and fhe, in fpight of Nature,
Of Years, of Country, Credit, every thing,
To fall in Love with what the fear'd to look on --
It is a Judgment maim'd, and most imperfect,
That will confefs Perfection fo could err,
Against all Rules of Nature, and must be driven
To find out Practices of cunning Hell,
Why this should be. I therefore vouch again,"
That with fome Mixtures powerful o'er the Blood,
Or with fome Dram, conjur'd to this Effect,
He wrought upon her.
Duke. To vouch this, is no Proof,
Without more wider, and more over Teft
Than these thin Habits, and poor likely hoods
Of modern feeming, do prefer against him.
i Sen. But, Othello, speak,
Did you, by indirect and forced Courses,
Subdue and poifon this young Maid's Affections?
Or came it by request, and fuch fair Question,
As Soul to Soul affordeth?
Oth. I do befeech you,
Send for the Lady to the Sagittary,
And let her speak of me before her Father;
If you do find me foul in her report,
The Truft, the Office, I do hold of you,
Not only take away, but let your Sentence
Even fall upon my Life.
Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither.
Oth. Ancient, condu& them, you best know the Place.
And 'till the come as truly, as to Heav'n
I do confefs the Vices of my Blood,
So juftly to your grave Ears, I'll prefent
How I did thrive in this fair Lady's Love,
And fhe in mine.
Oth. Her Father lov'd me, oft invited me ;
Still queftion'd me the Story of my Life,
From Year to Year; the Battels, Sieges, Fortunes,
That I have past.
I ran it through, even from my Boyish Days,
To th' very Moment that he bad me tell it :
Wherein I spoke of moft difaftrous Chances,
Of moving Accidents by Flood and Field;
Of hair-breadth fcapes i'th'imminent deadly Breach;
Of being taken by the infolent Foe,
And fold to Slavery; of my Redemption thence,
And Portance in my Travels Hiftory;
Wherein of Antars vafte, and Defarts idle,
Rough Quarries, Rocks and Hills, whofe Heads touch Hea
It was my Hint to fpeak, fuch was my Process ;
And of the Canibals that each other eat,
The Anthropophagi; and Men whofe Heads
Did grow beneath their Shoulders. These to hear,
Would Desdemona feriously incline;
But ftill the Houfe Affairs would draw her hence,
Which ever as she could with haste dispatch,
She'd come again, and with a greedy Ear
Devour up my Discourse: Which I observing,
Took once a pliant Hour, and found good means
To draw from her a Prayer of earnest Heart,
That I would all my Pilgrimage dilate,
Whereof by Parcels the had fomething heard,
But not distinctively: I did confent,
And often did beguile her of her Tears,
When I did fpeak of fome diftrefsful Stroke,
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