So much I challenge, that I may profess
Due to the Moor, my Lord.

Era. God be with you; I have done.
Please it your Grace, on to the state affairs;
I had rather to adopt a child than get it.
Come hither, Moor:

I here do give thee that with all my heart,
Which, but thou haft already, with all my heart
I would keep from thee. For your fake, jewel,
I'm glad at foul I have no other child;

For thy escape would teach me tyranny,

To hang clogs on them. I have done, my Lord.
Duke. Let me fpeak like yourself; and lay a sentence,
Which, as a grife, or step, may help these lovers.
Into your favour.

When remedies are paft, the griefs are ended

By feeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.
To mourn a mischief that is paft and gone,
Is the next way to draw new mischief on.
What cannot be preferv'd when Fortune takes,
Patience her injury a mockery makes.

The robb'd, that fmiles, fteals fomething from the thief;
He robs himself that spends a bootlefs grief.

Bra. So, let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile,

We lose it not, fo long as we can fmile;
He bears the fentence well, that nothing bears
But the free comfort which from thence he hears;
But he bears both the fentence, and the forrow,
That, to pay grief, muft of poor patience borrow.
Thefe fentences, to fugar or to gall,

Being strong on both fides, are equivocal.
But words are words; I never yet did hear,
That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear.
Beseech you, now to the affairs o' th' State.

Duke. The Turk with a mighty preparation makes for Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude of the place is bett known to you; and though we have there a fubftitute of most allowed fufficiency, yet opinion, a fovereign mistress of effects, throws a more fafe voice on you: you must therefore be content to flubber the glofs of your new fortunes with this more flubborn and boisterous expedition.

R 2

Oth.

Oth. The tyrant cuftom, most grave fenators,
Hath made the flinty and fteel couch of war
My thrice-driven bed of down. I do agnize
A natural and prompt alacrity

I find in hardinefs; and do undertake
This prefent war against the Ottomites.
Moft humbly therefore bending to your state,
I crave fit difpofition for my wife,
Due reference of place, and exhibition,
With fuch accommodation and befort
As levels with her breeding.

Duke. Why, at her father's.
Bra. I will not have it fo.
Oth. Nor I..

Def. Nor would I there refide,

To put my father in impatient thoughts
By being in his eye. Moft gracious Duke,
To my unfolding lend your profperous ear,
And let me find a charter in your voice
T'affift my fimplenefs.

Duke. What would you, Desdemona?

Def. That I did love the Moor to live with him,
My downright violence and florm of fortunes
May trumpet to the world. My heart's fubdued
Even to the very quality of my Lord;

I faw Othello's vifage in his mind,
And to his honours and his valiant parts
Did I my foul and fortunes confecrate.
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 fhall fupport,

By his dear abfence. Let me go with him.

Oth. Your voices, Lords. Befeech you let her will

Have a free way. I therefore beg it not,

To please the palate of my appetite;
Nor to comply with heat, the young affects,
In my defunct and proper fatisfaction;
But to be free and bounteous to her mind.

And heaven defend your good fouls, that you think
I will your ferious and great business fcant,

For

For fhe is with me. No, when light-wing'd toys
Of feather'd Cupid foil with wanton dulness
My fpeculative and active inftruments,

That my difports corrupt and taint my business,
Let housewives make a skillet of my helm,
And all indign and base adverfities
Make head against my estimation.

Duke. Be it as you fhall privately determine,
Or for her stay or going; the affair cries hafte ;
And speed must answer it.

Def To-night, my Lord?
Duke. This night.

Oth. With all my heart.

You must hence to-night.

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

And he shall our commiffion bring to you,

And fuch things elfe of quality and respect,
As doth import you.

Oth. Please your Grace, my Ancient,
A man he is of honefty and truft :

To his conveyance I affign my wife,

With what else needful your good Grace fhall think
To be fent after me.

Duke. Let it be fo;

Good-night to every one. And, noble Signior,
If virtue no delighted beauty lack,

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

Sen. Adieu, brave Moor. Ufe Desdemona well.
Bra. Look to her, Moor; have a quick eye to fee:
She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee.

[Exit Duke with Senators.
Oth. My life upon her faith. Honest lago,
My Defdemona muft I leave to thee:
I pr'ythee let thy wife attend on her;
And bring her after in the best advantage.
Come, Desdemona, I have but an hour
Of love, of worldly matter and direction
To speak with thee. We must obey the time.

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[Exeunt.

No. XXXVI.

No. XXXVI.-O THELLO.

ACT III. SCENE III. An Apartment in the Palau Enter Desdemona, Caffio, and Æmilia.

DESDEMONA.

Be thou affur'd, good Cafio, I will do

All my abilities in thy behalf

Emil. Good Madam, do. I know it grieves my husband As if the caufe were his..

Def. Oh, that's an honeft fellow. Doubt not, Caffie, But I will have my Lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Moft bounteous Madam, Whatever fhall become of Michael Caffio,

He's never any thing but your true fervant.

Def. I know't; I thank you. You do love my Lord; You' e known him long; and, be you well affur'd, He fhall in ftrangenefs ftand no farther off

Than in a politic distance.

Caf. Ay, but, lady,

That policy may either laft fo long,
Or feed upon fuch nice and waterih diet,
Or breed itself fo out of circumftances,
That I being abfent, and my place fupplied,
My General will forget my love and fervice.

Def. Do not doubt that; before Æmilia here,
I give thee warrant of thy place. Affure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it

To the laft article. My Lord fhall never reft;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed fhall feem a fchool, his board a fhrift ;
I'll intermingle every thing he does

With Caffio's fuit: therefore be merry, Caffio;
For thy folicitor fhall rather die

Than give thy cause away.

Enter Othello and Iago, at diftance.

Emil. Madam, here comes my Lord.
Caf. Madam, I'll take my leave.

Dij

Iago. Hah! I like not that.
Oth. What doft thou say?

Iago. Nothing, my Lord; or if--I know not what. Oth. Was not that Caffio parted from my wife? Iago. Caffio, my Lord? No, fure, I cannot think it, That he would fteal away fo guilty-like,

Seeing you coming.

Oth. I believe 'twas he.

Def. How now, my Lord ?"

I have been talking with a fuitor here,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.
Oth. Who is't you mean?

Def. Why, your lieutenant Caffio.

Good my Lord,

If I have any grace, or power to move you,
His prefent reconciliation take;

For if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance, and not in cunning,
I have no judgment in an honeft face.
I pr'ythee call him back.

Oth. Went he hence now?

Def. Ay, footh, fo humbled,

That he hath left part of his grief with me,
To fuffer with him. Good love, call him back.
Qth Not now, fweet Desdemona; fome other time.
Def. But fhall 't be shortly?

Oth. The fooner, fweet, for you.

Def. Shall 't be to-night at fupper ?

Oth. Not to-night.

Def. To-morrow dinner then?

Oth. I fhall not dine at home;

I meet the Captains at the Citadel..

Def. Why then to-morrow night, or Tuesday morn,
Or Tuesday noon, or night, or Wednesday morn?
I pr'ythee, name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days. In faith he's penitent;
And yet his trefpafs, in our common reason,
Save that, they fay, the wars must make examples

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Out