Steering with due course toward the isle of Rhodes, Have there injointed them with an after-fleet. 1 Sen. Ay, so I thought :-How many, as you guess? Mess. Of thirty sail: and now do they re-stem Their backward course, bearing with frank appearance Their purposes towards Cyprus.-Signior Montano, Your trusty and most valiant servitor, With his free duty, recommends you thus, Duke. "Tis certain then for Cyprus. Marcus Lucchesé, is he not in town? 1 Sen. He's now in Florence. [patch. Duke. Write from us: wish him post-post-haste: des1 Sen. Here comes Brabantio, and the valiant Moor. Enter BRABANTIO, OTHELLO, IAGO, RODERIGO, and Officers. Duke. Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you Against the general enemy Ottoman. I did not see you; welcome, gentle signior; [To Bra. We lack'd your counsel and your help to-night: Bra. So did I yours: Good, your grace, pardon me; Is of so flood-gate and o'erbearing nature, Duke. Why, what's the matter? Bra. My daughter! O, my daughter! Sen. Bra. Dead? Ay, to me; She is abus'd, stolen from me, and corrupted Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense, Duke. Whoe'er he be, that, in this foul proceeding, Hath thus beguil'd your daughter of herself, And you of her, the bloody book of law You shall yourself read in the bitter letter, Bra. Humbly I thank your grace. Here is the man, this Moor; whom now, it seems, Your special mandate, Hath hither brought. for the state affairs, We are very sorry for it. Duke. What, in your own part, can you say to this? [To Othello. Bra. Nothing, but this is so. Oth. Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech, In speaking for myself: Yet, by your gracious patience, Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms, What conjuration, and what mighty magic (For such proceeding I am charg'd withal), won his daughter with. Bra. A maiden never bold; Why this should be. I therefore vouch again, That with some mixtures powerful o'er the blood, Duke. To vouch this, is no proof; Did you by indirect and forced courses Oth. I do beseech you, And let her speak of me before her father: Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither. Oth. Ancient, conduct them; you best know the place.[Exeunt fago and Attendants. And, till she come, as truly as to heaven I do confess the vices of my blood, Duke. Say it, Othello. Oth. Her father lov'd me; oft invited me; Still question'd me the story of iny life, From year to year; the battles, sieges, fortunes, ran it through, even from my boyish days, Of hair-breadth scapes i'the imminent deadly breach; And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence, Wherein of antres vast, and deserts idle, [heaven, Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders. These things to hear, But still the house-affairs would draw her thence; She swore-In faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange; 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful: She wish'd, she had not heard it; yet she wish'd That heaven had made her such a man: she thank'd me; And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her, I should but teach him how to tell my story, And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake: Here comes the lady, let her witness it. Enter DESDEMONA, IAGO, and Attendants. Duke. I think, this tale would win my daughter too.Good Brabantio, Take up this mangled matter at the best: Men do their broken weapons rather use, Bra. I pray you, hear her speak ; If she confess, that she was half the wooer, Destruction on my head, if my bad blame Des. I do perceive here a divided duty: My noble father, To you, I am bound for life, and education; How to respect you; you are the lord of duty, To you, preferring you before her father, Bra. I here do give thee that with all my heart To hang clogs on them.-I have done, my lord. When remedies are past, the griefs are ended, Is the next way to draw new mischief on. The robb'd, that smiles, steals something from the thief; He robs himself, that spends a bootless grief. We lose it not, so long as we can smile. He bears the sentence well, that nothing bears B |