ACT

SCENE I.-A Sea-port Town in Cyprus. A Plat

form.

Enter MONTANO and Two Gentlemen. Mon. What from the cape can you discern at sea? 1st Gent. Nothing at all; it is a high-wrought flood:

I cannot 'twixt the heaven and the main
Descry a sail.

Mon. Methinks the wind hath spoke aloud at land;

A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements:
If it hath ruffianed so upon the sea,
What ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them,
Can hold the mortise? What shall we hear of this?
2nd Gent. A segregation of the Turkish fleet :
For do but stand upon the foaming shore,
The chiding billow seems to pelt the clouds;
The wind-shaked surge, with high and monstrous

mane,

Seems to cast water on the burning bear,

Mon. But,good lieutenant, is your general wived? Cas. Most fortunately: he hath achieved a maid That paragons description and wild fame : One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens, And in the essential vesture of creation Does bear all excellency.-How now; who has put in?

Re-enter Second Gentleman.

2nd Gent. "Tis one Iago, ancient to the general. Cas. He has had most favourable and happy speed: Tempests themselves,high seas and howling winds, The guttered rocks and congregated sands (Traitors ensteeped to clog the guiltless keel), As having sense of beauty, do omit Their mortal natures, letting go safely by The divine Desdemona.

Des.

I thank you, valiant Cassio. What tidings can you tell me of my lord?

Cas. He is not yet arrived; nor know I aught But that he's well, and will be shortly here.

Des. O, but I fear-How lost you company? Cas. The great contention of the sea and skies Parted our fellowship. But hark! a sail.

[Cry within, "A sail, a sail!" Then guns heard. 2nd Gent. They give their greeting to the citadel : This likewise is a friend. Cas. See for the news. [Exit Gentleman. Good ancient, you are welcome :-Welcome, mistress :[TO EMILIA.

Let it not gall your patience, good Iago,
That I extend my manners: 't is my breeding
That gives me this bold show of courtesy.

[Kissing her.

Des. Well praised! How if she be black and witty?

Iago. If she be black, and thereto have a wit, She'll find a white that shall her blackness fit. Des. Worse and worse.

Emil. How if fair and foolish?

Iago. She never yet was foolish that was fair: For even her folly helped her to an heir.

Des. These are old fond paradoxes, to make fools laugh i' the alehouse. What miserable praise hast thou for her that 's foul and foolish? Iago. There's none so foul, and foolish thereunto,

But does foul pranks, which fair and wise ones do.

Des. O heavy ignorance!-thou praisest the worst best. But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deserving woman indeed? one that, in the authority of her merit, did justly put on the vouch of very malice itself?

Iago. She that was ever fair, and never proud; Had tongue at will, and yet was never loud; Never lacked gold, and yet went never gay; Fled from her wish, and yet said,-" Now I may;"

She that, being angered, her revenge being nigh,
Bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly;
She that in wisdom never was so frail
To change the cod's head for the salmon's tail;

She that could think, and ne'er disclose her mind;
See suitors following, and not look behind:
She was a wight, if ever such wight were,—
Des. To do what?

Iago. To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer. Des. O most lame and impotent conclusion!Do not learn of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband.—How say you, Cassio; is he not a most profane and liberal counsellor?

Cas. He speaks home, madam: you may relish him more in the soldier than in the scholar.

Iago [aside]. He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, whisper: with as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do: I will gyve thee in thine own courtship. You say true! 't is so, indeed. If such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantcy, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft, which now again you are most apt to play the sir in. Very good: well kissed! an excellent courtesy! 'tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingers to your lips? would they were clysterpipes for your sake!—[Trumpet]. The Moor; I know his trumpet.

Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content To see you here before me. 0 my soul's joy! If after every tempest come such calms,

May the winds blow till they have wakened death:
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas,
Olympus-high; and duck again as low

As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die,
'T were now to be most happy; for I fear
My soul hath her content so absolute,
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.

But that our loves and comforts should increase, Even as our days do grow!

Oth. Amen to that, sweet powers!I cannot speak enough of this content, It stops me here; it is too much of joy: And this, and this, the greatest discords be, That e'er our hearts shall make! [Kissing her. Iago. O, you are well tuned now!

But I'll set down the pegs that make this music, As honest as I am. [Aside.

Oth. Come, let's to the castle.News, friends: our wars are done; the Turks are

drowned.

How do our old acquaintance of this isle?—

Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus;
I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet,
I prattle out of fashion, and I dote
In mine own comforts.-I pr'y thee, good Iago,
Go to the bay, and disembark my coffers:
Bring thou the master to the citadel;
He is a good one, and his worthiness
Does challenge much respect.-Come, Desde-

mona:

Once more well met at Cyprus. [Exeunt OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants. Iago. Do thou meet me presently at the harbour. Come hither-if thou beest valiant (as they say, base men, being in love, have then a nobility in their natures more then is native to them), list me. The lieutenant to-night watches on the court of guard :-first, I must tell thee this-Desdemona is directly in love with him. Rod. With him! why 'tis not possible.

Iago. Lay thy finger-thus, and let thy soul be instructed. Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies: and will she love him still for prating? let not thy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed; and what delight shall she have to look on the devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be, again to inflame it and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour; sympathy in years, manners, and beauties; all which the Moor is defective in. Now, for want of these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor: very nature will instruct her in it, and compel her to some second choice. Now, sir, this granted (as it is a most pregnant and unforced position), who stands so eminently in the degree of this fortune as Cassio does?-a knave very voluble; no further conscionable than in putting on the mere form of civil and humane seeming, for the better compassing of his salt and most hidden loose affection?-why, none; why, none. A slippery and subtle knave; a finder-out of occasions; that has an eye can stamp and counterfeit advantages, though true advantage never present itself. A devilish knave! Besides, the knave is handsome, young, and hath all those requisites in him that folly and green minds look after. A pestilent complete knave! and the woman hath found him already.

Rod. I cannot believe that in her: she is full of most blessed condition. Iago. Blessed fig's-end!-the wine she drinks is made of grapes. If she had been blessed, she would never have loved the Moor. Blessed pudding!-Didst thou not see her paddle with the palm of his hand? didst not mark that?

Rod. Yes, that I did; but that was but courtesy. Iago. Lechery, by this hand; an index and obscure prologue to the history of lust and foul thoughts. They met so near with their lips that their breaths embraced together. Villanous thoughts, Roderigo! When these mutualities so marshal the way, hard at hand comes the master and main exercise, the incorporate conclusion. Pish!-But, sir, be you ruled by me: I have brought you from Venice. Watch you to-night; for the command, I'll lay 't upon you. Cassio knows you not :-I'll not be far from you. Do you find some occasion to anger Cassio; either by speaking too loud, or tainting his discipline, or from what other course you please which the time shall more favourably minister. Rod. Well.

Iago. Sir, he is rash and very sudden in choler; and haply with his truncheon may strike at you. Provoke him that he may: for even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny; whose qualification shall come into no true taste again but by the displanting of Cassio. So shall you have a shorter journey to your desires, by the means I shall then have to prefer them; and the impediment most profitably removed, without the which there were no expectation of our prosperity.

Rod. I will do this, if I can bring it to any opportunity.

Iago. I warrant thee. Meet me by-and-by at the citadel. I must fetch his necessaries ashore. Farewell.

Iago. That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it; That she loves him, 't is apt and of great credit: The Moor, how beit that I endure him not, Is of a constant, loving, noble nature, And I dare think he 'll prove to Desdemona A most dear husband. Now I do love her too; Not out of absolute lust (though peradventure I stand accountant for as great a sin), But partly led to diet my revenge, For that I do suspect the lusty Moor Hath leaped into my seat: the thought whereof Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards; And nothing can or shall content my soul Tiil I am even with him, wife for wife: Or, failing so, yet that I put the Moor At least into a jealousy so strong That judgment cannot cure. Which thing to do,If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trash For his quick hunting, stand the putting on, I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip; Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb,For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too : Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me,

For making him egregiously an ass,
And practising upon his peace and quiet
Even to madness.-'T is here, but yet confused:
Knavery's plain face is never seen till used. [Exit.

SCENE II-A Street.

Enter a Herald, with a proclamation: People following.

Her. It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and valiant general, that, upon certain tidings now arrived, importing the mere perdition of the Turkish fleet, every man put himself into triumph some to dance, some to make bonfires; each man to what sport and revels his addiction leads him for, besides these beneficial news, it is the celebration of his nuptials. So much was his pleasure should be proclaimed.—All offices are open, and there is full liberty of feasting from this present hour of five till the bell hath told eleven.-Heaven bless the Isle of Cyprus, and our noble general, Othello! [Exeunt.

:

SCENE III.-A Hall in the Castle.
Enter OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and
Attendants.

Oth. Good Michael, look you to the guard tonight:

Let's teach ourselves that honourable stop,
Not to outsport discretion.

Cas. Iago hath direction what to do:
But, notwithstanding, with my personal eye
Will I look to 't.

Oth. Iago is most honest.

Michael, good night: to-morrow with your earliest,
Let me have speech with you.-Come, my dear love:
The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue;
[To DESDEMONA,
That profit's yet to come 'twixt me and you.-
Good night.
[Exeunt OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants.
Enter IAGO.

Cas. Welcome, Iago. We must to the watch. Iago. Not this hour, lieutenant: 't is not yet ten o'clock. Our general cast us thus early, for the love of his Desdemona; whom let us not therefore blame he hath not yet made wanton the night with her; and she is sport for Jove. Cas. She's a most exquisite lady. Iago. And, I'll warrant her, full of game. Cas. Indeed she is a most fresh and delicate creature.

Iago. What an eye she has! methinks it sounds a parley of provocation.

Cas. An inviting eye; and yet methinks right modest.