Of moving accidents, by flood, and field; Of hair-breadth scapes i' the imminent deadly breach; Of being taken by the insolent foe, And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence, Wherein of antres vast, and desarts idle, Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heaven, It was my hint to speak, such was the process; The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders. These things to hear, Would Desdemona seriously incline : But still the house affairs would draw her thence; Devour up my discourse: Which I observing, 8 Whereof by parcels she had something heard, And often did beguile her of her tears, When I did speak of some distressful stroke, gave me for my pains a world of sighs: She swore,-In faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange; My behaviour. 7 Caves and dens. 8 Parts. 9 Intention and attention were once synonymous. '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 I lov'd her, that she did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have us'd; 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: Bra. I pray you, hear her speak; If she confess, that she was half the wooer, Where most you owe obedience? Des. I do perceive here a divided duty: My noble father, Το hus band; And so much duty as my mother show'd Bra. 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: heart I here do give thee that with all my heart, For thy escape would teach me tyranny, To hang clogs on them.-I have done, my lord. Duke. Let me speak like yourself; and lay a sentence, Which, as a grise,' or step, may help these lovers When remedies are past, the griefs are ended, By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended. 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 1 Grise from degrees. But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow, Being strong on both sides, are equivocal: Duke. The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for Cyprus :-Othello, the fortitude of the place is best known to you: And though we have there a substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer voice on you: you must therefore be content to slubber 3 the gloss of your new fortunes with this more stubborn and boisterous expedition. Oth. The tyrant custom, most grave senators, Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war My thrice-driven bed of down: I do agnize 4 A natural and prompt alacrity, I find in hardness; and do undertake Duke. Be't at her father's. Bra. If you please, I'll not have it so. 2. e. That the wounds of sorrow were ever cured by the words of consolation. 3 Obscure. 4 Acknowledge, 5 Allowance. Oth. Nor I. Duke. What would you, Desdemona ? Des. That I did love the Moor to live with him, My downright violence and storm of fortunes 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 ; 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, 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," you think But to be free and bounteous to her mind: 6 Affections. 7 Forbid. 8 Because. |