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SCENE changes to the Senate Houfe.

Duke and Senators, fet at a table with lights, and
attendants.

Duke. That gives them credit.

Here is no compofition in these news,

I Sen. Indeed, they're disproportion'd;
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 they aim reports,
'Tis oft with diff'rence ;) 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

In fearful fenfe.

Sailors within.] What hoa! what hoa! what hoa!

Enter Sailors.

Ofi. A meffenger from the gallies.
Duke. Now!-what's the bufinefs?

Sail. The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes,
So was I bid report here to the State.
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 ourselves 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 unkilful,

To leave that lateft, which concerns him firft;
Neglecting an attempt of ease and gain,
To wake, and wage, a danger profitless.
Duke. Nay, in all confidence he's not for Rhodes.
Off. Here is more news.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. The Ottomites, (reverend and gracious,) Steering with due courfe toward the Ifle of Rhodes, Have there injoin'd them with an after-fleet

1 Sen. Ay, fo I thought; how many, as you guess?
Mef. Of thirty fail; and now they do re-ftem
Their backward courfe, bearing with frank appearance
Their Purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano,
Your trusty and most 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 here in town?

1 Sen. He's now in Florence.

Duke. Write from us, to him, poft, poft-hafte, difpatch. Sen. Here comes Brabantio, and the valiant Moor.

To them, enter Brabantio, Othello, Caffio, Iago,
Rodorigo, and Officers.

Duke. Valiant Othello, we muft ftraight employ you, Against the general enemy Ottoman.

I did not fee you; welcome, gentle fignior: [To Braban. We lack'd your counfel, and your help to-night.

Bra. So did I yours; good your grace, pardon me;
Neither my place, nor aught I heard of bufinefs,
Hath rais'd me from my bed; nor doth the general
Take hold on me; For my particular grief
Is of fo flood gate and o'er-bearing nature,
'That it ingluts and fwallows other forrows,
And yet is ftill itself.

Duke. Why? what's the matter ?
Bra. My daughter! oh, my daughter!

Sen.

Sen. Dead

Bra. To me;

She is abus'd, ftoll'n from me, and corrupted:
By spells and medicines, bought of mountebanks
For nature fo prepofterously to err,

(Being not deficient, blind, or lame of fenfe;) :
Sans Witchcraft could not

Duke. Who-e'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 fhall yourself read in the bitter letter, After your own sense: 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're very forry for't.

Duke. What in your own part can you fay to this

Bra. Nothing, but this is fo.

[To Othel.

1

Oth. Moft potent, grave, and reverend figniors,
My very noble and approv'd good mafters;
That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter,
It is most 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 phrafe of peace;
For fince thefe arms of mine had feven years' pith,
'Till now, fome nine moons waited, they have us'd
Their dearest action in the tented field;

And little of this great world can I fpeak,
More than pertains to feats of broils and battle;
And therefore little fhall I grace my cause,
In fpeaking for my felf. Yet, by your 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.

L3

Bres

Bra. A maiden, never bold;

Of fpirit fo fill and quiet, that her motion
Blush'd at itself; and he, in spight of nature,
Of years, of country, credit, every thing,
To fall in love with what she fear'd to look on
It is a judgment maim'd, and most imperfect, (8)
That will confefs, affection fo could err
Against all rules of nature; and must be driven
To find out practices of cunning hell,

Why this fhould 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 certain and more overt teft,
Than these thin habits and poor likelyhoods
Of modern feeming do prefer against him.
Sen. But, Othello, fpeak;

Did you by indirect and forced courfes
Subdue and poifon this young maid's affections?
Or came it by request, and fuch fair question
As foul to foul affordeth?

Oth. I befeech you,

Send for the lady to the Sagittary,

48) It is a Judgment maim'd and most imperfect

That will confefs, Perfection fo could err

Against all Rules of Nature.] Perfection erring, feems a Contradiction in Terminis, as the Schoolmen call it. Befides, Brabantic does not blazon his Daughter out for a Thing of abfolute Perfection; he only fays, fhe was indued with fuch an extreme innate Modefty, that for her to fall in Love fo prepofterously, no found Judgment could allow, but it must be by magical Practice upon her. I have ventur'd to imagine that our Author wrote;

That will confefs, Affection fo could err, &c.

This is entirely confonant to what Brabantio would fay of her; and one of the Senators, immediately after, in his Examination of the Moor, thus addreffes himself to him;

-But, Othello, peak;

Did you by indirect and forced Courses

Subdue and poison this young Maid's Affections, &c..

And

And let her speak of me before her father;
If do find me foul in her report,

you

The Truft, the Office, I do hold of you,
Not only take away, but let

Even fall upon my life.

your Sentence

Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither.

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[Exeunt two or three,

[Exit Lago.

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 present
How I did thrive in this fair lady's love,
And fhe in mine.

Duke. Say it, Othello.

Oth. Her father lov'd me, oft invited me 3-1-
Still question'd me the ftory of my life,

From year to year; the battles, fieges, fortunes,
That I have past.

I ran it through, e'en from my boyish days,
To th' very moment that he bade me tell it:
Wherein I spoke of most disastrous chances, 15
Of moving accidents by flood and field;

Of hair-breadth 'fcapes in th' imminent deadly breach;
Of being taken by the infolent foe,

And fold to flavery; of my redemption thence,

And portance in my travel's history:

Wherein of antres vaft, and defares idle, (9)

Rough quarries, rocks, and hills, whofe heads touch heav'n,

(9) Wherein of Antres vaft and Defarts idle, & Thus it is in all the old Editions: But Mr. Pope has thought fit to change the Epithet. Defarts idle; in the former Editions; (lays he) doubtless, a Corruption from wilde But he muft pardon me, If I do not concur in thinking this fo doubtless. I don't know whether Mr. Pope has obferv'd it, but I know that Shakespeare, especially in Defcriptions, is fond of ufing the more uncommon Word, in a. poetick Latitude. And idle, in feveral other Paffages, he employs in thefe Acceptations, wild, ufelifs, uncultivated, &c.

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