Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

her help, to put you in your place again. She is of fo free, fo kind, fo apt, fo bleffed a disposition, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested. This broken joint, between you and her husband, intreat her to fplinter. And, my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love fhall grow stronger than it was before.

Caf. You advise me well.

Iago. I proteft in the fincerity of love, and honeft kindness.

Caf. I think it freely; and betimes in the morning I will befeech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me: I am defperate of my fortunes, if they check me here.

Iago. You are in the right: good-night, lieutenant, I must to the watch.

Caf. Good-night, honest Iago.`

Manet Iago.

[Exit Caffio.

Iago. And what's he then, that fays, I play the villain ?\
When this advice is free I give, and honeft,
Likely to thinking, and, indeed, the courfe
To win the Moor again. For 'tis most easy
Th' inclining Desdemona to fubdue

In any honeft fuit; fhe's fram'd as fruitful
As the free elements. And then for her.
To win the Moor, were't to renounce his baptism,
All feals and fymbols of redeemed fin,

His foul is fo enfetter'd to her love

That he may make, unmake, do what fhe lift,

Even as her appetite fhall play the god

With his weak function. Am I then a villain,
To counsel Cafio to this paralel courfe,

Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!

would ever have faid, any one-devoted himself to the Devotement of any thing. All the Copies agree; but the mistake certainly arofe from a fingle Letter being turned upside down at Prefs.

When

When Devils will their blackeft fins put on,
They do fuggeft at firft with heav'nly fhews,
As I do now.— For while this honeft fool
Plies Defdemona to repair his fortune,
And the for him pleads ftrongly to the Moor;
I'll pour this peftilence into his ear,

That the repeals him for her body's luft :
And by how much fhe ftrives to do him good,
She shall undo her credit with the Moor.
So will I turn her virtuè into pitch;

And out of her own goodness make the net,
That shall unmesh them all. How now, Rodorigo!

Enter Rodorigo.

Rod. I do follow here in the chace, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is almoft fpent; I have been to-night exceedingly well cudgell'd; and I think, the iffue will be, I fhall have fo much experience for my pains; and fo with no money at all, and a little more wit, return again to Venice.

lago. How poor are they, that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

Thou know'it, we work by wit, and not by witchcraft; And wit depends on dilatory time:

Does't not go well? Caffio hath beaten thee,

And thou by that small hurt haft cashier'd Cafio.
Tho' other things grow fair against the fun,
Yet fruits that bloffom firft, wili firft be ripe:
Content thyfelf a while. In troth, 'tis morning:
Pleasure and action make the hours feem fhort.
Retire thee; go where thou art billeted:
Away, I fay; thou shalt know more hereafter:
Nay, get thee gone.

Two things are to be done; (21)

(21) Two things are to be done;

[Exit Rodorigo.

My

My Wife must move for Caffio to her Mifirefs,

I'll fet her on to draw the Moor apart. Mr. Pope has falfified the Text, because it wanted a little help: fo that, in the first place, we do not fee what were the two things to be done: and, then, it

was

My wife muft move for Caffio to her mistress:
I'll fet her on :
Myfelf, the while, to draw the Moor apart,
And bring him jump, when he may Caffio find
Solliciting his Wife,ay, that's the way:
Dull not, device, by coldness and delay.

[Exit.

A C T III.

SCENE, before Othello's Palace.
Enter Caffio, with Muficians.

M

CASSIO.

ASTERS, play here, I will content your pains,
Something that's brief; and bid, good-morrow,
General.

[Mufick plays; and enter Clown from the Houfe.

Clown. Why, mafters, have your inftruments been in Naples, that they speak i'th' nofe thus ?

Muf. How, Sir, how?

Clown. Are thefe, I pray you, wind-inftruments? Muf. Ay, marry are they, Sir.

Clown. Oh, thereby hangs a tail.

Muf. Whereby hangs a tale, Sir ?

was Iago, not his Wife, that was to draw the Moor apart. The old Books read;

-Two things are to be done;

My Wife muft move for Caffio to her Miftrefs,

I'll fet her on myself, a while, to draw the Moor apart.

This unreasonable long Alexandrine was certainly a Blunder of the Editors: A flight tranfpofition and Change will regulate it, as the Poet intended.

Clown.

Clown. Marry, Sir, by many a wind-inftrument that I know. But, Mafters, here's money for you: and the General fo likes your mufick, that he defires you for love's fake to make no more noife with it.

Muf. Well, Sir, we will not.

Clown. If you have any mufick that may not be heard, to't again: But, as they fay, to hear mufick, the General does not greatly care.

Muf. We have none fuch, Sir.

Clown. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away. Go, vanish into air, away.

[Exeunt Muf. Caf. Doft thou hear, mine honeft friend?

Clown. No, I hear not your honeft friend; I hear you. Caf. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets, there's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman, that attendsthe General's wife, be ftirring, tell her, there's one Caffio entreats of her a little favour of speech. Wilt thou

do this ?

Clown. She is ftirring, Sir; if she will ftir hither, I fhall feem to notify unto her. [Exit Clown. Caf. Do, my good friend.

To him, enter Iago.

In happy time, Iago.

Iago. You have not been a bed then?

Caf. Why, no; the day had broke, before we parted. I have made bold to fend in to your wife;

My fuit is, that she will to Defdemona

Procure me fome accefs.

Iago. I'll fend her prefently;

And I'll devise a mean to draw the Moor

Out of the way, that your converfe and bufinefs

May be more free.

Caf. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew A Florentine more kind and honeft.

To him, enter Æmilia.

[Exit

Emil Good-morrow, good lieutenant, I am forry For your displeasure; but all will, fure, be well.

The

The General and his wife are talking of it:
And the fpeaks for you ftoutly. The Moor replies,
That he, you hurt, is of great fame in Cyprus,
And great affinity; and that in wisdom

He might not but refufe you. But he protefts, he loves you;
And needs no other fuitor, but his likings,

To bring you in again.

Caf. Yet I beseech you,

If you think fit, or that it may be done,
Give me advantage of fome brief difcourfe
With Desdemona alone.

Emil. Pray you, come in;

I will bestow you where you fhall have time
To speak your bofom freely.

Caf. I'm much bound to you.

Enter Othello, Iago, and Gentlemen.

Oth. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot, And by him do my duties to the Senate; That done, I will be walking on the works; Repair there to me.

Iago. My good Lord, I'll do't.

[Exeunt.

Oth. This fortification, gentlemen, fhall we fee't? Gent. We'll wait upon your Lordship.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

Enter Defdemona, Caffio, and Emilia.

De B All my abilities in thy behalf.

E thou affur'd, good Caffio, I will do

Amil.Good Madam, do: I know, it grieves my hufband As if the caufe were his.

Def. Oh, that's an honest fellow; doubt not, Caffio, But I will have my Lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Moft bounteous Madam,

Whatever shall become of Michael Caffio,

He's

« ZurückWeiter »