Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

The meat it feeds on.

That cuckold lives in blifs,

Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;
But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er,

Who doats, yet doubts: fufpects, yet ftrongly loves!
Oth. Oh mifery!

Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; But riches endlefs, is as poor as winter,

To him that ever fears he fhall be poor.

· Good heav'n! the fouls of all my tribe defend From jealoufy!

Oth. Why? why is this?

Think'ft thou, I'd make a life of jealoufy?
To follow ftill the changes of the moon
With fresh fufpicions? No; to be once in doubt,
Is once to be refolv'd. Exchange me for a goat,
When I fhall turn the business of my foul

To fuch exfufflicate and blown furmifes,

Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous,
To fay, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,
Is free of fpeech, fings, plays, and dances well;
Where virtue is, thefe are most virtuous.r
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The fmalleft, fear, or doubt of her revolt;
For fhe had eyes, and chofe me. No, Iago,
I'll fee, before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
Away at once with love, or jealousy..

Iago. I'm glad of this; for now. I fhall have reafon
To thew the love and duty that I bear you

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

With franker fpirit. Therefore, as I'm bound,ng af
Receive it from me. I fpeak not yet of proof.
Look to your wife, obferve her well with Caffio;
Wear your eye, thus: not jealous, nor fecure;
I would not have your free and noble nature
Out of felf-bounty be abus'd; look to't.
I know our country difpofition well;.'
In Venice they do let heav'n fee the pranks,

They dare not fhew their husbands; their best confcience
Is not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown.

Oth. Doft thou say so?

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when the feem'd to fhake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them moft.

Oth. And fo fhe did.
Iago. Go to then ;

She, that, fo young, could give out fuch a feeming To feal her father's eyes up, close as oak

He thought, 'twas witchcraft-but I'm much to blame: I humbly do befeech you of your pardon,

For too much loving you.

Oth. I'm bound to you for ever.

Iago. I fee, this hath a little dafh'd your fpirits.
Oth. Not a jot, not a jot.

Iago. Truft me, I fear, it has :

I hope, you will confider, what is fpoke

Comes from my love. But, I do fee, you're mov'd---

I am to pray you, not to strain my speech

To groffer iffues, nor to larger reach,

Than to fufpicion.

Oth. I will not.

Iago. Should you do fo, my Lord,

My fpeech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs,
Which my thoughts aim not at. Caffio's my worthy friend.
My Lord, I fee, you're mov'd-

Oth. No, not much mov'd

I do not think, but Defdemona's honeft.

Jago. Long live fhe fo! and long live you to think fo! Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself

Iago. Ay, there's the point;-as (to be bold with you) Not to affect many propofed matches

Of her own chime, complexion and degree,
Whereto we fee in all things Nature tends:
Foh! one may fmell, in fuch, a will moft rank,
Foul difproportions, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me, I do not in pofition
Diftinctly speak of her; tho' I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country forms,
And, haply, fo repent.

Oth. Farewel, farewel;
VOL. VIII.

[blocks in formation]

If more thou dost perceive, let me know more :
Set on thy wife t'obferve. Leave me, lago.
Iago. My Lord, I take my leave.
Oth. Why did I marry?-

This honeft creature, doubtless,

[Going

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds.
lago. My Lord, I would, I might entreat your Honour
To fcan this thing no farther; leave it to time:
Altho' 'tis fit that Caffio have his place,
For, fure, he fills it up with great ability;
Yet if you please to hold him off awhile,
You fhall by that perceive him, and his means;
Note, if your lady ftrain his entertainment
With any ftrong, or vehement importunity;
Much will be feen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought too bufy in my fears,
(As worthy cause I have to fear, I am;)
And hold her free, I do beseech your Honour.
Oth. Fear not my government.
lago. I once more take my leave.

Manet Othello.

[Exit.

Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honefty,
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings. If I prove her haggard,
Tho' that her jeffes were my dear heart-firings,
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune. Haply, for I'm black,
And have not those foft parts of converfation
That chamberers have; or, for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years, yet that's not much-
She's gone, I am abus'd, and my relief
Must be to loath her. Oh the curfe of marriage!
That we can call thefe delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour
of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,

For others' ufe. Yet 'tis the plague of Great ones;
Prerogativ'd are they lefs than the bafe;

'Tis destiny unfhunnable, like death.

Ev'n then, this forked plague is fated to us,
When we do quicken. Defdemona comes!

Enter Defdemona and Æmilia.

If fhe be falfe, oh, then heav'n mocks itself:
I'll not believe't.

Def. How now, my dear Othello?

Your dinner, and the generous iflanders,
By you invited, do attend your prefence.
Oth. I am to blame.

Def. Why do you speak fo faintly?
Are you not well?

Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here.

Def. Why, that's with watching, 'twill away again; Let me but bind it hard, within this hour

It will be well.

Oth. Your napkin is too little;

[She drops her handkerchief. Let it alone: come, I'll go in with you.

Def. I am very forry, that you are not well. [Exeunt. Manet Emilia.

Emil. I am glad, I have found this napkin;
This was her first remembrance from the Moor;
My wayward husband hath a hundred times
Woo'd me to fteal it. But the fo loves the token,
(For he conjur'd her, the fhould ever keep it)
That the referves it evermore about her,

To kifs and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,
And giv't lago; what he'll do with it,

Heav'n knows, not I:

I nothing, but to please his fantafy.

Enter Iago.

Iago. How now? what do you here alone?
Emil. Do not you chide; I have a thing for you.
Iago. You have a thing for me?

It is a common thing

Emil. Ha?

Lago. To have a foolish wife.

Emil

N 2

Emil. Oh, is that all what will you give me now For that fame handkerchief?

Iago. What handkerchief?

Emil. What handkerchief?

Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona;
That which so often you did bid me fteal.
Iago. Haft ftollen it from her?

Amil. No; but fhe let it drop by negligence;
And, to th' advantage, I, being here, took't up
Look, here 'tis.

Iago. A good wench, give it me.

Emil.What will you do with't, you have been fo earnest To have me filch it?

Iago. Why, what is that to you?

[Snatching it.

Emil. If't be not for fome purpofe of import,. Give't me again. Poor lady! fhe'll run mad, When the fhall lack it.

Iago. Be not you known on't;

I have ufe for it. Go, leave me

[Exit Emil.

I will in Caffio's lodging lofe this napkin,
And let him find it. Trifles light as air
Are, to the jealous, confirmations ftrong
As proofs of holy Writ. This may do fomething,
The Moor already changes with my poisons :
Dang'rous conceits are in their nature poifons,
Which at the firft are scarce found to diftafte;
But, with a little act upon the blood,

Burn like the mines of fulphur.-I did fay fo.
Enter Othello.

Look, where he comes! Not poppy, nor mandragora,
Nor all the drowfy fyrups of the world,

Shall ever med'cine thee to that fweet sleep,

Which thou hadft yesterday,

Oth. Ha! falfe to me!

Jago. Why, how now, General? no more of that.

Oth, Avant! be gone

thou'ft fet me on the rack:

I swear, 'tis better to be much abus'd,

Than but to know a little,

lago. How, my Lord?

Oth

« ZurückWeiter »