That my Youth fuffer'd: My ftory being done, She with'd he had not heard it, yet the wish'd That Heav'n had made her fuch a Man -- fhe thank'd me, And bad me, if I had a Friend that lov'd her, 1940 I should but teach him how to tell my Story, Enter Defdemona, Jago, and Attendants. Than their bare Hands. Bra. I pray you hear her speak; If the confefs that fhe was half the Wooer, Def. My noble Father; I do perceive here a divided Duty, To you I am bound for Life, and Education : Bra. God be with you: I have done. I here do give thee that with all my Heart, I am glad at Soul, I have no other Child; To hang Clogs on them. I have done, my Lord. The robb'd that smiles, fteals fomething from the Thief, He bears the Sentence well, that nothing bears, Being ftrong on both fides, are equivocal. But words are words; I never yet did hear, Duke. The Turk, with a moft mighty preparation, makes for Cyprus: Othello, the Fortitude of the place is best known to you. And though we have there a Subftitute of most allowed fufficiency; yet Opinion, a more Sovereign Miftrefs of Effects, throws a more fafe Voice on you; you must therefore be content to flubber the grofs of your new Fortunes, with this more ftubborn, and boisterous Expedition. Oth. The Tyrant Custom, moft grave Senators, Hath made the flinty and fteel Coach of War My thrice-driven bed of Down. I do agnize A natural and prompt Alacrity, I find in hardnefs; and do undertake Kk As levels with her breeding. Duke. Why, at her Father's. Def. Nor would I there refide, Duke. What would you, Desdemona ? Def. That I did love the Moor to live with him, By his dear Abfence. Let me go with him. Oth. Your Voices, Lords; befeech you, let herWill Vouch with me Heav'n, I therefore beg it not Nor to comply with Heat the young affects In my defunct, and proper Satisfaction; But to be free, and bounteous to her Mind. That my Difports corrupt and taint my Bufinefs; Make head against my Eftimation. Duke. Be it as you fhall privately determine, Either for her stay or going; th'Afair cries hafte; And And speed must answer it. Sen. You must away to Night. Oth. With all my Heart. Duke. At nine i'th' Morning here we'll meet again. And he fhall our Commiffion bring to you; Oth. So please your Grace, my Ancient; With what else needful, your good Grace shall think Duke. Let it be fo; Good Night to every one. And Noble Signior, Your Son-in-law is far more fair than black. Sen. Adieu, brave Moor, ufe Desdemona well. [Exit. To fpeak with thee. We muft obey the time. [Exit. Rod. Fago. Jago. What fayeft thou, noble Heart? Rod. What will I do, thinkeft thou? Jago. Why, go to bed and fleep. Rod. I will incontinently drown my felf. Jago. If thou doft, I shall never love thee after. Why, thou filly Gentleman! Rod. It is fillinefs to live, when to live is a torment; and then have we a prescription to dye, when Death is our Phyfician. Jago. Oh villanous! I have look'd upon the World for four times feven Years, and fince I could diftinguish betwixt a Benefit and an Injury, I never found Man that knew how to love himself. E'er I would fay, I would drown Kk 2 my my self for the love of a Guinney-Hen, I would change my Humanity with a Baboon. Rod. What should I do, I confess it is my fhame to be fo fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it. Fago. Virtue? a Fig, 'tis in our felves that we are thus or thus. Our Bodies are our Gardens, to the which our Wills are Gardiners. So that if we will plant Nettles, or fow Lettice; fet Hyffop, and weed up Time; fupply it with one gender of Herbs, or distract it with many; either have it fteril with Idlenefs, or manured with Induftry, why the Power and corrigible Authority of this lyes in our Wills. If the Ballance of our Lives had not one fcale of Reason to poise another of Senfuality, the blood and bafenefs of our Natures would conduct us to moft prepofterous Conclufions. But we have Reafon, to cool our raging Motions, our carnal Stings, our unbitted Lufts; whereof I take this, that you call Love, to be a Sec, or Syen. Rod. It cannot be. Fago. It is meerly a Luft of the Blood, and a Permiffion of the Will. Come, be a Man: Drown thy felf? drown Cats and blind Puppies. I have profeft me thy Friend, and I confefs me knit to thy deferving, with Cables of perdurable toughness. I could never better fteed thee than now. Put Mony in thy Purfe; follow thou thefe Wars, defeat thy Favour, with an ufurped Beard; I fay, put Mony in thy Purfe. It cannot be long that Desdemona fhould continue her Love to the Moor. Put Mony in thy Purfenor he his to her. It was a violent Commencement in her, and thou shalt fee an answerable Sequeftration, but put Mony in thy Purfe. Thefe Moors are changeable in their Wills; fill thy Purse with Mony. The Food that to him, now, is as lufcious as Locufts, fhall to him fhortly be as bitter as Coloquintida. She muft change for Youth; when the is fated with his Body, fhe will find the Errors of her Choice. Therefore put Mony in thy Purfe. If thou wilt needs damn thy felf, do it a more delicate way than drowning. Make all the Mony thou canft. If Sanctimony and a frail Vow betwixt an erring Barbarian and fuper-fubtle Venetian be not too hard for my Wits, and all the Tribe of Hell, thou shalt enjoy her; therefore make Mony. A pox of drowning thy felf, it is clean out of the way. Seek thou rather το |