Devour up my discourse: Which I observing,
Took once a pliant hour; and found good means
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart,
That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,
Whereof by parcels she had something heard,
But not intentively:t I did consent;

And often did beguile her of her tears,
When I did speak of some distressful stroke,
That my youth suffer'd. My story being done,
She gave me for my pains a world of sighs:

She swore,-In faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange; '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 that would woo her. Upon this hint, I spake :
She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd;

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:

Men do their broken weapons rather use,
Than their bare hands.

Brà.

I pray you, hear her speak;

If she confess, that she was half the wooer,

Destruction on my head, if my bad blame
Light on the man!-Come hither, gentle mistress;
Do you perceive in all this noble company,

Where most you owe obedience?

Des.

My noble father,

I do perceive here a divided duty:
To you, I am bound for life, and education,
My life, and education, both do learn me

t

intentively:] i. e. With attention to all its parts.

How to respect you; you are the lord of duty,

I am hitherto your daughter: But here's my husband;
And so much duty as my mother show'd
To you, preferring you before her father,
So much I challenge that I may profess
Due to the Moor, my lord.

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:

I here do give thee that with all my heart,
Which, but thou hast already, with all my heart
I would keep from thee.-For your sake, jewel,
I am glad at soul I have no other child;
For thy escape would teach me tyranny,

To hang clogs on them.-I have done, my lord.

X

Duke. Let me speak like yourself;" and lay a sentence, Which, as a grise, or step, may help these lovers Into your favour.

When remedies are past, the griefs are ended,

By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.
To mourn a mischief that is past and gone,

Is the next way to draw new mischief on.
What cannot be preserv'd when fortune takes,
Patience her injury a mockery makes.

The robb'd, that smiles, steals something from the thief;
He robs himself, that spends a bootless grief.

Bra. So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile;

We lose it not, so long as we can smile.

He bears the sentence well, that nothing bears
But the free comfort which from thence he hears :"
But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow,

That, to pay grief, must of poor patience borrow.
These sentences, to sugar, or to gall,

Being strong on both sides, are equivocal :

" Let me speak like yourself;] i. e. Let me speak as yourself would speak, were you not too much heated with passion.-Sir J. REYNOLDS.

—a grise,] Grise from degrees. A grize is a step.-STEEVENS.

y But the free comfort which from thence he hears:] But the moral precepts of consolation, which are liberally bestowed on occasion of the sentence.JOHNSON.

But words are words; I never yet did hear,
That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear."
I humbly beseech you, proceed to the affairs of state.

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 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 A natural and prompt alacrity,

I find in hardness; and do undertake
These present wars against the Ottomites.
Most humbly therefore bending to your state,
I crave fit disposition for my wife;

Due reference of place, and exhibition ;d
With such accommodation, and besort,
As levels with her breeding.

Duke.

Be't at her father's.

Bra.

Oth. Nor I..

Des.

If you please,

I'll not have it so.

Nor I; I would not there reside,

To put my father in impatient thoughts,
By being in his eye. Most gracious duke,
To my unfolding lend a prosperous ear;

z But words are words; I never yet did hear,

That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear.] These moral precepts, says Brabantio, may perhaps be founded in wisdom, but they are of no avail. Words after all are but words; and I never yet heard that consolatory speeches could reach the afflicted heart through the medium of the ear.-Pierced does not mean wounded, but penetrated.-MALONE.

- slubber—] i. e. Obscure.

b thrice-driven bed of down:] A driven bed, is a bed for which the feathers are selected, by driving with a fan, which separates the light from the heavy.-JOHNSON. agnize-] i. e. Confess..

I crave fit disposition for my wife;

C

Due reference of place, and exhibition; &c.] I desire, that proper disposition be made for my wife, that she may have precedency and exhibition, i. e. allowance, accommodation and company, suitable to her rank.-JOHNSON. ·prosperous--] i. e. Propitious, the reading of all the folios.

e

And let me find a charter in your voice,'
To assist my simpleness.

Duke. What would you, Desdemona ?

Des. That I did love the Moor to live with him,
My downright violence and scorn 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,
And I a heavy interim shall support

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 affect's

In me defunct,) and proper satisfaction ;*
But to be free and bounteous to her mind :
And heaven defend' your good souls, that you think
I will your serious and great business scant,
For she is with me: No, when light-wing'd toys
Of feather'd Cupid seel" with wanton dulness
My speculative and active instruments,"
That my disports corrupt and taint my business,
Let housewives make a skillet of my helm,
And all indign and base adversities

Make head against my estimation!

Duke. Be it as you shall privately determine,

f ▬▬▬▬▬ a charter in your voice,] i. e. Let your favour privilege me.—JOHNSON. g scorn-] So the old quarto, 1622. The folio reads storm.

My downright violence and scorn of fortunes-] Violence is not violence suffered, but violence acted. Breach of common rules and obligations.-JOHNSON. quality-] i. e. Condition, profession.

i

Nor to comply with heat, (the young affect's

In me defunct,) and proper satisfaction;] Young affect is youthful passion. I have adopted the reading proposed by Gifford, Massinger, vol. ii. p. 31. defend-] i. e. Forbid.

1

- seel-] i. e. To close up the eye-lids.—Siller, Fr.-NARES.
speculative and active instruments,] i, e. His eyes.

Either for her stay, or going: the affair cries-haste,
And speed must answer it; you must hence to-night.
Des. To-night, my lord?

Duke.

Oth.

This night.

With all my heart.

Duke. At nine i'the morning here we'll meet again.
Othello, leave some officer behind,

And he shall our commission bring to you;
With such things else of quality and respect,

As doth import you.

Oth.

Please your grace, my ancient;

A man he is of honesty, and trust:

To his conveyance I assign my wife,

With what else needful your good grace shall think
To be sent after me.

Good night to every one.-And, noble signior,

If virtue no delighted beauty lack,"

[To BRABANTIO.

Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.

1 Sen. Adieu, brave Moor! use Desdemona well. Bra. Look to her, Moor; have a quick eye to see ;She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee.

[Exeunt Duke, Senators, Officers, &c.

Oth. My life upon her faith.-Honest Iago,
My Desdemona must I leave to thee;

I pry'thee, let thy wife attend on her;
And bring them after in the best advantage.P-
Come, Desdemona, I have but an hour
Of love, of worldly matters and direction,
To spend with thee: we must obey the time.

Rod. Iago.

[Exeunt OTHELLO and DESDEMONA.

Iago. What say'st thou, noble heart?
Rod. What will I do, thinkest thou?
Iago. Why, go to bed, and sleep...

• If virtue no delighted beauty lack,] Delighted for delighting. The meaning probably is, if virtue comprehends every thing in itself, then your virtuous sonin-law of course is beautiful: he has that beauty which delights every one.STEEVENS.

P

best advantage.] i. e. Fairest opportunity.