Of moving accidents, by flood, and field;
Of hair-breadth scapes i’ the imminent deadly

breach ;
Of being taken by the insolent foe,
And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence,
And portance in my travel's history:
Wherein of antres7 vast, and desarts idle,
Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch

heaven, It was my hint to speak, such was the process ; And of the Cannibals that each other eat, The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders. These things to

hear, Would Desdemona seriously incline: But still the house affairs would draw her thence; Which ever as she could with haste despatch, She'd come again, and with a greedy ear 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 8 she had something heard, But not intentively:9 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;

& Parts.

6 My behaviour. 7 Caves and dens.
9 Intention and attention were once synonymous.

'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. Bra.

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 How to respect you; you are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter : But here's my hus

band;

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. Duke. Let me speak like yourself; and lay a sen

tence, 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:

i Grise from degrees.

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 :
But words are words ; I never yet did hear,
That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear.2
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 3 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 4
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.s
With such accommodation, and besort,
As levels with her breeding.
Duke.

If you please,
Be't at her father's.
Bra.

I'll not have it so.

2;. e. That the wounds of sorrow were ever cured by the

words of consolation.
3 Obscure. 4 Acknowledge, s Allowance.

Oth. Nor I.

Des. 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 gracious ear;
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 storm 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 affects, In my distinct and proper'satisfaction ; But to be free and bounteous to her mind : And heaven defend 7 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

6

6 Affectior.s.

7 Forbid.

8 Because,