Bra. My daughter! O, my daughter! Duke and Sen. Bra. Dead? Ay, to me; She is abus'd, stol'n from me, and corrupted By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks; Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense, Sans witchcraft could not. Duke. Whoe'er he be that, in this foul proceeding, Hath thus beguil'd your daughter of herself, And you of her, the bloody book of law You shall yourself read in the bitter letter After your own sense; yea, though our proper son Bra. Humbly I thank your grace. Here is the man, this Moor; whom now, it seems, Your special mandate, for the state-affairs, Hath hither brought. Duke and Sen. We are very sorry for 't. Duke. What, in your own part, can you say to this? Bra. Nothing, but this is so. Oth. Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech, And little of this great world can I speak, More than pertains to feats of broil and battle; And therefore little shall I grace my cause In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience, I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms, For such proceeding I am charg'd'` withal,— Bra. A maiden never bold; Of spirit so still and quiet, that her motion Blush'd at herself; and she,-in spite of nature, To fall in love with what she fear'd to look on! Why this should be. I therefore vouch again, He wrought upon her. Duke. To vouch this, is no proof, Did you by indirect and forced courses Subdue and poison this young maid's affections? Oth. I do beseech you, And let her speak of me before her father: The trust, the office, I do hold of you, Not only take away, but let your sentence Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither. Oth. Ancient, conduct them; you best know the place.[Exeunt Iago and Attendants. And, till she come, as truly as to heaven I do confess the vices of my blood, VOL. VI. Duke. Say it, Othello. Oth. Her father lov'd me; oft invited me; I ran it through, even from my boyish days, Of hair-breadth scapes i' the imminent deadly breach; And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence, And portance in my travel's (7) history: Wherein of antres vast and deserts 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 But still the house-affairs would draw her thence; Devour up my discourse:--which I observing, Whereof by parcels she had something heard, And often did beguile her of her tears, 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 : And I lov'd her that she did pity them. 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 Bra. I pray you, hear her speak: If she confess that she was half the wooer, 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; How to respect you; you are the lord of duty,— To you, preferring you before her father, Bra. God be with you! (8)-I have done. I here do give thee that with all my heart, 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 sentence, Which, as a grise or step, may help these lovers When remedies are past, the griefs are ended By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended. Is the next way to draw new mischief on. The robb'd that smiles steals something from the thief; 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 Being strong on both sides, are equivocal: That the bruis'd heart was piercèd (9) through the ear.- 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, I find in hardness; and do undertake Most humbly, therefore, bending to your state, Due reference of place and exhibition; As levels with her breeding. |