For I am almost ready to dissolve, Hearing of this. Edg. This would have seem'd a period Whilst I was big in clamour, came there a man, Edg. What means that bloody knife? Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes ; It came even from the heart of-O! she's dead: Alb. Who dead? speak, man. Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady: and her sister By her is poisoned; she hath confess'd it. Edm. I was contracted to them both all three Now marry in an instant. Alb. Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead!— This judgment of the heavens, that makes us tremble, [Exit Gentleman. Touches us not with pity. Alb. Great thing of us forgot! To lay the blame upon her own despair, That she fordid herself. Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence awhile. [EDMUND is borne off. Enter LEAR with CORDELIA dead in his Arms; EDGAR, Officer, and others. Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl!-O! you are men of stones; Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so ever. I have seen the day, with my good biting faulchion Mine eyes are not o' the best: I'll tell you straight. Kent. If fortune brag of two she lov'd and hated, One of them we behold. Lear. This is a dull light :-are you not Kent? Kent. The same, Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius? Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that; He'll strike, and quickly too.-He's dead and rotten. Kent. No, my good lord; I am the very manLear. I'll see that straight. Kent. That from your first of difference and decay, Speak, Edmund, where's the king? and where's Cor- Have follow'd your sad steps. delia?Lear. You are welcome hither. Kent. Nor no man else. All's cheerless, dark, and deadly: Seest thou this object, Kent? [The Bodies of GONERIL and REGAN are brought in. Kent. Alack! why thus? Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd: The one the other poison'd for my sake, Alb. Even so.-Cover their faces. Edm. I pant for life :-some good I mean to do, Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send,Be brief in it,-to the castle; for my writ Is on the life of Lear, and on Cordelia.Nay, send in time. Alb. Run, run! O, run! Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves, And desperately are dead. Lear. Alb. He knows not what That we present us to him. Edg. Ay, so I think. he says; and vain is it, Very bootless. Enter an Officer. That's but a trifle here.- Edg. To whom, my lord?-Who has the office? send Shall be applied: for us, we will resign, Edm. Well thought on: take my sword, Give it the captain. Alb. Haste thee, for thy life. [Exit EDGAR. Edm. He hath commission from thy wife and me To hang Cordelia in the prison, and During the life of this old majesty, Stretch him out longer. Edg. He is gone, indeed. Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so long: He but usurp'd his life. Alb. Bear them from hence. Our present business Is general woe.-Friends of my soul, you twain [To KENT and EDGAR. Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain. Kent. I have a journey, sir, shortly to go: My master calls me; I must not say, no. Alb. The weight of this sad time we must obey; Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most: we, that are young, Shall never see so much, nor live so long. [Exeunt, with a dead March. Officers, Gentlemen, Messengers, Musicians, Sailors, Attendants, &c. SCENE, for the first Act, in Venice; during the rest of the Play, at a Sea-Port in Cyprus. ACT I. SCENE 1.-Venice. A Street. If ever I did dream of such a matter, abhor me. Iago. Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, I know my price: I am worth no worse a place; And, in conclusion, Nonsuits my mediators; "For certes," says he, Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman. Iago. But there's no remedy: 'tis the curse of Preferment goes by favour and affection, Rod. I would not follow him, then. I follow him to serve my turn upon him: "I have already chose my officer." And what was he? Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves, Forsooth, a great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife; That never set a squadron in the field, More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric, As masterly as he mere prattle, without practice, And I, God bless the mark! his Moor-ship's ancient. And, throwing but shows of service on their lords, their coats, Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul; It is as sure as you are Roderigo, Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago: Rod. What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, If he can carry't thus! Iago. Call up her father; Rouse him make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the streets: incense her kinsmen; And though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy, Yet throw such changes of vexation on't, As it may lose some colour. Rod. Here is her father's house: I'll call aloud. Iago. Do; with like clamorous accent, and dire yell, As when, by night and negligence, the fire Is spied in populous cities. Rod. What ho! Brabantio! signior Brabantio, ho! Iago. Awake! what, ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves! thieves! Bra. (As partly, I find, it is) that your fair daughter, I thus would play and trifle with your reverence: Bra. Strike on the tinder, ho! Give me a taper!-call up all my people!— This accident is not unlike my dream; Belief of it oppresses me already.Light, I say! light! Iago. [Exit from above. Farewell, for I must leave you : It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place, To be produc'd (as if I stay I shall) Against the Moor: for, I do know, the state,However this may gall him with some check,— Cannot with safety cast him; for he's embark'd With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars (Which even now stand in act) that, for their souls, Another of his fathom they have none, To lead their business: in which regard, Though I do hate him as I do hell pains, Yet for necessity of present life, I must show out a flag and sign of love, Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him, But thou must needs be sure, Is nought but bitterness.-Now, Roderigo, My spirit and my place have in them power To make this bitter to thee. Rod. Patience, good sir. Where didst thou see her?-O, unhappy girl!— Bra. What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is How didst thou know 'twas she?-O! thou deceiv'st Venice; My house is not a grange. Rod. Most grave Brabantio, In simple and pure soul I come to you. Iago. 'Zounds! sir, you are one of those, that will not serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service, and you think we are ruffians, you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse: you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans. Bra. What profane wretch art thou? Iago. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you, your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. me Past thought. What said she to you?-Get more tapers! Raise all my kindred!-Are they married, think you? Rod. Truly, I think, they are. Bra. O heaven!-How got she out?-O, treason of my blood! Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters' minds Some one way, some another.-Do you know Rod. I think, I can discover him, if you please I And raise some special officers of night.- SCENE II.-The Same. Another Street. Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Attendants, with Torches. Iago. Though in the trade of war I have slain men, I had thought to have yerk'd him here, under the ribs. That, with the little godliness I have, I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray, sir, Oth. For the sea's worth. But, look! what lights come yonder? Iago. These are the raised father, and his friends: You were best go in. Oth. Not I; I must be found: Iago. By Janus, I think no. Enter CASSIO, and certain Officers with Torches. Oth. The servants of the duke, and my lieutenant. The goodness of the night upon you, friends. What is the news? Cas. The duke does greet you, general; And he requires your haste, post-haste appearance, Even on the instant. Oth. What is the matter, think you? Cas. Something from Cyprus, as I may divine. It is a business of some heat: the galleys Have sent a dozen sequent messengers, This very night, at one another's heels; And many of the consuls, rais'd and met, rust them. Good signior, you shall more command with years, Than with your weapons. Bra. O, thou foul thief! where hast thou stow'd my daughter? Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her; Oth. Hold your hands! Both you of my inclining, and the rest: Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it Without a prompter.-Where will you that I go, To answer this your charge? Bra. To prison; till fit time Oth. 'Tis true, most worthy signior: The duke's in council, and your noble self, I am sure, is sent for. Bra. How! the duke in council, In this time of the night!-Bring him away. Are at the duke's already. You have been hotly call'd Mine's not an idle cause: the duke himself, for; Or any of my brothers of the state, [Exeunt. |