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 Stood in your action.

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. We are very sorry for❜t.—

What in your own part, can you say to this?

Bra. Nothing, but this is so.

[TO OTHELLO.

Oth. Most potent, great, and reverend signiors,
My very noble and approv'd good masters,
That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter,
It is most true; true, I have marry'd her;
The very head and front of my offending

Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech,
And little bless'd with the set phrase of peace;
For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith,
Till now some nine moons wasted, they have us'd
Their dearest action in the tented field;
And little of this great world can I speak,
More than pertains to feat of broil and battle;
And therefore little shall I grace my cause,

In speaking for myself: Yet, by your gracious pa tience,

I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver

Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms, What conjuration, and what mighty magic,

(For such proceedings am I charg'd withal) I won his daughter with.

Bra. A maiden never bold;

Of spirit so still and quiet, that her motion
Blush'd at herself; and she,-in spite of nature,
Of years, of country, credit, every thing,-

To fall in love with what she fear'd to look on?
It is a judgment maim'd, and most imperfect,
That will confess perfection so could err
Against all rules of nature:-

I therefore vouch again,

That with some mixtures powerful o'er the blood,
Or with some dram conjur'd to this effect,
He wrought upon her.

Duke. To vouch this is no proof,

Othello, speak ;—

Did you, by indirect and forced courses,
Subdue and poison this young maid's affections?
Or came it by request, and such fair question
As soul to soul affordeth?

Oth. I do beseech you,

Send for the lady to the Sagittar,

And let her speak of me before her father:
If you do find me foul in her report,

The trust, the office, I do hold of you,
Not only take away, but let your sentence
Even fall upon my life.

Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither.

Oth. Ancient, conduct them; you best know the place:-

[Exeunt IAGO, RODERIGO, LUCA, and GIOVANNI. And, till she come, as truly as to Heaven

I do confess the vices of my blood,

So justly to your grave ears I'll present
How I did thrive in this fair lady's love,
And she in mine.

Duke. Say it, Othello.

Oth. Her father lov'd me; oft invited me;
Still question'd me the story of my life,

From year to year; the battles, sieges, fortunes,
That I have pass'd.

I ran it through, even from my boyish days,
To the very moment that he bade me tell it.

Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances,
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 with it all my travel's history:

Wherein of antres vast, and desarts idle,

Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heaven,

It was my hent to speak,-such was my process,— And of the Cannibals that each other eat,

The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads

Do

grow beneath their shoulders.-This 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 she had something heard,
But not intentively: 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.

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 light on me, if my bad blame
Light on the man !—

Enter GIOVANNI, IAGO, DESDEMONA, RODERigo, and LUCA.

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 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. Heaven he with you?—I have done :-
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.-

I have done :-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: 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-driv'n 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 reverence of place and exhibition;
With such accommodation and besort,
As levels with her breeding.

Duke. Be't at her father's.
Bra. I'll not have it so.
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 prosperous 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 subdu'd
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..