114 172 That names me traitor, villain-like he lies. Alb. Save him! save him ! Call by thy trumpet: he that dares approach, Gon. This is practice, Gloucester : 19 On him, on you, who not ? I will maintain 100 By the law of arms thou wast not bound toanswer My truth and honour firmly. An unknown opposite; thou art not vanquish'd, Alb. A herald, ho! But cozen'd and beguild. Shut your mouth, dame, Alb. Trust to thy single virtue; for thy soldiers, Or with this paper shall I stop it. Hold, sir; All levied in my name, have in my name Thou worse than any name, read thine own eril: Took their discharge. No tearing, lady; I perceive you know it. Gives the letter to EDMUND. Alb. She is not well ; convey her to my tent. Gon. Say, if I do, the laws are mine, not thine : Exit REGAN, led. Who can arraign me for 't? Ezit, Alb, Most monstrous! O! Enter a Herald. Know'st thou this paper ? Come hither, herald, -Let the trumpet sound,- Edm. Ask me not what I know, 19 And read out this. Alb. Go after her: she's desperate; govern ber. Of. Sound, trumpet ! A trumpet sounds. Exit an Omerr. : Her. If any man of quality or degree within the Edm. What you have charg'd me with, that lists of the army will maintain upon Edmund, sup. And more, much more; the time will bring it out: have I done, posed Earl of Gloucester , that he is a manifold traitor Tis past, and so am I. But what art thou let him appear by the third sound of the trumpet. That hast this fortune on me? If thou ’rt noble, He is bold in his defence. I do forgive thee. First trumpet. Let's exchange charity. Her. Again ! Second trumpet. I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; Her. Again! Third trumpet. If more, the more thou hast wrong'd me. The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Enter EDGAR, armed, with a trumpet before him. Make instruments to plague us : Alb. Ask him his purposes, why he appears The dark and vicious place where thee he got Upon this call o' the trumpet. Cost him his eyes. Her. What are you? Edm. Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true. Your name? your quality ? and why you answer The wheel is come full circle; I am here. This present summons ? Alb. Methought thy very gait did prophesy Edg. Know, my name is lost; 121 A royal nobleness : I must embrace thee : Did hate thee or thy father. Edg. Worthy prince, I know it. Alb. Which is that adversary ? Alb. Where have you bid yourself? Edg. What's he that speaks for Edmund Earl How have you known the miseries of your of Gloucester ? father? Eim. Himself: what say'st thou to him? Edg. By nursing them, my lord. List a brief Edg. Draw thy sword, That, if my speech offend a noble heart, And when 'tis told, O! that my heart would Thy arm may do thee justice; here is mine: burst, Behold, it is the privilege of mine honours, The bloody proclamation to escape My oath, and my profession : I protest, That follow'd me so near,-0 ! our lives' sweetMaugre thy strength, youth, place, and eminence, ness, Despite thy victor sword and fire-new fortune, That we the pain of death would hourly die Thy valour and thy heart, thou art a traitor, Rather than die at once !-taught me to shift False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father, Into a madman's rags, to assume a semblance Conspirant 'gainst this high illustrious prince, That very dogs disdain'd : and in this habit And, from the extremest upward of thy head Met I my father with his bleeding rings, To the descent and dust below thy foot, Their precious stones new lost; became his A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou 'No,' guide, This sword, this arm, and my best spirits are bent Led him, begg'd for him, sav'd him from despair ; To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak, 140 Never, O fault! reveal'd myself unto him, Thou liest. Until some half-hour past, when I was arm’d; Edm. In wisdom I should ask thy name ; Not sure, though hoping, of this good success, But since thy outside looks so fair and war-like, I ask'd his blessing, and from first to last And that thy tongue some say of breeding Told him my pilgrimage : but his flaw'd heart, breathes, Alack! too weak the conflict to support ; What safe and nicely I might well delay 'Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief, By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn; Burst smilingly. Back do I toss these treasons to thy head, Edm. This speech of yours hath mov'd me, With the hell-bated lie o'erwhelm thy heart, And shall perchance do good ; but speak you on; Which, for they yet glance by and scarcely bruise, You look as you had something more to say. w This sword of mine shall give them instant way, Alb. If there be more, more woeful, hold it in; Where they shall rest for ever. Trumpets, speak. For I am almost ready to dissolve, Alarums. They fight. EDMUND falls. I Hearing of this. tale; 130 . 250 me 212 259 221 Edg. This would have seem'd a period Edm. Well thought on: take my sword, Haste thee, for thy life. And top extremity. Exit EDGAR, Whilst I was big in clamour came there a man, Edm. He hath commission from thy wife and Who, having seen me in my worst estate, Shunn'd my abhorr'd society ; but then, finding To hang Cordelia in the prison, and Who 'twas that so endur'd, with his strong arms To lay the blame upon her own despair, He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out That she fordid herself, As he'd burst heaven ; threw him on my father ; Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him awhile. EDMUND is borne off. That ever ear receiv'd; which in recounting His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life Re-enter LEAR, with CORDELIA dead in his arms; Began to crack: twice then the trumpets EDGAR, Officer, and Others. sounded, Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl! O! you are And there I left bim tranc'd. men of stones : Alb. But who was this? Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so Edg. Kent, sir, the banish'd Kent; who in That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone disguise for ever. Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service I know when one is dead, and when one lives; Improper for a slave. She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking-glass; If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Enter a Gentleman, with a bloody knife. Why, then she lives. Gent. Help, help! O, help! Kent. Is this the promis'd end ? Edg. What kind of help? Edg. Or image of that horror ? Speak, man. Fall and cease ? Edg. Wbat means that bloody knife? Lear. This feather stirs ; she lives ! if it be so, Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes ; It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows It came even from the heart of —O! she's dead. That ever I have felt. Alb. Who dead ? speak, man. Kent. K'neeling. O my good master! Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady: and her Lear. Prithee, away. sister Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend. By her is poison'd; she confesses it. Lear. A plague upon you, murderers, traitors Edm. I was contracted to them both: all all! three I might have sav'd her ; now, she 's gone for Now marry in an instant. ever ! Edg. Here comes Kent. Cordelia, Cordelia ! stay a little. Ha ! Alb. Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead: What is 't thou say'st ? Her voice was ever soft, This judgment of the heavens, that makes us Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman. tremble, I kill'd the slave that was a-hanging thee. Touches us not with pity. Exit Gentleman. O.ff. 'Tis true, my lords, he did. Lear. Did I not, fellow? Enter KENT. I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion I would have made them skip: I am old now, 0! is this he? And these same crosses spoil me. Who are you? The time will not allow the compliment Mine eyes are not o' the best: I'll tell you Which very manners urges. straight, Kent. I am come Kent. If fortune brag of two she lov'd and To bid my king and master aye good night; hated, Is he not here? One of them we behold. Lear. This is a dull sight. Are you not Kent? Speak, Edmund, where's the king ? and where 's Kent. The same; Cordelia ? Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius? Seest thou this object, Kent ? Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that ; The bodies of GONERIL and REGAN He 'll strike, and quickly too. He's dead and are brought in. rotten. Kent. Alack! why thus ? Kent. No, my good lord; I am the very man,Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd: Lear. I'll see that straight. The one the other poison’d for my sake, Kent. That from your first of difference and And after slew herself. decay, Alb. Even so. Cover their faces. Have follow'd your sad steps, – Edm. I pant for life : some good I mean to do Lear: You are welcome hither. Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send, Kent. Nor no man else ; all's cheerless, dark, Be brief in it, to the castle ; for my writ and deadly : Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia. Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves, Nay, send in time. And desperately are dead. Lear. Ay, so I think. Edg. To who, my lord ? Who has the office ? Alb. He knows not what he says, and vain is it send That we present us to him. Thy token of reprieve. Edy. Very bootless. 270 231 280 a 240 290 Edg. Never, never, never, never, never! 309 Pray you, undo this button: thank you, sir. Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips, Look there, look there! Dies. That would upon the rack of this tough world 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. To KENT and EDGAR. Friends of my soul, you twain Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain. Kent. I have a journey, sir, shortly to go; m My master calls me, I must not say no. Edg. 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. OTHELLO, THE MOOR OF VENICE. DRAMATIS PERSONE. DURE OF VENICE. IAGO, his Ancient. BRABANTIO, a Senator. RODERIGO, a Venetian Gentleman. Other Senators. MONTANO, Governor of Cyprus. GRATIANO, Brother to Brabantio. Clown, Servant to Othello. LODOVICO, Kinsman to Brabantio. DESDEMONA, Daughter to Brabantio and Wife to OTHELLO, a noble Moor in the serrice of the Othello. EMILIA, Wife to Iago. BIANCA, Mistress to Cassio. 30 ACT I. Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and calm'd SCENE I.–Venice. A Street. By debitor and creditor, this counter-caster; He, in good time, must his lieutenant be, And I, God bless the mark! his Moorship's Rod. Tush! never tell me; I take it much ancient. unkindly Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been bis That thou, lago, who hast had my purse hangman. As if the strings were thine, should'st know of lago. But there's no remedy : 'tis the curse this. of service, lago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me: Preferment goes by letter and affection, If ever I did dream of such a matter. And not by old gradation, where each second Abhor me. Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge your. Rod. Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in self, thy hate. Whether I in any just term am affin'd lago. Despise me if I do not. Three great | To love the Moor. ones of the city, Rod. I would not follow him then. 40 In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, lago. 0! sir, content you ; Off-capp'd to him ; and, by the faith of man, 10 I follow him to serve my turn upon him ; I know my price, I am worth no worse a place ; We cannot all be masters, nor all masters But he, as loving his own pride and purposes, Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark Evades them, with a bombast circumstance Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave, Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war; That, doting on his own obsequious bondage, And, in conclusion, Wears out his time, much like his master's ass, Nonsuits my mediators ; for, 'Certes,' says he, For nonght but provender, and when he's old, I have already chose my officer.' cashier'd ; And what was he? Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are Forsooth, a great arithmetician, Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, 20 Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife ; And, throwing but shows of service on their That never set a squadron in the field, lords, Nor the division of a battle knows Do well thrive by them, and when they have More than a spinster ; unless the bookish theoric, lin'd their coats Wherein the toged consuls can propose Do themselves homage : these fellows have As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice, some soul; Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election; And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir, And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof It is as sure as you are Roderigo, At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago : 50 60 114 70 seech you, 80 In following him, I follow but myself ; will not serve God if the devil bid you. Because Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, we come to do you service and you think we But seeming so, for my peculiar end : are ruffians, you 'll have your daughter covered For when my outward action doth demonstrate with a Barbary horse ; you 'll have your nephews The native act and figure of my heart neigh to you ; you 'll have coursers for cousins In compliment extern, 'tis not long after and gennets for germans. But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve Bra. What profane wretch art thou ? For daws to peck at: I am not what I am. lago. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you Rod. What a full fortune does the thick-lips your daughter and the Moor are now making the owe, beast with two backs. If he can carry't thus ! Bra. Thou art a villain. You are-a senator. Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But I bePlague him with flies; though that his joy be joy, Yet throw such chances of vexation on't If’t be your pleasure and most wise consent, As it may lose some colour. As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter, Rod. Here is her father's house ; I'll call aloud. At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night, lago. Do ; with like timorous accent and dire Transported with no worse nor better guard yell But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier, As when, by night and negligence, the fire To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor,-Is spied in populous cities. If this be known to you, and your allowance, Rod. What, ho! Brabantio! Signior Bra- We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs; bantio, ho! But if you know not this, my manners tell me lago. Awake! what, ho ! Brabantio ! thieves! We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe thieves ! thieves ! That, from the sense of all civility, Look to your house, your daughter, and your I thus would play and trifle with your reverence: bags ! Your daughter, if you have not given her leave, Thieves! thieves ! I say again, hath made a gross revolt; Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes Enter BRABANTIO, above, at a window. In an extravagant and wheeling stranger Bra. What is the reason of this terrible Of here and every where. Straight satisfy summons ! yourself : What is the matter there? If she be in her chamber or your house, Rod. Signior, is all your family within ? Let loose on me the justice of the state lago. Are your doors lock'd ? For thus deluding you. Strike on the tinder, ho! lago. 'Zounds! sir, you 're robb’d; for shame, Give me a taper! call up all my people ! put on your gown; This accident is not unlike my dream; Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul ; Belief of it oppresses me already. Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Light, I say I light ! Excit from abou. Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! Iago. Farewell ; for I must leave you: Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, 90 It seems not meet nor wholesome to my place Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you. To be produc'd, as if I stay I shall, Arise, I say. Against the Moor; for I do know the state, Bra. What I have you lost your wits ? However this may gall him with some check, Rod. Most reverend signior, do you know my Cannot with safety cast him ; for he's embark'd voice? With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars, Bra. Not I; what are you? Which even now stand in act, that, for their souls, Rod. My name is Roderigo. Another of his fathom they have none, The worser welcome : To lead their business ; in which regard, Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely And there will I be with him. So, farewell. 15e Rod. Sir, sir, sir ! Erit Bra. But thou must needs be sure My spirit and my place have in them power Enter BRABANTIO and Servants with torches. To make this bitter to thee. Bra. It is too true an evil ; gone she is, Rod. Patience, good sir. And what's to come of my despised time Bra. What tell’st thou me of robbing? this Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo, is Venice ; Where didst thou see her ? O unhappy girl ! My house is not a grange. With the Moor, say'st thou! Who would be a Rod. Most grave Brabantio, father? In simple and pure soul I come to you. How didst thou know 'twas she? O! she de. Iago. 'Zounds! sir ; you are one of those that ceives me 151 |
