That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster; unless the bookish theo
Wherein the toged consuls can propose
As masterly as he: mere prattle without pract
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the ele
And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof
At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds
Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and ca
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. By heaven, I rather would have been his hang
lago. Why, there's no remedy; 'tis the curse of se
Preferment goes by letter and affection,
And not by old gradation, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yo
Whether I in any just term am affined
I would not follow him the
lago. O, sir, content you;
I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That doting on his own obsequious bondage
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass
For nought but provender, and when he's old, ca
Whip me such honest knaves. Others there a
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,
And throwing but shows of service on their lo
Do well thrive by them, and when they have lined
Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul,
And such a one do I profess myself.
For, sir,
It is as sure as you are Roderigo,
Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago :
In following him, I follow but myself;
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
But seeming so, for my peculiar end :
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.
Rod. What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,
If he can carry't thus!
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.
lago. Do; with like timorous 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!
Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!
Thieves! thieves!
Brabantio appears above, at a window.
Bra. What is the reason of this terrible summons
What is the matter there?
Rod. Signior, is all your family within ? lago. Are your doors lock'd?
Why, wherefore ask y lago. 'Zounds, sir, you 're robb'd; for shame, put
Your heart is burst, you have lost half your s
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise;
Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,
Or else the devil will make a grandsire of yo
Arise, I say.
What, have you lost your wits?
Rod. Most reverend signior, do you know my voic
Bra. Not I: what are you ?
Rod. My name is Roderigo.
I have charged thee not to haunt about my de
In honest plainness thou hast heard me say
My daughter is not for thee; and now, in ma
Being full of supper and distempering draugh
Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come
To start my quiet.
Rod. Sir, sir, sir,-
Bra.
But thou must needs be sure
My spirit and my place have in them power
To make this bitter to thee.
Bra. What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Ver
My house is not a grange.
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 IIO 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 ?
lago. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your
daughter and the Moor are now making the
beast with two backs.
Bra. This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.
Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you,
If't be your pleasure and most wise consent,
As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter,
At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night,
Transported with no worse nor better guard
But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,
To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor, -
If this be known to you, and your allowance,
We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs;
But if you know not this, my manners tell me
We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe
That, from the sense of all civility,
I thus would play and trifle with your reverence :
Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,
I say again, hath made a gross revolt,
Tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes,
In an extravagant and wheeling stranger
Of here and every where. Straight satisfy y
If she be in her chamber or your house,
Let loose on me the justice of the state
For thus deluding you.
Give me a taper! call up all my people!
This accident is not unlike my dream :
Belief of it oppresses me already.
Farewell; for I must lea
It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my plac
To be produced-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 embar
With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,
Which even now stand in act, that, for their
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 sha
Lead to the Sagittary the raised search;
And there will I be with him. So farewell.
Enter below, Brabantio, in his night-gown, and Ser with torches.
Bra. It is too true an evil: gone she is ;
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