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 yourself:
If she be in her chamber or your house,
Let loose on me the justice of the state
For thus deluding you.

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 above.

Farewell; for I must leave you:

It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,

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 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

132 from the sense] contrary to the intention.

137-138 In an extravagant . . . every where] To a vagabond and roving foreigner belonging to this and every country.

149 check] rebuke.

150 cast] dismiss, reject. Cf. V, ii, 330, infra.

153 fathom] capacity.

140

150

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,

Lead to the Sagittary the raised search;

And there will I be with him. So farewell.

[Exit. 160

Enter, below, BRABANTIO, in his night-gown, and Servants with torches

BRA. It is too true an evil: gone she is;
And what's to come of my despised time
Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,
Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!

With the Moor, say'st thou? Who would be a father!
How didst thou know 't was she? O, she deceives 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.

154 in which regard] on which account.

159 the Sagittary] probably intended for the name of a well-known inn, which bore as its sign a picture of the Archer of the Zodiac. The "Centaur" is similarly mentioned in Com. of Errors, I, ii, 9 et passim, and "the Pegasus" in T. of Shrew, IV, iv, 5. There seems no ground for the suggestion frequently made by commentators on this line that the arsenal of Venice was called by this name.

the raised search] the hue and cry.

162 my despised time] According to Johnson "time of no value." The notion seems to be that for the rest of Brabantio's life he will be an object of contempt.

BRA. O heaven! How got she out? O treason of the blood!

Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters' minds
By what you see them act. Is there not charms
By which the property of youth and maidhood
May be abused? Have you not read, Roderigo,
Of some such thing?

ROD.

Yes, sir, I have indeed.

BRA. Call up my brother. O, would you had had her! Some one way, some another. Do you know Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?

ROD. I think I can discover him, if

To get good guard and go
BRA. Pray you, lead on.
I may command at most.

you please along with me.

At

At every house I'll call;
Get weapons, ho!

Get

And raise some special officers of night.

On, good Roderigo; I'll deserve your pains.

[Exeunt.

170

180

SCENE II-ANOTHER STREET

Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Attendants with torches

IAGO. Though in the trade of war I have slain men, Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience

173 the property of] the innocence appertaining to.

174 abused] deceived, deluded.

182 I may command at most] My word is law at most houses.

183 of night] Thus the First Quarto. All other early editions read of

might.

2 very stuff] essence.

2

To do no contrived murder: I lack iniquity
Sometimes to do me service: nine or ten times

I had thought to have yerk'd him here under the

ribs.

ОTн. "T is better as it is.

IAGO.

Nay, but he prated

And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms

Against your honour,

That, with the little godliness I have,

I did full hard forbear him. But I pray you,

sir,

Are you fast married? Be assured of this,
That the magnifico is much beloved,
And hath in his effect a voice potential
As double as the duke's: he will divorce you,
Or put upon you what restraint and grievance
The law, with all his might to enforce it on,
Will give him cable.

Let him do his spite:

Отн.
My services, which I have done the signiory,
Shall out-tongue his complaints. 'Tis yet to know
Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,

5 yerk'd him] given him (i. e., Roderigo) a smart stab. Thus the Folios.

The Quartos read jerk'd.

10 forbear him] let him alone.

12 the magnifico] the grandee Brabantio. "Magnifico" was a term specifically applied to a Venetian magnate.

13-14 a voice potential . . . duke's] a voice of powerful influence quite as extensive as the duke's. "Double" often means "exceptionally strong," as "single" often means "exceptionally weak."

17 cable] full means or opportunity.

10

20

I shall promulgate — I fetch my life and being
From men of royal siege, and my demerits
May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune
As this that I have reach'd: for know, Iago,
But that I love the gentle Desdemona,

I would not my unhoused free condition
Put into circumscription and confine

For the sea's worth. But, look! what lights come

yond?

IAGO. Those are the raised father and his friends: You were best go in.

OTH.

Not I; I must be found:

My parts, my title and my perfect soul,
Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?
IAGO. By Janus, I think no.

22 siege] rank. "Siege" often means "seat" or "throne."

demerits] "deserts," "merits," as in the classical Latin "demereo." 23 unbonneted] This must mean "with the cap off," "without any concealment.' Othello points out that his merits may openly and undisguisedly address on even terms (or rank with) a station in life as eminent as that to which his marriage conducts him. The suggestion of obeisance which often attaches to "unbonneted" does not belong to the word here.

26 unhoused] undomesticated, without household cares.

27 circumscription and confine] circumscribed limits.

28 the sea's worth] Cf. Sonnet xxi, 6, "sea's rich gems."

29 raised summoned. Cf. I, i, 159, supra, "the raised search," and I, i, 183, “raise some special officers."

31 My parts... my perfect soul] My endowments or gifts less conscience.

my spot

33 By Janus] Iago appropriately swears by the double-faced god.

80