Take up Bra. I pray you, hear her speak; If she confess, that she was half the wooer, Destruction on my head, if my bad blame Light on the man!-Come hither, gentle mistress; Do you perceive in all this noble company, Where most you owe obedience? Des. I do perceive here a divided duty: My noble father, To you, I am bound for life, and education; How to respect you; you are the lord of duty, Bra. I here do give thee that with all my heart, For thy escape would teach me tyranny, To hang clogs on them.-I have done, my lord. Duke. Let me speak like yourself;3 and lay a sentence, 4 Which, as a grise, or step, may help these lovers Into your favour. Let me speak like yourself;] i. e. let me speak as yourself would speak, were you not too much heated with passion. as a grise,] Grize from degrees. A grize is a step. When remedies are past, the griefs are ended, Is the next way to draw new mischief on. The robb'd, that smiles, steals something from the thief; He robs himself, that spends a bootless grief. He bears the sentence well, that nothing bears Being strong on both sides, are equivocal: But words are words; I never yet did hear, That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear." I humbly beseech you, 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: And though we have there a substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer voice on you: you must therefore be content to slubber the gloss of your new fortunes "But the free comfort which from thence he hears:] But the moral precepts of consolation, which are liberally bestowed on occasion of the sentence. JOHNSON. • But words are words; I never yet did hear That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear.] These moral precepts, says Brabantio, may perhaps be founded in wisdom, but they are of no avail. Words after all are but words; and I never yet heard that consolatory speeches could reach and penetrate the afflicted heart, through the medium of the ear. 7 to slubber the gloss of your new fortunes-] To slubber, on this occasion, is to obscure. with this more stubborn and boisterous expedi tion. Oth. The tyrant custom, most grave senators, I find in hardness; and do undertake Due reference of place, and exhibition;1 Duke. Be't at her father's. Bra. Oth. Nor I. Des. If you please, I'll not have it so. Nor I; I would not there reside, To put my father in impatient thoughts, Duke. What would you, Desdemona? Des. That I did love the Moor to live with him, My downright violence and storm of fortunes3 8 thrice driven bed of down:] A driven bed, is a bed for which the feathers are selected, by driving with a fan, which separates the light from the heavy. 9 I do agnize-] i. e. acknowledge, confess, avow. 1 I crave fit disposition for my wife; Due reference of place, and exhibition; &c.] I desire, that proper disposition be made for my wife, that she may have precedency and revenue, accommodation and company, suitable to her rank. Exhibition is allowance. 2 a charter in your voice,] Let your favour privilege me. My downright violence and storm of fortunes-] Violence is not violence suffered, but violence acted. Breach of common rules and obligations. May trumpet to the world; my heart's subdued By his dear absence: Let me go with him. Oth. Your voices, lords: beseech you, let her will Have a free way. Vouch with me, heaven; I therefore beg it not, Nor to comply with heat, the young affects, In my But to be free and bounteous to her mind: And heaven defend your good souls, that you think "I am so 4 Even to, &c.] Quality here means profession. much enamoured of Othello, that I am even willing to endure all the inconveniencies incident to a military life, and to attend him to the wars." 5 I saw Othello's visage in his mind;] It must raise no wonder, that I loved a man of an appearance so little engaging; I saw his face only in his mind; the greatness of his character reconciled me to his form. 6 defend, &c.] To defend, is to forbid. 7 My speculative and active instruments,] Speculative instruments, in Shakspeare's language, are the eyes; and active instruments, the hands and feet. Make head against my estimation! Duke. Be it as you shall privately determine, Either for her stay, or going: the affair cries-haste, And speed must answer it; you must hence to-night. Des. To-night, my lord? Duke. Oth. This night. With all my heart. Duke. At nine i'the morning here we'll meet again. Othello, leave some officer behind, And he shall our commission bring to you; Oth. Please your grace, my ancient; A man he is of honesty, and trust: To his conveyance I assign my wife, With what else needful your good grace shall think To be sent after me. Good night to every one.-And, noble signior, If virtue no delighted beauty lack, [TO BRABANTIO. Your son-in-law is far more fair than black. 1 Sen. Adieu, brave Moor! use Desdemona well. Bra. Look to her, Moor; have a quick eye to see; She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee. [Exeunt Duke, Senators, Officers, &c. Oth. My life upon her faith.-Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leave to thee; I pr'ythee, let thy wife attend on her; • If virtue no delighted beauty lack,] The meaning probably is, if virtue comprehends every thing in itself, then your virtuous sonin-law of course is beautiful: he has that beauty which delights every one. Delighted, for delighting. 9 best advantage.] Fairest opportunity. |