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James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
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SCENE I. Venice. A Street. Enter Roderigo and Iago.

Rod.
Tush, never tell me2 note, I take it much unkindly,
That thou, Iago,—who hast had my purse,
As if the strings were thine,—should'st know of this.

Iago.
'Sblood, but you will not hear me3 note:—
If ever I did dream of such a matter, abhor me.

Rod.
Thou told'st me, thou didst hold him in thy hate.

Iago.
Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,
In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Oft capp'd to him4 note


;—and, by the faith of man,

-- 218 --


I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,
Evades them, with a bombast circumstance5 note






,
Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;
And, in conclusion* note, nonsuits
My mediators; for, certes6 note
, says he,
I have already chose my officer.
And what was he?
Forsooth, a great arithmetician7 note

,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine8 note,
A fellow almost damn'd† note in a fair wife9 note















;

-- 219 --


That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows

-- 220 --


More than a spinster; unless the bookish theorick1 note

,
Wherein the toged consuls2 note


can propose

-- 221 --


As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice3 note

,
Is all his soldiership. But, he, sir, had the election:

-- 222 --


And I,—of whom his eyes had seen the proof,
At Rhodes, at Cyprus; and on other grounds

-- 223 --


Christian and heathen, — must be be-lee'd and calm'd4 note


By debitor5 note



and creditor, this counter-caster6 note

;
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
And I, (God* note bless the mark!7 note









) his Moor-ship's8 note ancient.

-- 224 --

Rod.
By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.

Iago.
But there's no remedy, 'tis the curse of service;
Preferment goes by letter9 note, and affection,
Not by the old gradation1 note, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,
Whether I in any just term am affin'd2 note


To love the Moor.

Rod.
I would not follow him then.

Iago.
O, sir, content you;
I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters

-- 225 --


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, cashier'd3 note
;
Whip me such honest knaves4 note: Others there are,
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,
Do well thrive by them, and, when they have lin'd their coats,
Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;
And such a one do I profess myself.
For, sir5 note,
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 extern6 note



, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

-- 226 --


For daws to peck at7 note

: I am not what I am.

Rod.
What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe8 note








,
If he can carry't thus!

Iago.
Call up her father,
Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight,

-- 227 --


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* note of vexation on't,
As it may lose some colour.

Rod.
Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud.

Iago.
Do; with like timorous accent, and dire yell,
As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is spied in populous cities9 note



.

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, 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?

-- 228 --

Iago.
Are your doors lock'd1 note
?

Bra.
Why? wherefore ask you this?

Iago.
'Zounds, sir, you are robb'd; for shame, put on your gown;
Your heart is burst2 note


, you have lost half your soul;
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is tupping your white ewe3 note


. Arise, arise;
Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,
Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you:
Arise, I say.

Bra.
What, have you lost your wits?

Rod.
Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?

Bra.
Not I; What are you?

Rod.
My name is—Roderigo.

Bra.
The worse* note welcome:
I have charg'd thee, not to haunt about my doors:
In honest plainness thou hast heard me say,
My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,
Being full of supper, and distempering draughts4 note

,

-- 229 --


Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come
To start my quiet.

Rod.
Sir, sir, sir, sir,—

Bra.
But thou must needs be sure,
My spirit* note, and my place, have in them power
To make this bitter to thee.

Rod.
Patience, good sir.

Bra.
What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice;
My house is not a grange5 note





.

Rod.
Most grave Brabantio,
In simple and pure soul I come to you.

Iago.

'Zounds† note, sir, you are one of those, that will not serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service, you think we are ruffians: You'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to

-- 230 --

you6 note








: you'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans7 note

.

Bra.

What profane wretch art thou8 note




?

-- 231 --

Iago.

I am one, sir, that comes* note to tell you, your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs9 note

.

Bra.
Thou art a villain.

Iago.
You are—a senator.

Bra.
This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.

Rod.
Sir, I will answer any thing. But I beseech you,
[If't be your pleasure1 note, and most wise consent,
(As partly, I find, it is,) that your fair daughter,
At this odd-even and dull watch o'the night2 note






,

-- 232 --


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 allowance3 note





,
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 civility4 note



,
I thus would play and trifle with your reverence:
Your daughter,—if you have not given her leave,—

-- 233 --


I say again, hath made a gross revolt;
Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes,
In an extravagant5 note

and wheeling stranger6 note



,
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 you7 note.

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!
[Exit, from above.

Iago.
Farewell; for I must leave you:
It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,
To be produc'd8 note (as, if I stay, I shall,)
Against the Moor: For, I do know, the state,—
However this may gall him with some check9 note,—

-- 234 --


Cannot with safety cast him1 note; for he's embark'd
With such loud reason to the Cyprus' wars,
(Which even now stand* note in act,) that, for their souls,
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 shall surely find him,
Lead to the Sagittary2 note the raised search;
And there will I be with him. So, farewell. [Exit. Enter, below, Brabantio, and Servants with Torches.

Bra.
It is too true an evil: gone she is;
And what's to come of my despised time3 note








,
Is nought but bitterness.—Now, Roderigo,
Where didst thou see her?—O, unhappy girl!—

-- 235 --


With the Moor, say'st thou?—Who would be a father?—
How didst thou know 'twas she?—O, thou deceiv'st me
Past thought4 note



!—What said she to you?—Get more tapers;
Raise all my kindred.—Are they married, think you?

Rod.
Truly, I think, they are.

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 charms5 note,
By which the property of youth and maidhood
May be abus'd6 note




? Have you not read, Roderigo,
Of some such thing?

Rod.
Yes, sir; I have indeed* note.

Bra.
Call up my brother.—O, that† note you had had her!—
Some one way, some another.—Do you know

-- 236 --


Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?

Rod.
I think, I can discover him; if you please
To get good guard, and go along with me.

Bra.
Pray you, lead on7 note. At every house I'll call;
I may command at most;—Get weapons, ho!
And raise some special officers of night8 note

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

-- 237 --

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James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
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