Rod.
Never ^note tell me14Q1487, I take it much unkindly ^note,
That thou, Iago,—who hast had ^note my purse,
As if the strings were thine,—shouldst know of this;

Iag.
But you'll not ^note hear me:
If ever I did dream of such a matter, ^note—

Rod.
Thou toldst me, thou didst hold him in thy hate.

Iag.
Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,
In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Off-cap'd ^note to him;—and, by the faith of man,
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 circumstance,
Horribly stuft with epithets of war;
And, in conclusion, ^note
Non-suits my mediators; for, certes, says he,

I have already chose ^note my officer.
And what was he?
Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Cassio14Q1488, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn'd in a fair face ^note;
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster; unless the bookish ^note theorique,
Wherein the toged ^note consuls can propose
As masterly as he: meer prattle, without practice,
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:
And I,—of whom his eyes had seen the proof,
At Rhodes, at Cyprus; and on other ^note grounds,
Christian ^note, and heathen,—must be be-lee'd and ^note calm'd
By debtor and creditor, this counter-caster;
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
And I (God bless ^note the mark!) his moorship's ancient ^note.

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

Iag.
But there's ^note no remedy, 'tis the curse of service;
Preferment goes by letter, and affection,
And ^note not by old ^note gradation, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,
Whether I in any just term am affin'd ^note
To love the Moor.

Rod.
I would not follow him then.

Iag.
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, cashier'd;
Whip me such honest knaves: Others there are,
Who, trim'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but shows ^note of service on their lords,
Do well thrive by them, and, when they have lin'd their coats,
Do themselves homage: these ^note 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 ^note 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 ^note to peck at; I am not what I am.

Rod.
What a full ^note fortune does the thick-lips owe,
If he can carry't thus!

Iag.
Call up her father,
Rouze him: make after him, poison his delight,
Proclaim him in the streets ^note; 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. [going towards the Door.

Iag.
Do; with like timorous accent, and dire yell,

As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is spy'd in populous cities.

Rod.
What ho, Brabantio! signior Brabantio, ho!

Iag.
Awake! what ho, Brabantio! thieves, thieves, thieves ^note!
Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!
Thieves! thieves!

Bra. [within.]
What is the reason of this terrible summons?
What is the matter there?

Rod.
Signior, is all your family within?

Iag.
Are your doors lock'd? ^note

Bra. [within.]
Why? wherefore ask you this?

Iag.
Sir ^note, you are rob'd; for shame, put on your gown;
Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;
Even now, now, very now ^note, 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 you:
Arise, I say.

Bra.
What, have you lost your wits? [appearing above, at a Window.

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 draughts)
Upon malicious bravery ^note, dost thou come
To start my quiet:

Rod.
Sir, sir, sir,—

Bra.
But thou must needs be sure,
My spirit ^note, and my place, have in their power ^note
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 grange.

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

Iag.

'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 ^note think we are ruffians: You'll have your daughter cover'd with a Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to you: you'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans.

Bra.

What prophane wretch art thou?

Iag.

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

Bra.

Thou art a villain.

Iag.

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 pleasure14Q1489, and most wise consent, ^note
(As partly, I find, it is) that your fair daughter
Be, 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 gondalier,— ^note
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 giv'n her leave,—
I say again, hath made a gross revolt;
Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes,
On an ^note extravagant and wheeling stranger,
Of here and every where: Straight satisfy yourself;
If she be in her chamber ^note, or your house,
Let loose on me the justice of the state,
For thus deluding ^note 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! [Exit, from above.

Iag.
Farewel; for I must leave you:
It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place ^note,
To be produc'd ^note (as, if I stay, I shall)
Against the Moor: For, I do know, the state—
However ^note this may gall him with some check,—
Cannot with safety cast him; for he's embark'd
With such loud reason to the Cyprus' war ^note,
(Which even now stands in act) that, for their souls,
Another of his fathom they have not, ^note
To lead their business on: in which regard,
Though I do hate him as I do hell pains ^note,
Yet, for necessity of present life,
I must shew ^note out a flag and sign of love,
Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him,
Lead to the sagittar ^note the raised search;
And there will I be with him. So, farewel. [Exit. Enter, below, Brabantio, and Servants, with Lights.

Bra.
It is too true an evil: gone she is;
And what's to come of my despised time,
Is nought ^note 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 'twas she?—O, she deceives ^note me
Past thought!—What said she to you?—Get more ^note tapers;
Raise all my kindred.—Are they marry'd, think you?

Rod.
Truly, I think, they are.

Bra.
O heaven!—How got she out?—O treason of the blood ^note!—
Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters' minds
By what you see them act.—Are there ^note not charms,
By which the property of youth and maidhood ^note
May be abus'd? have you not read, Roderigo,
Of some such thing?

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

Bra.
Call up my brother.—O, would you ^note 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 you please
To get good guard, and go along with me.

Bra.
Pray you, lead on. ^note At every house I'll call,
I may command at most:—Get weapons, ho!
And raise some special officers of might ^note.—
On, good Roderigo; I'll deserve your pains. [Exeunt.

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