SCENE changes to the Senate House.

Duke. T

Duke and Senators, fet a table with lights, and

attendants. Duke. Here is no composition in these news,

That gives them credit. i Sen. Indeed, they're disproportion'd; My letters say, a hundred and seven gallies.

Duke. And mine a hundred and forty.

2 Sen. And mine, two hundred;
But though they jump not on a juft account,
(As in these cales, where they aim reports,
"Tis oft with diff'rence ;) yet do they all confirm
A Turkish Fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus.

Duke. Nay, it is possible enough to judgment;
I do not fo secure me in the error,
But the main article I do approve
In fearful sense.

Sailors within.] What hoa! what hoa! what hoa!

Enter Sailors.

Off. A messenger from the gallies.
Duke. Now !--what's the bufiness ?

Sail. The Turkis preparation makes for Rhodes,
So was I bid report here to the State.

Duke. How say you by this change?

į Sen. This cannot be, By no assay of reason.

'Tis a pageant, To keep us in false gaze; when we consider Th' importancy of Cyprus to the Turk, And let ourselves again but understand, That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes, So may he with more facile question bear it; For that it stands not in such warlike brace, But altogether lacks th' abilities That Rhodes is dress'd in. If we make thought of this, We must not think the Turk is so unkilful,

To leave that latest, which concerns him first;
Neglecting an attempt of ease and gain,
To wake, and wage, a danger profitless.

Duke. Nay, in all confidence he's not for Rbodes.
Of. Here is more news.

Enter a Messenger.

Mef: The Ottomites, (reverend and gracious,) Steering with due course toward the Isle of Rhodes, Have there injoin’d them with an after-feet

i Sen. Ay, so I thought ; how many, as you guess? Mej. Of.thirty sail; and now they do re-item Their backward course, bearing with frank appearance Their Purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano, Your trusty and most valiant Servitor, With his free duty, recommends you thus, And prays you to believe him.

Duke. 'Tis certain then for Cyprus : Marcus Luccicos, Is he not here in town?

i Sen. He's now in Florence. Duke. Write from us, to him, poft, poft-hafte, dispatch. 1 Sen. Here comes Brabantio, and the valiant Moor.

To them, enter Brabantio, Othello, Caffio, lago,

Rodorigo, and Oficers.

Duke. Valiant Othello, we must straight-employ you, Against the general enemy Ottoman. I did not see you; welcome, gentle fignior: [To Braban. We lack'd your counsel, and your help to-night.

Bra. So did I yours ; good your grace, pardon me;
Neither my place, nor aught I heard of business,
Hath rais'd me from my bed ; nor doth the general
Take hold on me; For my particular grief
Is of so flood-gate and o'er-bearing natare,
*That it ingluts and swallows other forrows,
And yet is still itself.

Duke. Why? what's the matter ?
Bra. My daughter! oh, my daughter !

Sen.

Sen. Dead?

Bra. To me; She is abus'd, stoll'n from me, and corrupted: By spells and medicines, bought of mountebank's s For nature so' preposterously to'err, (Being not deficient, blind, or lame of fense;) Sąns Witchcraft could not

Duke. Who-e'er he be, that in this foul proceeding
Hath thus beguild your daughter of herfelf,
And you of her, the bloody book of law
You shall yourself read in the bitter letter,
After your own sense : yea, though our proper Son
Stood in your action.

Bra. Humbly I thank your grace.
Here is the man, chis Moor, whom now, it seems,
Your special mandate, for the State-affairs,
Hath hither brought.

AU, We're very sorry for't.
Duke. What in your own part can you fay to this

[To Othel. Bra. Nothing, but this is fo.

Oth. Most potent, grave, and reverend figniors, A My very noble and approv'd good matters ; That I have ta’en away this old man's daughter, It is most true ; true, I have married her; The very head and front of my offending Hath this extent; no more. Rude am I in my speech, And little bless'd with the foft phrase of peace; For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith, 'Till now, some nine moons waited, they have us'd Their dearest action in the tented field; And little of this great world can I speak; More than pertains to feats of broils and battle ; And therefore little shall I grace my cause, In speaking for myself. Yet, by your patience, I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver, Of my whole course of love ; what drugs, what charms, What conjuration, and what mighty magick, (For such proceeding I am charg'd withal,) I won his daughter with. L 3

Bres

Bra. A maiden, never bold;
Of fpirit fo fill and quiet, that her motion
Blash'd at itself; and she, in spight of nature,
of years, of country, credit, every thing,
To fall in love with what he fear'd to look on
It is a judgment maim'd, and moft imperfect, (8)
That will confefs, affection fo could err
Againft alt rules of nature, and must be driven
To find out pra&ices of cunning hell,
Why this should be. I therefore vouch again,
That with some mixtures powerful o'er the blood,
Or with some dram, conjur'd to this effect,
He wrought upon her.

Duke. To vouch this, is no proof,
Without more certain and more overt teft,
Than these thin habits and poor likelyhoods
Of modern feeming do prefer against him.

Sen. But, Othello, speak ;
Did you by indirect and forced courses
Subdue and poison this young maid's afle&ions ?
Or came it by request, and such fair quortion
As foul to foul affordeth ?

Otb. I befeech you,
Send for the lady to the Sagittary,

(8) It is a Judgment maim'd and most imperfect

That will confefs, Perfection so could err

Againf all Rules of Nature.) Perfektion erring, feems a Contradiction

in Terminis, as the Schoolmen call it. Besides, Brabantio does not blazon his Daughter out for a Thing of absolute Perfection ; he only says, she was indued with such an extreme innate Modesty, that for her to fall in Love fo prepofterously, no found Judgment could allow, but it must be by magical Practice upon her. I have ventur'd to imagine that our Author wrote;

That will confefs, Affection so could err, &c. This is entirely consonant to wbat Brabantio would say of her; and one of the Senators, immediately after, in his Examination of whe Moor, thus addresses himself to him ;

-But, Othello, (peak;
Did you by indirect and forced Courses
Sukdue and paifon this young Maid's Affections, & co.

And

If you

And let her speak of me before her father ;

do find me foul in her report, The Trust, the Office, I do hold of you, Not only take away,

but let

your

Sentence
Even fall upon my life.
Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither.

it

(Exeunt tavo or three, Oth. Ancient, conduct them, you best know the place.

Exit Iago.
And 'till she come, as truly as to heavin
I do confess the vices of my blood,
So juftly to your grave ears I'll present
How I did thrive in this fair lady's love,
And the in mine.

Duke. Say it, Othello.

Oth. Her father lov'd me, oft invited me ;.-
Still question'd me the story of my life,
From year to year ; the battles, fieges, fortunes, :
That I have past,
I ran it through, e'en from my boyish days,
To th' very moment that he bade me tell it :
Wherein I spoke of most disaftrous chances, it A
Of moving accidents by flood and field; it
Of hair-breadth 'scapes in th' imminens deadly breach ;
Of being taken by the infolent foe,
And fold to flavery; of my redemption thence, ;
And portance in my travel's hiftory:
Wherein of antres vast, and defares idle, (9)
Rough quarries, rocks, and hills, whose heads touch

heav'n,

(9) Wherein of Antres vast and Defaris idle, &c.) Thus it is in all the old Editions: But Mr. Pope has thought fit to change the Epithet. Defarts idle; in the former Editions ; (lays he) dobrlos, a Corruption from wilde -But he must pardon me, If I do not concur in thinking this doubtless. I don't know whether Mr. Pope has observ'd it, but I know that Shakespeare, especially in Descriptions, is fond of using the more uncommon Word, in a. poetick Latitude. And idle, in several other Passages, he employs in these Acceptations, wild, infeltss, urcultivated, &c.