To tell him, his commandment is fulfill'd,
That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead:
Where should we have our thanks?
Hor.
Not from his mouth,
Had it the ability of life to thank you;
He never gave commandment for their death.
But since, so jump' upon this bloody question,
You from the Polack' wars, and you from England,
Are here arriv'd; give order, that these bodies
High on a stage be placed to the view;

And let me speak, to the yet unknowing world,
How these things come about: So shall you hear
Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts;
Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters;
Of deaths put on by cunning, and forced cause;
And in this upshot, purposes mistook
Fall'n on the inventors' heads: all this can I
Truly deliver.

For me, with sorrow I en brace my fortune;
I have some rights cf memory in this kingdom,
Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me.
Hor. Of that I shall have also cause to speak,
And from his mouth whose voice will draw on

more:

But let this same be presently perform'd,
Even while men's minds are wild; lest more mis
chance,

On plots and errors, happen.
Fort.

Let four captains
Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage;
For he was likely, had he been put on,
To have prov'd most royally: and, for his passagɔ,
The soldier's music, and the rites of war,
Speak loudly for him.—

Take up the bodies:-Such a sight as this Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss. Go, bid the soldiers shoot. [A Dead March. [Exeunt, bearing off the dead Bodies; after which, a Peal of Ordnance is shot

Rod. 1ush, never tell me, I take it much unkindly,

That thou, lago,-who hast had my purse, As if the strings were thine,-shouldst know of this.

lago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me:if ever I did dream of such a matter,

Abhor me.

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

lago. Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones

of the city,

In personal suit to make me his lieutenant
Oft capp'd' 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 stuff'd with epithets of war;
And, in conclusion, nonsuits

My mediators; for certes,' says he,
I have already chose my officer.
And what was he?

Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,

A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows

More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,
Wherein the toged consuls can propose
As masterly as he: mere 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 grounds
Christian and heathen,--must be be-lee'd and
* Certainly.

ca m'd

'Saluted.

2 Circumlocution.

By debitor and creditor, this counter-caster;*
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
And I, (God bless the mark!) his Moorship's an

cient.

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

Iago. But there's no remedy, 'tis the curse of service;

Preferment goes by letter, and affection,
Not by the old gradation, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,
Whether I in any just term am affin'd
To love the Moor.

Rod.
I would not follow him then
lago. 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 an
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,
And, throwing but shows of service on the
lords,

Do well thrive by them, and when they have lined their coats,

Do themselves homage: these 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;

It was anciently the practice to reckon up sums with
Related

Counters.

Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But I be seech you,

Yet throw such changes of vexation on't,

As it may lose some color.

Rod. Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud. lago. Do; with like timorous accent, and dire yell,

As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is spied in populous cities.

Rod. What ho! Brabantio! signior Brabantio, ho! lago. Awake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves thieves!

Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags! Thieves! thieves'

BRABANTIO, above, at a window.

(As partly, I find, it is,) that your fair daughter,
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 gondolier
| 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 reverencs
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,

What is the matter there?

Rod. Signior, is all your family within? lago. are your doors lock'd?

Bra.

Why? wherefore ask you this? lago. Zornds, sir, you are robb'd; for shame, put on your gown;

four heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;
Even novi, very now, 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? Rod. Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?

Bra. Not I: what are you?

Rod. My name is-Roderigo.
Bra.

The worse welcome;
I have charged 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 upper, and distempering draughts,
Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come
To start my quiet.

Rod. Sir, sir, sir, sir,-
Bra.
But thou must needs be sure,
My spirit, 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 grange.'
Rod.
Most brave Brabantio,
In simple and pure soul I come to you.

Iago. Zounds, 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

self:

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 from 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 catch 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 not,
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 rais'd 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 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 'twas she? O, thou deceiv's

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.

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.-Are there not charms,
By which the property of youth and maidhood
May be abus'd? Have you not read, Roderigo,
Of some such thing?

Rod.

Yes, sir; I have indeed.

Bra. Call up my brother.-O, that 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 you please To get good guard, and go along with me.

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

SCENE II. Another Street.

[Exeunt.

Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Attendants. lago. Though in the trade of war I have slain

men,

Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience,
To do no contriv'd 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.

Oth. "Tis better as it is. lago.

Nay, but he prated,

And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms
Against your honor,

That with the little godliness I have,

I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray, sir,
Are you fast married? for, be sure of this,-
That the magnifico' is much belov'd;
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.

Oth.
Let him do his spite :
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 honor,
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, lago,
But that I love the gentle Desdemona,
I would not my unhoused free condition
Put into circumscription and confine

My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they? lago. By Janus, I think nɔ.

Oth. The servants of the duke, and my lieutenant The goodness of the night upon you, friends! What is the news?

Cas.
The duke does greet you, general
And he requires your haste-post-haste appearance
Even on the instant.
Oth.
What is the matter, think you!
Cas. Something from Cyprus, as I may divine,
It is a business of some heat: the gallies
Have sent a dozen sequent messengers
This very night at one another's heels;
And many of the consuls, rais'd, and met,
Are at the duke's already: You have been hotly
call'd for;

When, being not at your lodging to be found,
The senate hath sent about three several quests,
To search you out.
Oth.

"Tis well I am found by you I will but spend a word here in the house, And go with you.

[Exit. Cas. Ancient, what makes he here1 lago. He hath to-night boarded a land carack; If it prove lawful prize, he's made forever. Cas. I do not understand.

Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her:
For I'll refer me to all things of sense,
If she in chains of magic were not bound,
Whether a maid-so tender, fair, and happy;
So opposite to marriage, that she shunn'd
The wealthy curled darlings of our nation,
Would ever have, to incur a general mock,
Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom
Of such a thing as thou: to fear, not to delight.
Judge me the world, if 'tis not gross in sense,

What if I do obey?

How may the duke be therewith satisfied;
Whose messengers are here about my side,
Upon some present business of the state,
To bring me to him?

Off.
'Tis true, most worthy signior,
The duke's in council; and your noble self,
I am sure, is sent for.
Bra.
How! the duke in council!
In this time of the night!-Bring him away:
Mine's not an idle cause: the duke himself,
Or any of my brothers of the state,
Cannot but feel this wrong, as 'twere their own;
For if such actions may have passage free,
Bond-slaves, and pagans, shall our statesmen be.
[Exeunt.

SCENE III-A Council Chamber. The DUKE, and Senators, sitting at a Table; Officers attending.

Duke. There is no composition' in these news, That gives them credit.

1 Sen. Indeed, they are 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 just account, (As in these cases, where the aim" reports, "Tis oft with difference,) yet do they all confirm A Turkish fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus. Duke. Nay, it is possible enough to judgment, I do not so secure me in the error, But the main article I do approve In fearful sense.

Sailor. [Within.] What ho! what ho! what ho!

Enter an Officer, with a Sailor.
Off. A messenger from the gallies.
Duke.
Now? the business?
Sailor. The Turkish preparation makes for

Rhodes:

So was I bid report here to the state,
By signior Angelo.

Duke. How say you by this change?
1 Sen.
This cannot be,

By no assay of reason; 'tis a pageant,
To keep us in false gaze: When we consider
The 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 the abilities

That Rhodes is dress'd in:-if we make thought

Take hold on me; for my particular grief
Is of so flood-gate and o'erbearing nature,
That it engluts and swallows other sorrows,
And it is still itself.
Duke.
Why, what's the matter?
Bra. My daughter! O, my daughter!
Sen.
Bra.

Dead?
Ay, to me

She is abus'd, stol'n from me, and corrupted
By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks
For nature so preposterously to err,
Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,

Sans' witchcraft could not

Duke. Whoe'er he be, that, in this foul proceeding, Hath thus beguil'd your daughter of herself, 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, this Moor; whom now, it seems, Your special mandate, for the state affairs, Hath hither brought.

Duke & Sen.

We are very sorry for it. Duke. What, in your own part, can you say to

this?

[TO OTHELLO

Bra. Nothing but this is so. Oth. Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, My very noble and approv'd good masters, 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 set phrase of peace. • Accusation.

• Without.