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The Stationer to the Reader.
TO set forth a booke without an Epistle,
were like to the old English prouerbe, A
blew coat without a badge,the Author
being dead, I thought good to take
that piece of worke upon mee: To commend
it, I will not, for that which is good, I hope euery
man will commend, without intreaty: and I am the bolder,
because the Authors name is sufficient to vent his
worke. Thus leauing every one to the liberty of iudgement:
I have ventered to print this Play, and leaue it
to the generall censure.
Yours,
Thomas Walkley.
Zouns Sir, you are one of those, that will not serue God, if
the Deuill bid you. Because we come to doe you seruice, you thinke
we are Ruffians, youle haue your daughter couered with a Barbary
horse; youle haue your Nephewes ney to you; youle haue Coursers
for Cousens, and Iennits for Iermans.
I am one sir, that come to tell you, your daughter, and the
Moore, are now making the Beast with two backs.
The Turke with most mighty preparation makes for Cipres:
Othello, the fortitude of the place, is best knowne to you, and tho we
haue there a substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a soueraigne
mistresse of effects, throwes a more safer voyce on you; you
must therefore bee content to slubber the glosse of your new fortunes,
with this more stubborne and boisterous expedition.
Iago.
What saiest thou noble heart?
What will I doe thinkest thou?
Why goe to bed and sleepe.
I will incontinently drowne my selfe.
Well, if thou doest, I shall neuer loue thee after it,
Why, thou silly Gentleman.
It is sillinesse to liue, when to liue is a torment, and then we
haue a prescription, to dye when death is our Physition.
I ha look'd vpon the world for foure times seuen yeares,
and since I could distinguish betweene a benefit, and an iniury, I neuer
found a man that knew how to loue himselfe: ere I would say
I would drowne my selfe, for the loue of a Ginny Hen, I would
>change my humanity with a Baboone.
What should I do? I confesse it is my shame to be so fond,
but it is not in my vertue to amend it.
Vertue? a fig, tis in our selues, that wee are thus, or thus,
our bodies are gardens, to the which our wills are Gardiners, so that
if we will plant Nettles, or sow Lettice, set Isop, and weed vp Time;
supply it with one gender of hearbes, or distract it with many; either
to haue it sterrill with Idlenesse, or manur'd with Industry, why
the power, and corrigible Authority of this, lies in our wills. If the
ballance of our liues had not one scale of reason, to poise another of
sensuality; the blood and basenesse of our natures, would conduct
vs to most preposterous conclusions. But wee haue reason to coole
our raging motions, our carnall stings, our vnbitted lusts; whereof
I take this, that you call loue to be a sect, or syen.
It cannot be.
It is meerly a lust of the blood, and a permission of the will:
Come, be a man; drowne thy selfe? drowne Cats and blinde Puppies:
I professe me thy friend, and I confesse me knit to thy deseruing,
with cables of perdurable toughnesse; I could neuer better
steede thee then now. Put money in thy purse; follow these warres,
defeate thy fauour with an vsurp'd beard; I say, put money in thy
purse. It cannot be, that Desdemona should long continue her loue
vnto the Moore, --- put money in thy purse, -- nor he to her; it was
a violent commencement, and thou shalt see an answerable sequestration:
put but money in thy purse. ---These Moores are changeable
in their wills: --- fill thy purse with money. The food that to
him now, is as lushious as Locusts, shall be to him shortly as acerbe
as the Colloquintida. When shee is sated with his body, shee will
finde the error of her choyce; shee must haue change, shee must.
Therefore put money in thy purse: if thou wilt needes damme
thy selfe, doe it a more delicate way then drowning; make all
the money thou canst. If sanctimony, and a fraile vow, betwixt an
erring Barbarian, and a super subtle Venetian, be not too hard for my
wits, and all the tribe of hell, thou shalt enioy her; therefore make
money, --- a pox a drowning, tis cleane out of the way: seeke thou
rather to be hang'd in compassing thy ioy, then to bee drowned, and
goe without her.
Wilt thou be fast to my hopes?
Thou art sure of me ---goe, make money --- I haue told
thee often, and I tell thee againe, and againe, I hate the Moore, my
cause is harted, thine has no lesse reason, let vs be communicatiue in
our reuenge against him: If thou canst cuckold him, thou doest thy
selfe a pleasure, and me a sport. There are many euents in the womb
of Time, which will be deliuered. Trauerce, go, prouide thy money,
we will haue more of this to morrow, Adiue.
Where shall we meete i'th morning.
At my lodging.
I'le be with thee betimes.
Go to, farewell: ---doe you heare Roderigo?
what say you?
No more of drowning, doe you heare?
I am chang'd.
Well praisde: how if she be blacke and witty?
These are old paradoxes, to make fooles laugh i'the Alehouse,
O heauy ignorance, that praises the worst best: but what
praise couldst thou bestow on a deseruing woman indeed? one,
that in the authority of her merrits, did iustly put on the vouch of
very malice it selfe?
To doe what?
O most lame and impotent conclusion:
Doe not learne of him Emillia, tho he be thy husband;
How say you Cassio, is he not a most prophane and liberall
Counsellour?
He takes her by the palme; I well sed, whisper: as little a
webbe as this will ensnare as great a Flee as Cassio. I smile vpon
her, doe: I will catch you in your owne courtesies: you say true,
tis so indeed. If such trickes as these strip you out of your Leiutenantry,
it had beene better you had not rist your three fingers so oft,
which now againe, you are most apt to play the sir in: good, well
kist, an excellent courtesie; tis so indeed: yet againe, your fingers at
your lips? Would they were Clisterpipes for your sake.
Doe thou meete me presently at the Harbour: come hither,
If thou beest valiant, as they say, base men being in loue, haue then
a Nobility in their natures, more then is natiue to them --- list me,
the Leiutenant to night watches on the Court of Guard: first I will
tell thee, this Desdemona is directly in loue with him.
With him? why tis not possible.
Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soule be instructed: marke
me, with what violence she first lou'd the Moore, but for bragging,
and telling her fantasticall lies; and will she loue him still for prating?
let not the discreet heart thinke so. Her eye must be fed, and
what delight shall she haue to look on the Diuell? When the blood
is made dull with the act of sport, there should be againe to inflame
it, and giue saciety a fresh appetite. Loue lines in fauour, sympathy
in yeares, manners and beauties; all which the Moore is defectiue in:
now for want of these requir'd conueniences, her delicate tendernesse
will finde it selfe abus'd, beginne to heaue the gorge, disrellish
and abhorre the Moore, very nature will instruct her to it, and compell
her to some second choice: now sir, this granted, as it is a most
pregnant and vnforced position, who stands so eminently in the degree
of this fortune, as Cassio does? a knaue very voluble, no farder
conscionable, then in putting on the meere forme of ciuill and handseeming,
for the better compassing of his salt and hidden affections:
A subtle slippery knaue, a finder out of occasions; that has an
eye, can stampe and counterfeit the true aduantages neuer present
themselues. Besides, the knaue is handsome, yong, and hath all those
requisites in him that folly and green mindes look after; a pestilent
compleate knaue, and the woman has found him already.
I cannot beleeue that in her, shee's full of most blest condition.
Blest figs end: the wine shee drinkes is made of grapes: if
she had beene blest, she would neuer haue lou'd the Moore. Didst
thou not see her paddle with the palme of his hand?
Yes, but that was but courtesie.
Lechery, by this hand: an Index and prologue to the history
of lust and foule thoughts: they met so neere with their lips,
that their breathes embrac'd together. When these mutualities
so marshall the way, hand at hand, comes the maine exercise, the incorporate
conclusion. But sir, be you rul'd by mee, I haue brought
you from Venice: watch you to night, for your command I'le lay't
vpon you, Cassio knowes you not, I'le not be farre from you, do you
finde some occasion to anger Cassio, either by speaking too loud, or
tainting his discipline, or from what other cause you please; which
the time shall more fauourably minister.
Well.
Sir he is rash, and very suddain in choler, and haply with his
Trunchen may strike at you; prouoke him that he may, for euen out
of that, will I cause these of Cypres to mutiny, whose quallification
shall come into no true trust again't, but by the displanting of Cassio:
So shall you haue a shorter iourney to your desires by the meanes I
shal then haue to prefer them, and the impediment, most profitably remou'd,
without which there were no expectation of our prosperity.
I will doe this, if I can bring it to any opportunity.
I warrant thee, meete me by and by at the Cittadell; I must
fetch his necessaries ashore. --- Farewell.
Adue.
It is Othello's pleasure; our noble and valiant Generall, that vpon
certaine tidings now arriued, importing the meere perdition of the
Turkish Fleete; that euery man put himselfe into triumph: Some to
dance, some make bonefires; each man to what sport and Reuels
his minde leades him; for besides these beneficiall newes, it
is the celebration of his Nuptialls: So much was his pleasure
should bee proclaimed. All Offices are open, and there is full
liberty, from this present houre of fiue, till the bell hath told
eleuen. Heauen blesse the Isle of Cypres, and our noble Generall
Othello.
Not this houre Leiutenant, tis not yet ten aclock: our Generall
cast vs thus early for the loue of his Desdemena. who let vs
not therefore blame, hee hath not yet made wanton the night with
her; and she is sport for Ioue.
She is a most exquisite Lady.
And I'le warrant her full of game.
Indeede she is a most fresh and delicate creature.
What an eye she has?
Me thinkes it sounds a parly of prouocation.
An inuiting eye, and yet me thinkes right moddest.
And when she speakes, tis an alarme to loue.
It is indeede perfection.
Well, happinesse to their sheetes ---come Leiutenant, I
haue a stope of Wine, and heere without are a brace of Cypres Gallants,
that would faine haue a measure to the health of the blacke
Othello.
Not to night, good Iago; I haue very poore and vnhappy
braines for drinking: I could well wish courtesie would inuent some
other custome of entertainement.
O they are our friends, ---but one cup: I'le drink for you.
I ha drunke but one cup to night, and that was craftily qualified
to, and behold what innouation it makes here: I am vnfortunate
in the infirmity, and dare not taske my weakenesse with
any more.
What man, tis a night of Reuells, the Gallants desire it.
Where are they?
Fore God an excellent song.
I learn'd it in England, where indeed they are most potent
in potting: your Dane, your Germaine, and your swag-bellied Hollander;
drinke ho, are nothing to your English.
English man so expert in his drinking?
Why he drinkes you with facillity, your Dane dead drunke:
he sweats not to ouerthrow your Almaine; he giues your Hollander
a vomit, ere the next pottle can be fild.
To the health of our Generall.
I am for it Leiutenant, and I will doe you iustice.
Fore God this is a more exquisite song then the other.
Will you hear't agen?
No, for I hold him vnworthy of his place, that does those
things: well, God's aboue all, and there bee soules that must bee
saued.
It is true good Leiutenant.
For mine own part, no offence to the Generall, nor any man
of quality, I hope to be saued.
And so doe I Leiutenant.
I, but by your leaue, not before me; the Leiutenant is to be
saued before the Ancient. Let's ha no more of this, let's to our affaires:
God forgiue vs our sins: Gentlemen, let's looke to our businesse;
Doe not thinke Gentlemen I am drunke, this is my Ancient,
this is my right hand, and this is my left hand: I am not drunke now,
I can stand well enough, and speake well enough.
Excellent well.
Very well then: you must not thinke, that I am drunke.
Zouns, you rogue, you rascall.
What's the matter Leiutenant?
A knaue, teach mee my duty: but I'le beate the knaue into
a wicker bottle.
Beate me?
Doest thou prate rogue?
Good Leiutenant; pray sir hold your hand.
Let me goe sir, or ile knocke you ore the mazzard.
Come, come, you are drunke.
Drunke?
Reputation, reputation, I ha lost my reputation:
I ha lost the immortall part sir of my selfe,
And what remaines is beastiall, my reputation,
Iago, my reputation.
As I am an honest man, I thought you had receiu'd some
bodily wound, there is more offence in that, then in Reputation: reputation
is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit,
and lost without deseruing, You haue lost no reputation at all, vnlesse
you repute your selfe such a loser; what man, there are wayes
to recouer the Generall agen: you are but now cast in his moode, a
punishment more in pollicy, then in malice, euen so, as one would
beate his offencelesse dog, to affright an imperious Lyon: sue to
him againe, and hees yours.
I will rather sue to be despis'd, then to deceiue so good a
Commander, with so light, so drunken, and indiscreete an Officer:
O thou inuisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to bee knowne
by, let vs call thee Diuell.
What was he, that you followed with your sword?
What had he done to you?
I know not.
Ist possible?
I remember a masse of things, but nothing distinctly; a
quarrell, but nothing wherefore. O God, that men should put an
enemy in there mouthes, to steale away there braines; that wee
should with ioy, Reuell, pleasure, and applause, transforme our
selues into beasts.
Why, but you are now well enough: how came you thus recouered?
It hath pleasde the Diuell drunkennesse, to giue place to
the Diuell wrath; one vnperfectnesse, shewes me another, to make
me frankely despise my selfe.
Come, you are too seuere a morraler; as the time, the place,
the condition of this Countrey stands, I could heartily wish, this
had not so befalne; but since it is as it is, mend it, for your own good.
I will aske him for my place againe, hee shall tell me I am a
drunkard: had I as many mouthes as Hydra, such an answer would
stop em all: to be now a sensible man, by and by a foole, and presently
a beast. Euery vnordinate cup is vnblest, and the ingredience
is a diuell.
Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be
well vs'd; exclaime no more against it; and good Leiutenant, I
thinke you thinke I loue you.
I haue well approou'd it sir, ---I drunke?
You, or any man liuing may bee drunke at some time: I'le
tell you what you shall do, --our Generals wife is now the Generall;
I may say so in this respect, for that he has deuoted and giuen vp
himselfe to the contemplation, marke and deuotement of her parts
and graces. Confesse your selfe freely to her, importune her, shee'll
helpe to put you in your place againe: she is so free, so kind, so apt,
so blessed a disposition, that shee holds it a vice in her goodnesse,
not to doe more then shee is requested. This braule betweene
you and her husband, intreate her to splinter, and my fortunes
against any lay, worth naming, this cracke of your loue
shall grow stronger then twas before.
You aduise me well.
I protest in the sincerity of loue and honest kindnesse.
I thinke it freely, and betimes in the morning, will I beseech
the vertuous Desdemona, to vndertake for me; I am desperate
of my fortunes, if they checke me here.
You are in the right:
Good night Leiutenant, I must to the watch.
Good night honest Iago.
I do follow here in the chase, not like a hound that hunts, but
one that filles vp the cry: my money is almost spent, I ha bin to night
exceedingly well cudgeld: I thinke the issue will be, I shall haue so
much experience for my paines, as that comes to, and no money at
all, and with that wit returne to Venice.
Why masters, ha your instruments bin at Naples, that they
speake i'the nose thus?
How sir, how?
Are these I pray, cald wind Instruments?
I marry are they sir.
O, thereby hangs a tayle.
Whereby hangs a tayle sir?
Marry sir, by many a winde Instrument that I know: But
masters heere's money for you, and the Generall so likes your musique,
that hee desires you of all loues, to make no more noyse
with it.
Well sir, we will not.
If you haue any musique that may not bee heard, to't
againe, but as they saay, to heare musique, the Generall does not
greatly care.
We ha none such sir.
Then put your pipes in your bag, for I'le away; goe, vanish away.
Doest thou heare my honest friend?
No, I heare not your honest friend, I heare you.
Preethee keepe vp thy quillets, there's a poore peece of
gold for thee: if the Gentlewoman that attends the Cenerals wife
be stirring: tell her there's one Cassio, entreates her alittle fauour of
speech --- wilt thou doe this?
She is stirring sir, if she will stirre hither, I shall seeme to notifie vnto her.
Do you know sirra, where the Leiutenant Cassio lies?
I dare not say he lies any where.
Why man?
He is a Souldier, and for one to say a Souldier lies, is stabbing.
Go to, where lodges he?
I know not where he lodges, and for me to deuise a lodging,
and say he lies there, were to lie in my throate.
Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report?
I will cathechize the world for him, that is, make questions
And by them answer.
Seeke him, bid him come hither, tell him I haue moued my
Lord in his behalfe, and hope all will be well.
To doe this is within the compasse of a man, and therefore
I'le attempt the doing of it.
Lie with her, lie on her? We say lie on her, when they bely
her; lye with her, Zouns, that's fulsome, handkerchers, Confession,
hankerchers.
I marry her? I prethee beare some charity to my wit,
Doe not thinke it so vnwholesome: ha, ha, ha.
So, so, so, so, laugh that wins.
Faith the cry goes, you shall marry her.
Preethee say true.
I am a very villaine else,
Ha you stor'd me well.
This is the monkies own giuing out; she is perswuaded I wil
marry her, out of her owne loue and flattery, not out of my promise.
Iago beckons me, now he begins the story.
She was heere euen now, shee haunts me in euery place, I
was tother day, talking on the sea banke, with certaine Venetians, and
thither comes this bauble, by this hand she fals thus about my neck.
Crying, O deare Cassio, as it were: his iesture imports it.
So hangs, and lolls, and weepes vpon me; so hales, and puls
me, ha, ha, ha.
Now he tells how she pluckt him to my Chamber,
I see that nose of yours, but not that dog I shall throw't to.
Well, I must leaue her company.
Before me, looke where she comes,
Tis such another ficho; marry a perfum'd one, what doe you meane
by this hanting of me.
Let the diuel and his dam haunt you, what did you meane
by that same handkercher, you gaue mee euen now? I was a fine
foole to take it; I must take out the whole worke, a likely peece of
worke, that you should find it in your chamber, and not know who
left it there: this is some minxes token, and I must take out the
worke; there, giue it the hobby horse, wheresoeuer you had it, I'le
take out no worke on't.
How now my sweete Bianca, how now, how now?
An you'll come to supper to night, you may, an you will
not, come when you are next prepar'd for.
Well, I may chance to see you, for I would very faine speake
with you.
Preethee come, will you?
Goe to, say no more.
How shall I murder him Iago?
Did you perceiue, how he laughed at his vice?
O Iago,
And did you see the handkercher?
Was that mine?
I would haue him nine yeares a killing; a fine woman, a faire
woman, a sweete woman.
Nay you must forget.
And let her rot and perish, and be damb'd to night, for she
shall not liue: no, my heart is turn'd to stone; I strike it, and it hurts
my hand: O the world has not a sweeter creature, she might lie by
an Emperours side, and command him taskes.
Nay that's not your way.
Hang her, I doe but say what she is: So delicate with her
needle, an admirable musition, O shee will sing the sauagenesse
out of a Beare; of so hye and plentious wit and inuention.
Shee's the worse for all this.
A thousand thousand times: and then of so gentle a condition.
I, too gentle.
I that's certaine, but yet the pitty of it Iago, the pitty.
If you be so fond ouer her iniquity, giue her patent to offend,
for if it touches not you, it comes neere no body.
I will chop her into messes ---cuckold me!
O tis foule in her.
With mine Officer.
That's fouler.
Get me some poison Iago, this night I'le not expostulate
with her, lest her body and beauty vnprouide my minde agen, this
night Iago.
Doe it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, euen the
bed she hath contaminated.
Good, good, the iustice of it pleases very good.
And for Cassio, let me bee his vndertaker: you shall heare
more by midnight.
Excellent good:
What Trumpet is that same?
Something from Venice sure, tis Lodouico,
Come from the Duke, and see your wife is with him.
God saue the worthy Generall.
With all my heart sir.
The Duke and Senators of Venice greete you.
I kisse the instrument of their pleasures.
I am very glad to see you Seignior: --welcome to Cypres
I thanke you, how does Leiutenant Cassio?
Euery day, thou dofftst me, with some deuise Iago;
And rather, as it seemes to me, thou keepest from me,
All conueniency, then suppliest me, with the least
Aduantage of hope: I will indeed no longer indure it,
Nor am I yet perswaded to put vp in peace, what already
I haue foolishly sufferd
Will you heare me Roderigo?
Faith I haue heard too much, for your words,
And performance are no kin together
I haue wasted my selfe out of meanes: the Iewels you haue
had from me, to deliuer to Desdemona, would halfe haue corrupted
a Votarist: you haue told me she has receiu'd em, and return'd mee
expectation, and comforts, of suddaine respect, and acquittance, but
I finde none
Well, goe to, very good
Very well, goe to, I cannot goe to man, it is not very well,
by this hand, I say tis very scuruy, and begin to finde my selfe fopt
in it
Very well
I say it is not very well: I will make my selfe knowne to
Desdemona, if she will returne me my Iewels, I will giue ouer my
suite, and repent my vnlawfull sollicitation, if not, assure your selfe
I'le seeke satisfaction of you
You haue said now
I, and I haue said nothing, but what I protest entendment
of doing
Why now I see there's mettle in thee, and euen from this
time doe build on thee, a better opinion then euer before, giue me
thy hand Roderigo: Thou hast taken against me a most iust conception,
but yet I protest, I haue delt most directly in thy affaires
It hath not appeared
I grant indeed it hath not appear'd, and your suspition is
not without wit and iudgement: But Roderigo, if thou hast that
within thee indeed, which I haue greater reason to beleeue now,
then euer, I meane purpose, courage, and valour, this night shew it, if
thou the next night following enioyest not Desdemona, take mee
from this world with treachery, and deuise engines for my life
Well, is it within reason and compasse?
Sir, there is especiall command come from Venice,
To depute Cassio in Othello's place
Is that true? why then Othello and Desdemona
Returne againe to Venice
O no, he goes into Mauritania, and takes away with him
The faire Desdemona, vnlesse his abode be linger'd
Here by some accident, wherein none can be so
determinate, as the remouing of Cassio
How doe you meane remouing of him?
Why, by making him vncapable of Othello's place,
Knocking out his braines
And that you would haue me to doe
I, and if you dare doe your selfe a profit, and right, hee sups
to night with a harlot, and thither will I goe to him; --- he knowes
not yet of his honourable fortune: if you will watch his going
thence, which I will fashion to fall out betweene twelue and one,
you may take him at your pleasure: I will be neere to second your
attempt, and hee shall fall betweene vs: come, stand not amaz'd
at it, but goe along with mee, I will shew you such a necessity in his
death, that you shall thinke your selfe bound to put it on him
now high supper time, and the night growes to wast: about it
I will heare further reason for this
And you shall be satisfied
Get you to bed, o'the instant I will be return'd, forthwith,
dispatch your Attendant there, ---looke it be done.
How goes it now? he lookes gentler then he did
Nor I neither, by this heauenly light,
I might doe it as well in the darke
The world is a huge thing, it is a great price,
For a small vice
By my troth I thinke I should, and vndo't when I had done
it, mary I would not doe such a thing for a ioynt ring; or for measures
of Lawne, nor for Gownes, or Petticotes, nor Caps, nor any
such exhibition; but for the whole world? vds pitty, who would
not make her husband a Cuckole, to make him a Monarch? I should
venture purgatory for it
Why, the wrong is but a wrong i'the world; and hauing the
world for your labour, tis a wrong in your owne world, and you
might quickly make it right