[Enter RODERIGO and IAGO]
RODERIGO Tush! never tell me!
IAGO 'Sblood,
but you will not hear me:
If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me.
RODERIGO 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,
Off-capp'd to him: and, by the faith of man,
I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
But he
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,
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster; mere prattle, without practise,
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
And I--God bless the mark!--his Moorship's ancient.
RODERIGO By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.
IAGO Why,
there's no remedy; now, sir, be judge yourself,
Whether I in any just term am affined
To love the Moor.
RODERIGO 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
Cannot be truly follow'd. 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;
I am not what I am.
RODERIGO What
a full fortune does the thicklips owe
If he can carry't thus!
IAGO Call
up her father,
Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight!
RODERIGO Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud.
IAGO Do!
RODERIGO 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 appears above, at a window]
BRABANTIO What is
the reason of this terrible summons?
What is the matter there?
RODERIGO Signior, is all your family within?
IAGO Are your doors lock'd?
BRABANTIO Why, wherefore ask you this?
IAGO 'Zounds,
sir, you're robb'd;
Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is topping your white ewe.
BRABANTIO What, have you lost your wits?
RODERIGO Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?
BRABANTIO Not I what are you?
RODERIGO My name is Roderigo.
BRABANTIO The
worser 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!
RODERIGO Patience, good sir.
BRABANTIO What
tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice;
My house is not a grange.
RODERIGO Most
grave Brabantio,
In simple and pure soul I come to you.
IAGO 'Zounds,
sir, because we come to
do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll
have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse;
you'll have your nephews neigh to you.
BRABANTIO What profane wretch art thou?
IAGO I
am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter
and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.
BRABANTIO Thou art a villain.
IAGO You are--a senator.
BRABANTIO This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.
RODERIGO Sir,
I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you,
If't be your pleasure and most wise consent,
As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter,
At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night,
Transported
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;
Straight satisfy yourself:
If she be in her chamber or your house,
Let loose on me the justice of the state
For thus deluding you.
BRABANTIO Strike
on the tinder, ho!
Give me a taper! call up all my people!
This accident is not unlike my dream:
Light, I say! light!
[Exit above]
IAGO Farewell;
for I must leave you:
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 raised search;
And there will I be with him. So, farewell.
[Exit]
[Enter, below, BRABANTIO, and Servants with torches]
BRABANTIO It is
too true an evil: gone she is;
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 me
Past thought! What said she to you? Get more tapers:
Raise all my kindred. Are they married, think you?
RODERIGO Truly, I think they are.
BRABANTIO O
heaven! O treason of the blood!
Is there not charms
By which the property of youth and maidhood
May be abused? Have you not read, Roderigo,
Of some such thing?
RODERIGO Yes, sir, I have indeed.
BRABANTIO Call up
my brother. O, would you had had her!
Some one way, some another. Do you know
Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?
RODERIGO I think I can discover him.
BRABANTIO Pray
you, lead on. Get weapons, ho!
On, good Roderigo: I'll deserve your pains.
[Exeunt]