Duke. Say it, Othello.
Oth. Her father loved me, oft invited me,
Still question'd me the story of my life[5146]
From year to year, the battles, sieges, fortunes,[5147] 130
That I have pass'd.[5148]
I ran it through, even from my boyish days[5149]
To the very moment that he bade me tell it:
Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances,[5150]
Of moving accidents by flood and field,[5151] 135
Of hair-breadth 'scapes i' the imminent deadly breach,[5152]
Of being taken by the insolent foe,
And sold to slavery, of my redemption thence,[5153]
And portance in my travels' history:[5154]
Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle,[5155] 140
Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heaven,[5156]
It was my hint to speak,—such was the process;[5157][5158][5159]
And of the Cannibals that each other eat,[5158][5160]
The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads[5158][5161]
Do grow beneath their shoulders. This to hear[5158][5162] 145
Would Desdemona seriously incline:
But still the house-affairs would draw her thence;[5163]
Which ever as she could with haste dispatch,[5164]
She'ld come again, and with a greedy ear
Devour up my discourse: which I observing, 150
Took once a pliant hour, and found good means
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart
That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,
Whereof by parcels she had something heard,[5165]
But not intentively: I did consent,[5166] 155
And often did beguile her of her tears
When I did speak of some distressful stroke[5167]
That my youth suffer'd. My story being done,[5168]
She gave me for my pains a world of sighs:[5169]
She swore, in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange;[5170] 160
'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful:
She wish'd she had not heard it, yet she wish'd
That heaven had made her such a man: she thank'd me,[5171]
And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her,
I should but teach him how to tell my story, 165
And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake:[5172]
She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd,[5173]
And I loved her that she did pity them.
This only is the witchcraft I have used.
Here comes the lady; let her witness it. 170
Enter Desdemona, Iago, and Attendants.[5174]
Duke. I think this tale would win my daughter too.[5175]
Good Brabantio,[5176]
Take up this mangled matter at the best:[5176]
Men do their broken weapons rather use
Than their bare hands.
Bra. I pray you, hear her speak: 175
If she confess that she was half the wooer,
Destruction on my head, if my bad blame[5177]
Light on the man! Come hither, gentle mistress:
Do you perceive in all this noble company[5178]
Where most you owe obedience?
Des. My noble father,[5179] 180
I do perceive here a divided duty:
To you I am bound for life and education;[5180]
My life and education both do learn me
How to respect you; you are the lord of duty,[5181]
I am hitherto your daughter: but here's my husband,[5180] 185
And so much duty as my mother show'd[5182]
To you, preferring you before her father,
So much I challenge that I may profess[5183]
Due to the Moor my lord.
Bra. God be with you! I have done.[5184]
Please it your grace, on to the state-affairs: 190
I had rather to adopt a child than get it.[5185]
Come hither, Moor:
I here do give thee that with all my heart,
Which, but thou hast already, with all my heart[5186]
I would keep from thee. For your sake, jewel,[5187] 195
I am glad at soul I have no other child;[5180][5188]
For thy escape would teach me tyranny,
To hang clogs on them. I have done, my lord.[5189]
Duke. Let me speak like yourself, and lay a sentence[5190]
Which, as a grise or step, may help these lovers[5191] 200
Into your favour.[5192]
When remedies are past, the griefs are ended[5193]
By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.[5194]
To mourn a mischief that is past and gone
Is the next way to draw new mischief on.[5195] 205
What cannot be preserved when fortune takes,
Patience her injury a mockery makes.[5196]
The robb'd that smiles steals something from the thief;[5197]
He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.
Bra. So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile;[5198] 210
We lose it not so long as we can smile.[5199]
He bears the sentence well, that nothing bears[5200]
But the free comfort which from thence he hears;[5200]
But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow,[5201]
That, to pay grief, must of poor patience borrow. 215
These sentences, to sugar or to gall,
Being strong on both sides, are equivocal:
But words are words; I never yet did hear
That the bruised heart was pierced through the ear.[5202]
I humbly beseech you, proceed to the affairs of state.[5203] 220
Duke. The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes[5204]
for Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude of the place is best
known to you; and though we have there a substitute of[5205]
most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a sovereign mistress[5206]
of effects, throws a more safer voice on you: you must therefore[5207] 225
be content to slubber the gloss of your new fortunes[5208]
with this more stubborn and boisterous expedition.[5209]