Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content 180
To see you here before me. O my soul's joy![5444]
If after every tempest come such calms,[5445]
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death![5446]
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas
Olympus-high and duck again as low 185
As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die,[5447]
'Twere now to be most happy; for I fear,
My soul hath her content so absolute
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.
Des. The heavens forbid 190
But that our loves and comforts should increase,[5448]
Even as our days do grow!
Oth. Amen to that, sweet powers![5449]
I cannot speak enough of this content;
It stops me here; it is too much of joy:
And this, and this, the greatest discords be [Kissing her.[5450]195
That e'er our hearts shall make!
Iago. [Aside] O, you are well tuned now![5451][5452]
But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,[5452][5453]
As honest as I am.[5452]
Oth. Come, let us to the castle.[5454]
News, friends; our wars are done, the Turks are drown'd.[5455]
How does my old acquaintance of this isle?[5456] 200
Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus;
I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet,[5457]
I prattle out of fashion, and I dote
In mine own comforts. I prithee, good Iago,[5458]
Go to the bay, and disembark my coffers:[5459] 205
Bring thou the master to the citadel;
He is a good one, and his worthiness
Does challenge much respect. Come, Desdemona,
Once more well met at Cyprus.
[Exeunt all but Iago and Roderigo.[5460]
Iago. Do thou meet me presently at the harbour. Come[5461] 210
hither. If thou be'st valiant—as, they say, base men being[5462][5463]
in love have then a nobility in their natures more than is[5463]
native to them—list me. The lieutenant to-night watches[5463][5464]
on the court of guard. First, I must tell thee this: Desdemona[5465]
is directly in love with him. 215
Rod. With him! why, 'tis not possible.
Iago. Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soul be instructed.[5466]
Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, but[5467]
for bragging and telling her fantastical lies: and will she[5468]
love him still for prating? let not thy discreet heart think[5468][5469] 220
it. Her eye must be fed; and what delight shall she have[5470]
to look on the devil? When the blood is made dull with the
act of sport, there should be, again to inflame it and to give[5471]
satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour, sympathy in[5472]
years, manners and beauties; all which the Moor is defective 225
in: now, for want of these required conveniences, her
delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave
the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature will[5473]
instruct her in it and compel her to some second choice.[5474]
Now, sir, this granted—as it is a most pregnant and unforced[5475] 230
position—who stands so eminently in the degree of this fortune[5476]
as Cassio does? a knave very voluble; no further conscionable[5477]
than in putting on the mere form of civil and humane[5478]
seeming, for the better compassing of his salt and most[5478][5479][5480]
hidden loose affection? why, none; why, none: a slipper and[5479][5481][5482] 235
subtle knave; a finder out of occasions; that has an eye can[5482][5483]
stamp and counterfeit advantages, though true advantage[5484]
never present itself: a devilish knave! Besides, the knave[5484][5485]
is handsome, young, and hath all those requisites in him
that folly and green minds look after: a pestilent complete[5486] 240
knave; and the woman hath found him already.[5487]
Rod. I cannot believe that in her; she's full of most[5488]
blest condition.[5489][5490]