Cyprus. Before the Castle. | |
| |
Enter CASSIO, and some Musicians. | |
| Cas. Masters, play here, I will content your pains; | |
| Something that’s brief; and bid ‘Good morrow, general.’ [Music. | 4 |
| |
Enter Clown. | |
| Clo. Why, masters, have your instruments been in Naples, that they speak i’ the nose thus? | |
| First Mus. How, sir, how? | |
| Clo. Are these, I pray you, wind-instruments? | 8 |
| First Mus. Ay, marry, are they, sir. | |
| Clo. O! thereby hangs a tail. | |
| First Mus. Whereby hangs a tale, sir? | |
| Clo. Marry, sir, by many a wind-instrument that I know. But, masters, here’s money for you; and the general so likes your music, that he desires you, for love’s sake, to make no more noise with it. | 12 |
| First Mus. Well, sir, we will not. | |
| Clo. If you have any music that may not be heard, to ’t again; but, as they say, to hear music the general does not greatly care. | |
| First Mus. We have none such, sir. | |
| Clo. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I’ll away. Go; vanish into air; away! [Exeunt Musicians. | 16 |
| Cas. Dost thou hear, mine honest friend? | |
| Clo. No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you. | |
| Cas. Prithee, keep up thy quillets. There’s a poor piece of gold for thee. If the gentlewoman that attends the general’s wife be stirring, tell her there’s one Cassio entreats her a little favour of speech: wilt thou do this? | |
| Clo. She is stirring, sir: if she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify unto her. | 20 |
| Cas. Do, good my friend. [Exit Clown. | |
| |
Enter IAGO. | |
| In happy time, Iago. | |
| Iago. You have not been a-bed, then? | 24 |
| Cas. Why, no; the day had broke | |
| Before we parted. I have made bold, Iago, | |
| To send in to your wife; my suit to her | |
| Is, that she will to virtuous Desdemona | 28 |
| Procure me some access. | |
| Iago. I’ll send her to you presently; | |
| And I’ll devise a mean to draw the Moor | |
| Out of the way, that your converse and business | 32 |
| May be more free. | |
| Cas. I humbly thank you for ’t. [Exit IAGO. | |
| I never knew | |
| A Florentine more kind and honest. | 36 |
| |
Enter EMILIA. | |
| Emil. Good morrow, good lieutenant: I am sorry | |
| For your displeasure; but all will soon be well. | |
| The general and his wife are talking of it, | 40 |
| And she speaks for you stoutly: the Moor replies | |
| That he you hurt is of great fame in Cyprus | |
| And great affinity, and that in wholesome wisdom | |
| He might not but refuse you; but he protests he loves you, | 44 |
| And needs no other suitor but his likings | |
| To take the saf’st occasion by the front | |
| To bring you in again. | |
| Cas. Yet, I beseech you, | 48 |
| If you think fit, or that it may be done, | |
| Give me advantage of some brief discourse | |
| With Desdemona alone. | |
| Emil. Pray you, come in: | 52 |
| I will bestow you where you shall have time | |
| To speak your bosom freely. | |
| Cas. I am much bound to you. [Exeunt. | |