Speeches (Lines) for Lodovico in "The Tragedy of Othello; or, The Moor of Venice"

Iago. Something from Venice, sure. 'Tis Lodovico
Come from the duke: and, see, your wife is with him.

Lodovico. Save you, worthy general!

Othello. With all my heart, sir.

Lodovico. The duke and senators of Venice greet you.

Iago. I am very glad to see you, signior
Welcome to Cyprus.

Lodovico. I thank you. How does Lieutenant Cassio?

Othello. [Reads] 'This fail you not to do, as you will--'

Lodovico. He did not call; he's busy in the paper.
Is there division 'twixt my lord and Cassio?

Desdemona. What, is he angry?

Lodovico. May be the letter moved him;
For, as I think, they do command him home,
Deputing Cassio in his government.

Desdemona. I have not deserved this.

Lodovico. My lord, this would not be believed in Venice,
Though I should swear I saw't: 'tis very much:
Make her amends; she weeps.

Desdemona. I will not stay to offend you.

Lodovico. Truly, an obedient lady:
I do beseech your lordship, call her back.

Othello. What would you with her, sir?

Lodovico. Who, I, my lord?

Othello. Ay; you did wish that I would make her turn:
Sir, she can turn, and turn, and yet go on,
And turn again; and she can weep, sir, weep;
And she's obedient, as you say, obedient,
Very obedient. Proceed you in your tears.
Concerning this, sir,--O well-painted passion!--
I am commanded home. Get you away;
I'll send for you anon. Sir, I obey the mandate,
And will return to Venice. Hence, avaunt!
[Exit DESDEMONA]
Cassio shall have my place. And, sir, tonight,
I do entreat that we may sup together:
You are welcome, sir, to Cyprus.--Goats and monkeys!

Lodovico. Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate
Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature
Whom passion could not shake? whose solid virtue
The shot of accident, nor dart of chance,
Could neither graze nor pierce?

Iago. He is much changed.

Lodovico. Are his wits safe? is he not light of brain?

Iago. He's that he is: I may not breathe my censure
What he might be: if what he might he is not,
I would to heaven he were!

Lodovico. What, strike his wife!

Iago. 'Faith, that was not so well; yet would I knew
That stroke would prove the worst!

Lodovico. Is it his use?
Or did the letters work upon his blood,
And new-create this fault?

Iago. Alas, alas!
It is not honesty in me to speak
What I have seen and known. You shall observe him,
And his own courses will denote him so
That I may save my speech: do but go after,
And mark how he continues.

Lodovico. I am sorry that I am deceived in him.

Iago. And you shall be satisfied.

Lodovico. I do beseech you, sir, trouble yourself no further.

Othello. O, pardon me: 'twill do me good to walk.

Lodovico. Madam, good night; I humbly thank your ladyship.

Cassio. O, help!

Lodovico. Hark!

Roderigo. O wretched villain!

Lodovico. Two or three groan: it is a heavy night:
These may be counterfeits: let's think't unsafe
To come in to the cry without more help.

Roderigo. Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death.

Lodovico. Hark!

Iago. Who's there? whose noise is this that ones on murder?

Lodovico. We do not know.

Gratiano. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.

Lodovico. The same indeed; a very valiant fellow.

Iago. Kill men i' the dark!--Where be these bloody thieves?--
How silent is this town!--Ho! murder! murder!--
What may you be? are you of good or evil?

Lodovico. As you shall prove us, praise us.

Iago. Signior Lodovico?

Lodovico. He, sir.

Othello. Behold, I have a weapon;
A better never did itself sustain
Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day,
That, with this little arm and this good sword,
I have made my way through more impediments
Than twenty times your stop: but, O vain boast!
Who can control his fate? 'tis not so now.
Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon'd;
Here is my journey's end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
Do you go back dismay'd? 'tis a lost fear;
Man but a rush against Othello's breast,
And he retires. Where should Othello go?
Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd wench!
Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt,
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl!
Even like thy chastity. O cursed slave!
Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds! roast me in sulphur!
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!
O Desdemona! Desdemona! dead!
Oh! Oh! Oh!
[Enter LODOVICO. MONTANO, CASSIO carried in a chair,]
and Officers with IAGO, prisoner]

Lodovico. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man?

Othello. That's he that was Othello: here I am.

Lodovico. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth.

Othello. I look down towards his feet; but that's a fable.
If that thou best a devil, I cannot kill thee.

Lodovico. Wrench his sword from him.

Othello. I am not sorry neither: I'ld have thee live;
For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die.

Lodovico. O thou Othello, thou wert once so good,
Fall'n in the practise of a damned slave,
What shall be said to thee?

Othello. Why, any thing:
An honourable murderer, if you will;
For nought I did in hate, but all in honour.

Lodovico. This wretch hath part confess'd his villany:
Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?

Iago. Demand me nothing: what you know, you know:
From this time forth I never will speak word.

Lodovico. What, not to pray?

Othello. Well, thou dost best.

Lodovico. Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n,
Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter
Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo;
And here another: the one of them imports
The death of Cassio to be undertook
By Roderigo.

Cassio. Most heathenish and most gross!

Lodovico. Now here's another discontented paper,
Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems,
Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain;
But that belike Iago in the interim
Came in and satisfied him.

Cassio. There is besides in Roderigo's letter,
How he upbraids Iago, that he made him
Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came
That I was cast: and even but now he spake,
After long seeming dead, Iago hurt him,
Iago set him on.

Lodovico. You must forsake this room, and go with us:
Your power and your command is taken off,
And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave,
If there be any cunning cruelty
That can torment him much and hold him long,
It shall be his. You shall close prisoner rest,
Till that the nature of your fault be known
To the Venetian state. Come, bring him away.

Othello. Soft you; a word or two before you go.
I have done the state some service, and they know't.
No more of that. I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinal gum. Set you down this;
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban'd Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog,
And smote him, thus.

Lodovico. O bloody period!

Cassio. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon;
For he was great of heart.

Lodovico. [To IAGO] O Spartan dog,
More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea!
Look on the tragic loading of this bed;
This is thy work: the object poisons sight;
Let it be hid. Gratiano, keep the house,
And seize upon the fortunes of the Moor,
For they succeed on you. To you, lord governor,
Remains the censure of this hellish villain;
The time, the place, the torture: O, enforce it!
Myself will straight aboard: and to the state
This heavy act with heavy heart relate.