g done, she gave him for his pains a world of sighs: she
swore a pretty oath, that it was all passing strange, and pitiful,
wondrous pitiful: she wished (she said) she had not heard it, yet she
wished that heaven had made her such a man: and then she thanked him,
and told him, if he had a friend who loved her, he had only to teach
him how to tell his story, and that would woo her. Upon this hint,
delivered not with more frankness than modesty, accompanied with a
certain bewitching prettiness, and blushes, which Othello could not
but understand, he spoke more openly of his love, and in this golden
opportunity gained the consent of the generous lady Desdemona
privately to marry him.

Neither Othello's colour nor his fortune were such, that it could be
hoped Brabantio would accept him for a son-in-law. He had left his
daughter free; but he did expect that, as the manner of noble Venetian
ladies was, she would choose ere long a husband of senatorial rank or
expectations: but in this he was deceived; Desdemona loved the Moor,
though he was black, and devoted her heart and fortunes to his valiant
parts and qualities: so was her heart subdued to an implicit devotion
to the man she had selected for a husband, that his very colour, which
to all but this discerning lady would have proved an insurmountable
objection, was by her esteemed above all the white skins and clear
complexions of the young Venetian nobility, her suitors.

Their marriage, which, though privately carried, could not long
be kept a secret, came to the ears of the old man, Brabantio, who
appeared in a solemn council of the senate, as an accuser of the Moor
Othello, who by spells and witchcraft (he maintained) had seduced the
affections of the fair Desdemona to marry him, without the consent of
her father, and against the obligations of hospitality.

At this juncture of time it happened that the state of Venice had
immediate need of the services of Othello, news having arrived that
the Turks with mighty preparation had fitted out a fleet, which was
bending its course to the island of Cyprus, with intent to regain that
strong post from the Venetians, who then held it: in this emergency
the state turned its eyes upon Othello, who alone was deemed adequate
to conduct the defence of Cyprus against the Turks. So that Othello,
now summoned before the senate, stood in their presence at once as a
candidate for a great state-employment, and as a culprit, charged with
o