England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Young women -- England -- Fiction
The performance now became so truly ludicrous, that Camilla,
notwithstanding all her uneasiness, was excited to almost perpetual
laughter.
Desdemona, either from the effect of a bad cold, or to give more of
nature to her repose, breathed so hard, as to raise a general laugh in
the audience; Sir Sedley, stopping his ears, exclaimed, 'O! if she
snores I shall plead for her no more, if she tear her gown to tatters!
Suffocation is much too lenient for her. She's an immense horrid
personage! nasal to alarm!'
Othello then entered, with a tallow candle in his hand, staring and
dropping grease at every step; and, having just declared he would not
Scar that vhiter skin of hers than snow,
perceived a thief in the candle, which made it run down so fast over his
hand, and the sleeve of his coat, that, the moment not being yet arrived
for extinguishing it, he was forced to lay down his sword, and, for want
of better means, snuff it with his fingers.
Sir Sedley now protested himself completely disordered: 'I must be
gone,' cried he, 'incontinently; this exceeds resistance: I shan't be
alive in another minute. Are you able to form a notion of anything more
annihilating? If I did not build upon the pleasure of seeing him stop up
those distressing nostrils of the gentle Desdemona, I could not breathe
here another instant.'
But just after, while Othello leant over the bed to say--
Vhen I've pluck'd the rose
I cannot give it wital growth again,
It needs must vither----
his black locks caught fire.
The candle now fell from his hand, and he attempted to pull off his wig;
but it had been tied close on, to appear more natural, and his fright
disabled him; he therefore flung himself upon the bed, and rolled the
coverlid over his head.
Desdemona, excessively frightened, started up, and jumped out, shrieking
aloud--'O, Lord! I shall be burnt!'
This noble Venetian Dame then exhibited, beneath an old white satin
bedgown, made to cover her arms and breast, the dress in which she had
equipped herself, between the acts, to be ready for trampling home;
namely, a dirty red and white linen gown, an old blue stuff quilted
coat, and black shoes and stockings.
In this pitiable condition, she was running, screaming, off the stage,
when Othello, having quenched the fire, unconscious that half his curls
had fallen a sacrifice to the flames, hastily pursued her, and, in a
violent passion, called her a fool, and brought her back to the bed; in
which he assisted her to compose herself, and then went behind the
scenes to light his candle; which having done, he gravely returned, and,
very carefully putting it down, renewed his part with the line.
Be thus vhen thou art dead, and I vill kill thee
And love thee after--
Amidst roars of laughter from the whole audience, who, when he kissed
her, almost with one voice called out--'Ay ay, that's right--kiss and
friends!'
And when he said--
I must veep----
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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