Othello the Legatus Act 2 Part 1.16

"Oh, no more." Iago heard Cassio protesting to the Governor aides. Iago laughed and went into the verses of Catullus; the famous poet of Rome.

"Let us live, my Lesbia, let us love,

And all the words of the old, and so moral,

May they be worth less than nothing to us!

Sun may set, and suns may rise again;

But when our brief light has set...."

From Let's live and love; to Lesbia by Catullus.

"Wonderful ....words." Cassio tried to hold his balance.

"From our poet, Catullus." Iago replied.

"Sad Cassio, stop playing the fool, and let what you know leads you to ruin, end.

Once, bright days shone for you, when you came often drawn to the girl,

Loved as no other will be loved by you.

Then there were many pleasures with her, that you wished, and the girl not unwilling,

Truly the bright days shone for you."

Adapted from Advise to myself by Catullus.

"Are you referring to the Gaul girl? I never was her lover." Cassio shook his head.

"She had you loved more than any of us. She may be your Desdemona."

"Desdemona? No,no, she is not mine. She is Othello." Cassio looked to Iago. He reached for the goblet of wine by the table. "Let us drink to Othello."

"Let me tell you about your girl." Iago spoke up when the Pilus took the goblet. He had caught onto the wine and forgot his duty bound vows.

"Because my girl, who's left my arms, whom I loved as no other girl;s even been loved,

for whom so many great battles were fought, is there.

You, all the rich and the fortunate, love her, and, what's so shameful, its true, all the lesser ones,

one of the hairy ones, rabbit-faced offspring of Rome, Cassio."

Adapted from Free for All: to the Regulars and Egnatius by Catullus.

"I am not any rabbit." Cassio refused to be associated with the promiscuous animal."No, no. Stop it. With God's wishes, some of us would be loved and others discarded."

"I would be loved." Iago told him.

"I would be. I am his to loved." Cassio replied. With the words of God, he had realized he had another duty to perform; one that was equally as important as his vow to God. He had a Legion to command. Its his while his Legatus rest.

"Iago, we got to take on the guards." Cassio staggered on his feet. He dropped the goblet he was holding. He stepped over it, and walked towards Iago.

"Let us go now." Cassio told Iago. The later nodded but remained seated.

"You go on. I hear the far end of the dock needed careful watch." Iago told his Pilus. Cassio nodded and took his own exit from the tavern, while Iago shook his head.

"A Centurion that could not hold his drink. Don't be mistaken on him. He is a good legionnaire. He fought his share, but he lacks what we have as Centurion" Iago spoke out in a cynical tone. "Not deserving the rank he holds."

"Aye?" Lucius agreed.

"Do you know he fought well, but he had to drown his sorrow on the kills with the wine?" Iago made up the tale to defile the Pilus in the eye of the aides.

"Does the Legatus know? A man with a conscience of such would weigh on his command." Lucius replied. It was then Roderigo walked in as per his last advice by Iago; meet at the tavern late evening.

"Aye, he does not know. How could he when he had raised the other to be Pilus? An oversight, I guess." Iago spoke out to Lucius, while looking at the newly arrived person. He winked at Roderigo. It was his cue to work out the plan agreed with Roderigo. 

"Then its our duty to advice him. We are the aides of the Governor and this is his province. Here he rules like the Emperor when in Rome." Lucius tried to justify his earlier statement.

"You do, but give me even the position of the Governor." Iago got up and dragged himself towards Roderigo but the later had left.