944

Oth.

I shall not dine at home; I meet the captains at the citadel.

Des. Why then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday

morn;

Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday morn;—
I pray thee, name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days: in faith he's penitent;
And yet his trespass in our common reason,
(Save that, they say, the wars must make examples
Out of their best,) is not almost a fault
To incur a private check: When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my soul,

What you could ask me, that I should deny,
Or stand so mammering on. What! Michael Cassio,
That came a wooing with you; and many a time,
When I have spoke of you dispraisingly,
Hath ta'en your part; to have so much to do
To bring him in! Trust me, could do much,
Oth. Pr'ythee, no more: let him come when he

will;

I will deny thee nothing: Whereon, I do beseech thee, grant me this

To leave me but a little to myself.

Des. Shall I deny you? no: Farewell, my lord.

When Cassio left my wife; What did'st not like?
And, when I told thee he was of my counsel
In my whole course of wooing, thou cry'dst, Indeed?
And did'st contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then had'st shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit: If thou dost love me,
Show me thy thought.

Iago. My lord, you know I love you.
Oth.
I think thou dost,
And, for I know thou art full of love and honesty,
And weigh'st thy words before thou giv'st thein
breath,

Good my lord, pardon me; Though I am bound to every act of duty,

I am not bound to that all slaves are free, too,

your love?

false,

As where's that palace, whereunto foul things
Sometimes intrude not? who has a breast so pure,
But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets, and law-days, and in session sit
With meditations lawful?

Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago,
If thou but think'st him wrong'd, and mak'st his ear
A stranger to thy thoughts.
Iago.
I do beseech you,
Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess,
As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuses; and, oft my jealousy
I entreat you then,
From one that so imperfectly conjects,
You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble
Out of his scattering and unsure observance :
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honesty, or wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

Oth.

What dost thou mean? Iago. Good name, in man, and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse, steals trash 'tis something,

nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands ; But he, that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that, which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. By heaven, I'll know thy thought.
Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand;
Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody.
Oth. Ha!

Iago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock

Des. Faith, that's with watching; 'twill away again.

Let me but bind it hard, within this hour

It will be well.

Oth.

Your napkin is too little;

[He puts the handkerchief from him, and it
drops.

Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with you.
Des. I am very sorry that you are not well.

[Exeunt OTH. and DES. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor: My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it: but she so loves the token, (For he conjur'd her, she would ever keep it,) That she reserves it evermore about her,

To kiss, and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out, And give it lago;

What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I;

I nothing, but to please his fantasy.

[Snatching it.

Emil. If it be not for some purpose of import, Give it me again: Poor lady! she'll run mad, When she shall lack it.

Iago. Be not you known of't; I have use for it. Go, leave me. [Exit EMILIA.

I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin,
And let him find it: Trifles, light as air,
Are, to the jealous, confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ. This may do something.
The Moor already changes with my poison:
Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons,
Which, at the first, are scarce found to distaste;
But, with a little act upon the blood,

Burn like the mines of sulphur.-I did say so:

How now, my lord?

Iago. Oth. What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust? I saw it not, thought it not, it harm'd not me: I slept the next night well, was free and merry ; I found not Cassio's kisses on her lips: He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen, Let him not know it, and he's not robb'd at all. Iago. I am sorry to hear this.

Oth. I had been happy, if the general camp, Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body, So I had nothing known: O now, for ever, Farewell the tranquil mind! farewell content! Farewell the plumed troop, and the big wars, That make ambition virtue! O, farewell! Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump, The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife, The royal banner; and all quality,

Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war! And O you mortal engines, whose rude throats The immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeit, Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone!

My lord,

Iago. Is it possible? Oth. Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore; Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof;

[Taking him by the throat.

Or, by the worth of mine eternal soul,
Thou hadst been better have been born a dog,
Than answer my wak'd wrath.

Iago.
Is it come to this?
Oth. Make me to see it; or (at the least) so prove it,
That the probation bear no hinge, nor loop,
To hang a doubt on or, woe upon thy life!
Iago. My noble lord,

Oth. If thou dost slander her, and torture me, Never pray more: abandon all remorse ;

On horror's head horrors accumulate :

Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amaz'd,
For nothing canst thou to damnation add,
Greater than that.
iago.
O grace! O heaven defend me!
Are you a man? have you a soul, or sense? -
God be wi' you; take mine office. -O wretched fool,
That liv'st to make thine honesty a vice!

O monstrous world! Take note, take note, O world,
To be direct and honest, is not safe.

I'll not endure it. - Would, I were satisfied!
Iago. I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion :
I do repent me, that I put it to you.
You would be satisfied?

Oth.

Would? nay, I will.

Iago. And may: But, how? how satisfied, my

lord?

Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on? Behold her tupp'd?

Oth.

Death and damnation! O! Iago. It were a tedious difficulty, I think, To bring them to that prospect: Damn them then, If ever mortal eyes do see them bolster,

Vorsteher

More than their own! What then? how then?
What shall I say? Where's satisfaction?
It is impossible, you should see this,
Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys,
As salt as wolves in pride, and fools as gross
As ignorance made drunk. But yet, I say,
If imputation, and strong circumstances,
Which lead directly to the door of truth,
Will give you satisfaction, you may have it.

Oth. Give me a living reason she's disloyal. /
Iago. I do not like the office :

But, sith I am enter'd in this cause so far,-
Prick'd to it by foolish honesty and love,
I will go on, I lay with Cassio lately;
And, being troubled with a raging tooth,
I could not sleep.

There are a kind of men so loose of soul,
That in their sleeps will mutter their affairs;
One of this kind is Cassio :

In sleep I heard him say, Sweet Desdemona, Let us be wary, let us hide our loves!

And then, sir, would he gripe, and wring my hand,
Cry, O, sweet creature! and then kiss me hard,
As if he pluck'd up kisses by the roots,
That grew upon my lips: then laid his leg
Over my thigh, and sigh'd, and kiss'd; and then
Cry'd, Cursed fate! that gave thee to the Moor!
Oth. O monstrous! monstrous!
Iago.
Nay, this was but his dream.
Oth. But this denoted a foregone conclusion;
'Tis a shrewd doubt, though it be but a dream.
Iago. And this may help to thicken other proofs,
That do demonstrate thinly.

Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown.

Des. Do you know, sirrah, where lieutenant Cassio lies?

Clo. I dare not say, he lies any where.
Des. Why, man?

Clo. He is a soldier; and for me to say a soldier lies, is stabbing.

Des. Go to; Where lodges he?

Clo. To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where I lie.

Des. Can any thing be made of this?

Clo. I know not where he lodges; and for me to devise a lodging, and say - he lies here, or he lies there, were to lie in my own throat.

Des. Can you enquire him out, and be edified by report?

Clo. I will catechize the world for him; that is, make questions, and by them answer.

Des. Seek him, bid him come hither; tell him, I have moved my lord in his behalf, and hope, all will be well.

Clo. To do this, is within the compass of man's wit; and therefore I will attempt the doing it.

[Exit.

Des. Where should I lose that handkerchief,
Emilia?
Emil. I know not, madam.

Des.

Believe me, I had rather have lost my
purse

Full of crusadoes. And, but my noble Moor
Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness
As jealous creatures are, it were enough
To put him to ill thinking.

Emil.

Is he not jealous?

Des. Who, he? I think, the sun, where he was

born,

Drew all such humours from him.

Emil.

Look, where he comes. Des. I will not leave him now, till Cassio Be call'd to him.

How is't with you, my lord?

Enter OTHELLO.

Oth. Well, my good lady; ness to dissemble! How do you, Desdemona? Des. Well, my good lord. 2P 2

- [Aside.] O, hard