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I will befeech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me. I am desperate of my fortunes, if they check me

here.

Iago. You are in the right.

I must to the Watche

skateq and wog I' Good-night, lieutenant, A down weg vd bƒÃ od opExitCaffio?

Caf. Good-night, honeft lego

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Iago. And what's he then, that fays, I play the vil lain?

When this advice is free I give, and honest,
Likely to thinking, and, indeed, the courfe
To win the Moor again. For 'tis moft eafy
Th' inclining Desdemona to fubdue

In any honeft fuit; fhe's fram'd as fruitful
As the free elements. And then for her

T

To win the Moor, were't to renounce his baptifm,
All feals and fymbols of redeemed fin,

His foul is fo enfetter'd to her love

That she may make, unmake, do what fhe lift,
Even as her appetite fhall play the god

2

With his weak function. Am I then a villain,
To counsel Caffio to this parallel courfe,
Directly to his Good? Divinity of Hell!
When Devils will their blackeft fins put on,
They do fuggeft at firft with heav'nly Shews,
As I do now.- For while this honeft fool

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Plies Defdemona to repair his fortune,::
And the for him pleads ftrongly to the Moor;
3 I'll pour this peftilence into his ear,

4 That the repeals him from her body's luft:
And by how much fhe ftrives to do him good,
She fhall undo her credit with the Moor.
So will I turn her virtue into Pitch;

And out of her own goodness make the net, s That shall enmesh them all. How now, Rodorigo!

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Rod. I do follow here in the chace, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My mony is almost spent; I have been to-night exceedingly well cudgelled; and I think, the iffue will be, I fhall have fo much experience for my pains; and fo with no mony at all, and a little more wit, return again to Venice.

Iago. How poor are they, that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? Thou know'ft, we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;

And wit depends on dilatory time.

Does't not go well? Caffio hath beaten thee,
And thou by that small hurt haft cashier'd Caffio.
Tho' other things grow fair against the Sun,

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Yet

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Yet fruits, that bloffom first, will first be ripe.
Content thyself a while. In troth, 'tis morning,
Pleasure and action make the hours feem fhort,
Retire thee; go where thou art billeted..

Away, I fay. Thou fhalt know more hereafter.
-Nay, get thee gone.
[Exit Rodorigo.

Two things are to be done;

My wife muft move for Caffio to her mistress:
I'll fet her on:

Myself, the while, will draw the Moor apart,
And bring him jump, when he may Caffio find
Solliciting his Wife,ay, that's the way:
Dull not Device by coldness and delay.

[Exit.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

MAS

Before Othello's Palace.

Enter Caffio, with Muficians.

CASSIO.

ASTERS, play here,---I will content your pains,

Something that's brief; and bid, Good-morrow, Ge

neral.

[Mufick plays; and enter Clown from the House.

with the fame diligence, fome muft fucceed fooner than others, by the order of nature. Every thing cannot be done at once; we must proceed by the neceffary gradation. We are not to defpair of flow events any more than of tardy fruits, while the caufes are in regular progress, and the fruits grow fair against

the Sun. Hanmer has not, I think, rightly conceived the sentiment, for he reads,

Tkofe fruits which blossam firft,

are not first ripe. I have therefore drawn it out at length, for there are few to whom that will be easy which was difficult to Hanmer.

Clown.

7

Clown. Why, mafters, have your inftruments been in Naples, that they fpeak i' th' nofe thus?

Muf. How, Sir, how?

Clown. Are thefe, I pray you, wind inftruments? Muf. Ay, marry are they, Sir.

Clown. Oh, thereby hangs a tail.

Muf. Whereby, hangs a tale, Sir?

I

Clown. Marry, Sir, by many a wind-inftrument that I know. But, Mafters, here's mony for you: and the General fo likes your mufick, that he defires you of all loves to make no more noife with it.

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Muf. Well, Sir, we will not.

Clown. If you have any mufick that may not be heard, to't again; but, as they fay, to hear mufick the General does not greatly care.

Muf. We have none fuch, Sir.

Clown. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away. Go. Vanish into air. Away. [Exeunt Muf. Caf. Doft thou hear, mine honest friend?

Clown. No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you.

Caf. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets. There's a poor piece of gold for thee. If the gentlewoman, that attends the General's wife, be ftirring, tell her, there's one Caffio entreats of her a little favour of fpeech. Wilt thou do this?

Clown. She is ftirring, Sir, if she will ftir hither. I fhall feem to notify unto her.

Caf. Do, my good friend.

To him, enter Iago.

In happy time, Tago.

7 Why, mafters, have your inAruments been in Naples, that they speak ith nofe thus?] The venereal difeafe first appeared at

VOL. VIII.

[Exit Clown,

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lago. You have not been abed then?

Caf. Why, no; the day had broke before we parted.

I have made bold to fend in to your wife;
My fuit to her

Is, that she will to virtuous Desdemona
Procure me fome accefs.

Iago. I'll fend her presently;

And I'll devife a mean to draw the Moor

Out of the way, that your converfe and bufinefs
May be more free.

Caf. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew
A Florentine more kind and honeft.

To him, enter Emilia.

[Exit.

Emil. Good-morrow, good lieutenant. I am forry For your difpleafure; but all will, fure, be well. The General and his wife are talking of it: And the fpeaks for you ftoutly. The Moor replies, That he, you hurt, is of great fame in Cyprus, And great affinity; and that in wholefome wifdom He might not but refuse you. But he protests, he

loves you;

And needs no other fuitor, but his likings, "To take the firft occafion by the front To bring you in again.

Caf. Yet I beseech you,

If you think fit, or that it may be done,
Give me advantage of fome brief difcourfe
With Desdemona alone.

Emil. Pray you, come in;

I will beftow you where you fhall have time

To speak your bofom freely.

Caf. I am much bound to you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

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