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.1

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 inquire him out, and be edified by report?

Clo. I will catechize the world for him; that is, make questions, and by them answer.2

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 cruzadoes. And, but my noble Moor

3

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 humors from him.

Emil.

Look, where he comes.

Des. I will not leave him now, till Cassio
Be called to him.-How is't with you, my lord?

1 This and the following speech are wanting in the first quarto. 2 i. e. and by them, when answered, form my own answer to you. 3 Cruzadoes were of gold, and weighed from two-pennyweights six grains, to two penny weights sixteen grains, and differed in value from six shillings and eight pence to nine shillings. The sovereigns who struck these coins were Emanuel and his son John of Portugal.

Enter OTHELLO.

Oth. Well, my good lady. [Aside.] O, hardness to dissemble!

How do you, Desdemona?

Des.

Well, my good lord.

Oth. Give me your hand; this hand is moist, my

lady.

Des. It yet has felt no age, nor known no sorrow.
Oth. This argues fruitfulness, and liberal heart;
Hot, hot, and moist. This hand of yours requires
A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,
Much castigation, exercise devout;

For here's a young and sweating devil here,
That commonly rebels. 'Tis a good hand,
A frank one.

Des.

You may, indeed, say so;
For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart.

Oth. A liberal hand. The hearts, of old, gave hands;

But our new heraldry is-hands, not hearts.

Des. I cannot speak of this. Come, now, your

promise.

Oth. What promise, chuck?

Des. I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with

you.

Oth. I have a salt and sullen1 rheum offends me; Lend me thy handkerchief.

Des.

Oth. That which I gave you.

Here, my lord.

Des.

I have it not about me.

1 The folio reads "sorry." Rider explains sullen by acerbus (Latin).

2 Charmer, for enchanter, is of common occurrence in Scripture.

The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it, "Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but if she lost it,

Or made a gift of it, my father's eye

Should hold her loathly, and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me;
And bid me, when my fate would have me wive,
To give it her. I did so; and take heed of't,
Make it a darling like your precious eye:
To lose or give't away, were such perdition,
As nothing else could match.

Des. Is it possible?

Oth. 'Tis true; there's magic in the web of it.

A sibyl, that had numbered in the world

The sun to make two hundred compasses,

In her prophetic fury sewed the work.

The worms were hallowed that did breed the silk;
And it was dyed in mummy,' which the skilful
Conserved of maidens' hearts.2

Des.

Indeed! is't true?

Oth. Most veritable; therefore look to't well.
Des. Then 'would to Heaven that I had never

seen it.

Oth. Ha! wherefore?

Des. Why do you speak so startingly and rash ?
Oth. Is't lost? is't gone? Speak, is it out of the

Say you?

Des. It is not lost; but what an if it were?

Oth. Ha!

Des. I say it is not lost.

Oth.

Fetch't; let me see it.

Des. Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now;

This is a trick to put me from my suit ;

I

pray, let Cassio be received again.

1 The balsamic liquor running from mummies was formerly celebrated for its anti-epileptic virtues. This fanciful medicine held a place in the druggists' shops till lately.

2 The quarto reads "with the skilful conserves,” &c.

Oth. Fetch me that handkerchief; my mind mis

You'll never meet a more sufficient man.

Oth. The handkerchief,

Des.

Oth. The handkerchief,

Des.

I pray, talk me of Cassio."

A man that, all his time,

Hath founded his good fortune on your love;

Shared dangers with you;

Oth

The handkerchief,

Des. I ne'er saw this before.

Sure there's some wonder in this handkerchief;
I am most unhappy in the loss of it.

Emil. 'Tis not a year or two shows us a man.
They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
They eat us hungerly, and when they are full,
They belch us.

Look you! Cassio, and my husband.

Enter IAGO and CASSIO.

Iago. There is no other way; 'tis she must do't; And, lo, the happiness! Go, and importune her. Des. How now, good Cassio? what's the news with you?

Cas. Madam, my former suit. I do beseech you, That, by your virtuous means, I may again.

Exist, and be a member of his love,
Whom I, with all the duty 2 of my heart,
Entirely honor; I would not be delayed.
If my offence be of such mortal kind,

1 This and the following short speech are omitted in all the ancient editions but the first quarto. The idiom "talk me of Cassio" is familiar to the French language.

2 The folio reads "the office of my heart; " the words were, however synonymous.

That neither service past, nor present sorrows,
Nor purposed merit in futurity,

Can ransom me into his love again,

But to know so must be my benefit;

1

So shall I clothe me in a forced content,
And shut myself up1 in some other course,
To fortune's alms.

Des.

Alas! thrice gentle Cassio,

My advocation is not now in tune;

My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him,
Were he in favor,2 as in humor, altered.

So help me, every spirit sanctified,

As I have spoken for you all my best;

And stood within the blank 3 of his displeasure,

For my free speech! You must awhile be patient;
What I can do, I will; and more I will,

Than for myself I dare: let that suffice you.

Iago. Is my lord angry?
Emil.

He went hence but now,

And, certainly, in strange unquietness.

Iago. Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon,
When it hath blown his ranks into the air;

And, like the devil, from his very arm

Puffed his own brother;--And can he be angry?
Something of moment, then. I will go meet him;
There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry.

Des. I pr'ythee, do so.-Something, sure, of state,-
[Exit IAGO.
Either from Venice; or some unhatched practice,4
Made démonstrable here in Cyprus to him,--
Hath puddled his clear spirit; and, in such cases,
Men's natures wrangle with inferior things,
Though great ones are their object. 'Tis even so;

1 Shut myself up evidently signifies no more than "confine myself.” One of the old quartos reading "shoot myself up," by mistake, Mason contends for that reading.-"To fortune's alms" means waiting patiently for whatever bounty fortune, or chance, may bestow upon me.

2 i. e. in countenance.

3 To stand within the blank is to stand in the direct range or in the immediate course; to have his displeasure directed toward her.