Or fue to you, to do peculiar profit
To your own person. Nay, when I have fuit,
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It shall be full of poize and difficulty,
And fearful to be granted.

Oth. I will deny thee nothing.
Whereon I do beseech thee, grant me this,
To leave me but a little to my self.

Des. Shall I deny you? no: farewel, my lord.
Oth. Farewel, my Desdemona, I'll come strait.

Def. Æmilia, come; be, as your fancies teach you :
Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

[Exeunt, Manent Othello, and Iago. Oth, Excellent Wench!

Perdition catch my
foul, (22)
But I do love thee ; and when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again.

lago. My noble lord,
Otb. What doft thou say, lago ?

lago. Did Michael Caffio, when you woo'd my lady, Know of

your

love ?
Oth. He did, from first to laft: why dost thou ask?

lago. But for a satisfaction of my thought, No farther harm.

Oih. Why of thy thought, Iago ?
lago. I did not think, he'd been acquainted with it.
(22) Excellent Wretch! Perdition catch my Soul,

But I do love thee ; &c.] Tho' all the printed copies concur in this Reading, I think, it is very reasonably to be fufpe&ted. Othello is exclaiming here with Admiration and raptucous Fondacfs: but Wretch can scarce be admitted to be used, unless in Compassion or Contempt. I make no question, but che Poet wrote ;

Excellent Wench! - Perdition catch my Soul, &c. It is to be observ'd, that, in SHAKESPEARE's time, Wench, Lass, and Girl were not used in that low and vulgar Acceptation as they are at this time of day ; but very frequently with Dignity

Orh.

Oth. Oh, yes, and went between us very oft.
Iago. Indeed !
Oih. Indeed ! ay, indeed. Discern'st thou aught in

that?
Is he not honeft ?

Iago. Honest, my lord?.
Oth. Honest ? ay, honeft.
lago. My lord, for aught I know.
Oth. What doeft thou think?
lago. Think, my lord ! -
Oth. Think, my lord! why, by heav'n, thou echo'st

me;
As if there were some monster in thy thought,
Too hideous to be shewn. Thou doft mean something :
I heard thee say but now, thou lik’df not that,
When Caffio left my Wife. What did'it not like?
And when I told thee, he was of

my counsel,
In my whole course of wooing; thou cry'dft, indeed?
And didft contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadft shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit: if thou dost love me,
Shew me thy thought.

lago. My lord, you know, I love you.

Oth. I think, thou doeft :
And for I know, thou art full of love and honesty,
And weigh'ft thy words before thou giv'st them breath,
Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more :
For such things, in a false disloyal knave,
Are tricks of custom ; but, in a man that's just,
They're cold dilations working from the heart,
That passion cannot rule.

Iago. For Michael Casio,
I dare be sworn, I think, that he is honest..
Oth. I think fo too.

lago. Men should be what they seem.
Or, those that be not, 'would they might seem none !

Oth, Certain, men should be what they seem.
Iagó: Why, then, I think, Callio's an honest man.

Orh. Nay, yet there's more in this ;
I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings,

As

As thou doft ruminate; and give thy worst of thoughts
The worst of words.

lago. Good my lord, pardon me.
Tho I am bound to every act of duty,
I am not bound to that, all flaves are free to;
Utter my thoughts !-Why, say, they're vile and false;
As where's that Palace, whereinto foul things
Sometimes intrude not? who has a breast fo pure,
But some uncleanly apprehensions
Keep leets and law-days, and in sessions fit
With meditations lawful ?

Oth. Thou doit conspire against thy friend, lago,
If thou but think'st him wrongd, and mak'ft his ear
A ftranger to thy thoughts.

lago. I do beseech you,
Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess,-
(As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spie into abufe ; and oft my jealousie
Shapes faults, that are not ;) I intreat you then,
From one that so imperfectly conceits,
Your wisdom would not build

your

self a trouble
Out of my scattering and unsure observance :
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honesty, and wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

Oth. What doft thou mean?
lago. Good name in man and woman,

dear
my

lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
Who steals my purse, steals trash ; 'tis something, no-

thing
'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. I'll know thy thoughts
Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your

hand; Nor Thall not, whilst 'tis in my custody.

Oth. Ha !

lago. Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousie ; It is a green-ey'd monster, which doth mock

The

The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger ;
But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er,
Who doats, yet doubts; fufpects, yet strongly loves !

Orb. Oh misery!

lago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough ; But riches endless, is as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he shall be poor. Good heaven ! the souls of all my tribe defend From jealousie!

Oth. Why? why is this? Think'it thou, I'd make a life of jealoufie? To follow ftill the changes of the moon With fresh suspicions ? No; to be once in doubt, Is once to be resolvid. Exchange me for a goat, When I shall turn the business of my soul To such exufflicate and blown furmifes, Matching thy inference. Tis not to make me jealous, To say, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company, Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well ; Where virtue is, these are most virtuous. Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw The smallest fear, or doubt of her revolt ; For she had eyes, and chose me. No, lago, I'll see, before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And, on the proof, there is no more but this, Away at once with love, or jealousie.

lago. I'm glad of this ; for now I shall have reason To thew the love and duty that I bear you With franker spirit. Therefore, as I'm bound, Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof. Look to your wife, observe her well with Calio; Wear your eye, thus: not jealous, nor fecure ; I would not have your free and noble nature Out of self-bounty be abusid ; look to't. I know our country disposition well ; In Venice they do let heav'n see the pranks, They dare not thew their husbands; their best conscience Is not to leav't undone, but keep't unknown. Oth. Doft thou say fo?

lage.

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you ; And when she seem'd to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them most.

Oth. And so she did.

lago. Go to then ;
She, that, fo young, could give out such a Seeming
To seal her father's eyes up, close as oak-
He thought, 'twas witchcraft- but I'm much to blame :
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon,
For too much loving you.

Oth. I'm bound to you for ever.
Iago. I see, this hath a little dash'd your spirits.
Oth. Not a jot, not a jot.
lago. Trust me, I fear, it has :
I hope, you will consider, what is spoke
Comes from my love. But, I do fee, you're mov'd
I am to pray you, not to ftrain my speech
To groffer issues, nor to larger reach,
Than to suspicion.

Oth. I will not.

lago. Should you do so, my lord, My speech would fall into such vile Success, Which my thoughts aim not at. Casio's my worthy

friend.
My lord, I see, you're mov'd

Oth. No, not much mov'd
I do not think, but Desdemona's honest.

lago. Long live the so! and long live you to think fo!
Oih. And yet, how nature erring from it self.
lago. Ay, there's the point ; as (to be bold

with you)
Not to affect many proposed matches
Of her own clime, complexion and degree,
Whereto we see in all things Nature tends :
Foh! one may smell, in such, a will most rank,
Foul disproportions, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me, I do not in position
Distinctly speak of her; tho' I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country forms,
VOL. VIII

N

And,