For often, with a solemn earnestness, (More than, indeed, belonged to such a trifle,) He begged of me to steal it. Iago. Villanous whore! Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas; I found it, And I did give't my husband. Iago. Filth, thou liest. Emil. By Heaven, I do not; I do not, gentlemen ; O murderous coxcomb! what should such a fool Do with so good a wife? Oth. [IAGO stabs EMILIA, then runs out. Are there no stones in heaven, But what serve for the thunder?1-Precious villain! Gra. The woman falls; sure, he has killed his wife. Emil. Ay, ay; O, lay me by my mistress' side! Gra. He's gone, but his wife's killed. Mon. 'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this weapon, Which I have here recovered from the Moor. Oth. [Exeunt MONTANO and GRATIANO. Emil. What did thy song bode, lady? 2 Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber; It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook's temper; O, here it is.-Uncle, I must come forth. [Dies. 1 The meaning appears to be:-"Has not heaven one supernumerary bolt, to hurl directly at the head of this atrocious villain?" 2 The particular name of the ice-brook may be determined from several passages in Martial. (See lib. i. ep. 50, lib. iv. ep. 55.) It was probably Gra. [Within.] If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear; Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer. Oth. Look in upon me, then, and speak with me, Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee. Re-enter GRATIANO. Gra. What is the matter? Oth. Behold! I have a weapon; A better never did itself sustain Upon a soldier's thigh. I have seen the day, Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starred wench!1 O, cursed, cursed slave !-Whip me, ye devils, the brook or rivulet called Salo (now Xalon), near Bilbilis in Celtiberia. In this the Spaniards plunged all their swords and other weapons while hot from the forge; and to the icy quality of the waters thay were supposed to be indebted for their stubborn temper. This and the six preceding lines are omitted in the first quarto. Wench originally signified only a girl or young woman. VOL. VII. 65 + Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO, carried in a Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man? If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. [OTHELLO Wounds IAGO. Lod. Wrench his sword from him. Iago. I bleed, sir; but not killed. Oth. I am not sorry, neither; I'd have thee live; For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die. Lod. Ŏ thou Othello, that was once so good, Fallen in the practice of a cursed slave, What shall be said to thee? Oth. Why, any thing. An honorable murderer, if you will; For nought I did in hate, but all in honor. Lod. This wretch hath part confessed his villany. Did you and he consent in Cassio's death? Oth. Ay. Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. know; From this time forth I never will speak word. Lod. What? not to pray? Gra. Torments will ope your lips. Oth. Well, thou dost best. Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath befallen, Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter, Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo; And here, another. The one of them imports 1 To see if, according to the common opinion, his feet be cloven. The death of Cassio to be undertook By Roderigo. Oth. O villain! Cas. Most heathenish, and most gross! ti Lod. Now, here's another discontented paper, Came in and satisfied him. Oth. How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief Cas. O, the pernicious caitiff! I found it in my chamber : And he himself confessed, but even now, That there he dropped it, for a special purpose, Oth. O fool! fool! fool! Cas. There is, besides, in Roderigo's letter,- Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came That I was cast. And even but now he spake, After long seeming dead,-Iago hurt him, Iago set him on. Lod. You must forsake this room, and go with us; Your power and your command is taken off, And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave, If there be any cunning cruelty, That can torment him much, and hold him long, Till that the nature of your fault be known I have done the state some service, and they know it; Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak 1 The first quarto reads, "in the nick." 2 Thus the folio. The quarto reads, “Speak of them as they are.” Of one, that loved not wisely, but too well; Richer than all his tribe; of one, whose subdued eyes, Albeit unused to the melting mood, Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees Lod. O bloody period! Gra. [Stabs himself. All, that's spoke, is marred. Oth. I kissed thee, ere I killed thee.-No way but [Falling upon DESDEMONA. this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss. [Dies. Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; For he was great of heart. O Spartan dog,3 [TO IAGO. Lod. 1 The quarto 1622 reads Indian. The folio has Judean. Warburton, Theobald, and Dr. Farmer, think that the allusion is to Herod, who in a fit of blind jealousy threw away such a jewel in his wife Mariamne. Steevens admits the reading Judean, but thinks the allusion is not to the story of Herod, but to that of a Jew, who, not being able to find a purchaser for a very large pearl at an immoderate price, publicly threw it into the sea at Venice. 2 It is said that it was immediate death for a Christian to strike a Turk in Aleppo. 3 The dogs of Spartan race were reckoned among those of the most fierce and savage kind. 4 i. e. judgment, the sentence. |