Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA.

If she be false, O, then Heaven mocks itself!-
I'll not believe it.

Des.

How now, my dear Othello?

Your dinner, and the generous islanders

By you invited, do attend your presence.
Oth. I am to blame.

Des. Why is your speech so faint? Are you not well?
Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here.

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 ОTH. 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 Wooed me to steal it; but she so loves the token, (For he conjured 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,2
And give 't lago.

What he'll do with it, Heaven knows, not I;
I nothing, but to please his fantasy.

Enter IAGO.

Iago. How now! what do you here alone?
Emil. Do not you chide; I have a thing for you.
Jago. A thing for me?—It is a common thing-
Emil. Ha!

1 In the north of England this term for a handkerchief is still used. 2 That is, copied. Her first thoughts are to have a copy made of it for her husband, and restore the original to Desdemona; but the sudden coming in of Iago, in a surly humor, makes her alter her resolution to please him.

Iago. To have a foolish wife.

Emil. O, is that all? What will you give me now For that same handkerchief?

Iago.

Emil. What handkerchief?

What handkerchief?

Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona;
That which so often you did bid me steal.

Iago. Hast stolen it from her?

Emil. No, 'faith; she let it drop by negligence; And, to the advantage,' I, being here, took't up. Look, here it is.

Iago.

A good wench; give it me. Emil. What will you do with it, that you have been

so earnest

To have me filch it?

Iago.

Why, what's that to you?

[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.

2

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 ;

Enter OTHEllo.

Look, where he comes! Not poppy, nor mandragora,3 Nor all the drowsy sirups of the world,

1 That is, I, being opportunely here, took it up.

2 "Seem as if you knew nothing of the matter." The folio reads, "Be not acknown on't."

3 The mandrake has a soporific quality, and the ancients used it when they wanted an opiate of the most powerful kind.

Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep
Which thou ow'dst' yesterday.

Oth.

To me?

Ha ha! false to me?

Iago. Why, how now, general? No more of that. Oth. Avaunt! be gone! thou hast set me on the rack.

I swear 'tis better to be much abused,

Than but to know't a little.

Iago.

How now, my lord?

Oth. What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust?
I saw it not, thought it not; it harmed not me ;
I slept the next night well, was free and merry;
I found not Cassio's kisses on her lips.

He that is robbed, not wanting what is stolen,
Let him not know it, and he's not robbed at all.
Iago. I am sorry to hear this.

Cth. I had been happy, if the general camp,
Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body,
So I had nothing known. O, now, forever,
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 clamors counterfeit,
Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone!
lago. Is it possible!-My lord,-

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,3

Thou hadst been better have been born a dog,

Than answer my waked wrath.

1 i. e. possessed'st.

2 The vilest of the camp. Pioneers were generally degraded soldiers. 3 The quarto of 1522 reads, " man's eternal soul."

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 ;1

On horror's head horrors accumulate;

Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amazed ;-
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 thank you for this profit; and, from hence,
I'll love no friend, since love breeds such offence.
Oth. Nay, stay.-Thou shouldst be honest.
Iago. I should be wise; for honesty's a fool,
And loses that it works for.

By the world,

Oth.
I think my wife be honest, and think she is not;
I think that thou art just, and think thou art not;
I'll have some proof. Her name, that was as fresh
As Dian's visage, is now begrim'd and black
As mine own face.-If there be cords, or knives,
Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams,

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 tupped?

Oth.

Death and damnation! O!

Iago. It were a tedious difficulty, I think,

1 i. e. all tenderness of nature, all pity.

To bring them to that prospect. Damn them, then,
If ever mortal eyes do see them bolster,
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 entered in this cause so far,-
Pricked to it by foolish honesty and love,-
on. I lay with Cassio lately;

I will go on.

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 plucked up kisses by the roots,
That grew upon my ips; then laid his leg
Over my thigh, and sighed, and kissed; and then
Cried,-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.3 Iago. And this may help to thicken other proofs, That do demonstrate thinly.

1 A living reason is a reason founded on fact and experience.

2 A foregone conclusion is some former experience. Conclusion is used

for experiment or trial in several other places of these plays.

3 The old quarto gives this line to Iago, as well as the two which follow; in the folio it is given to Othello.