Iago. What if I had said I had seen him do you wrong? Or heard him say,-as knaves be such abroad, Convinced or supplied them, cannot choose Oth. Hath he said any thing? Iago. He hath, my lord; but be you well assured, No more than he'll unswear. Oth. What hath he said? Iago. 'Faith, that he did,—I know not what he did. Oth. What? what? Iago. Lie Oth. Iago. With her? With her, on her; what you will. Oth. Lie with her! lie on her!-We say lie on her, when they belie her. Lie with her! that's fulsome. -Handkerchief, confessions, handkerchief. -To confess, and be hanged for his labor.-First to be hanged, and then to confess :-I tremble at it. Nature would not invest herself in such shadowing passion, without some instruction. It is not words that shake me thus.-Pish!-Noses, ears, and lips.-Is it possible?-Confess!-Handkerchief!-O devil!— Iago. Work on, [Falls in a trance. My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught; 1 For supplied, Theobald would here read suppled, i. e. softened, subdued. Steevens thinks that supplied is the true reading, and with a sense that may be collected from the following passage in Measure for Measure: "And did supply thee at the summer-house." 2 What remains of this speech, from to confess, is wanting in the 4to. 3 "The starts and broken reflections in this speech (says Warburton) nave something in them very terrible, and show the mind of the speaker to be in inexpressible agonies." There is a difference of opinion between the commentators; some thinking, with Warburton, that the words “Nature would not invest herself in such shadowing passion, without some instruction," allude to his own feelings; others, that they advert to the story about Cassio's dream, which had been invented and told him by Iago. And many worthy and chaste dames, even thus, Enter CASSIO. My lord, I say! Othello! How now, Cassio? Iago. My lord is fallen into an epilepsy; Iago. How is it, general? have you not hurt [Exit CASSIO your head? Iago. I mock you! no, by Heaven; 'Would you would bear your fortunes like a man. Oth. A horned man's a monster, and a beast. Iago. There's many a beast, then, in a populous city, And many a civil monster. Oth. Did he confess it? Iago. Good sir, be a man; Think every bearded fellow that's but yoked, May draw with you; there's millions now alive, Which they dare swear peculiar; your case is better. To lip a wanton in a secure couch,2 And to suppose her chaste! No, let me know; 1 Unproper for common. 2 In a couch in which he is lulled into a false security. Iago. Stand Confine yourself but in a patient is you awhile apart: 2 3 Whilst you were here, ere while mad with your grief, I say, but mark his gesture. Marry, patience; Oth. Dost thou hear, Iago? I will be found most cunning in my patience; But (dost thou hear ?) most bloody. Iago. That's not amiss; But yet keep time in all. Will you withdraw? [OTHELLO withdraws. Now will I question Cassio of Bianca, A housewife, that, by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes. It is a creature He, when he hears of her, cannot refrain From the excess of laughter!-Here he comes. Re-enter CASSIO. As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad; Poor Cassio's smiles, gestures, and light behavior 1 i. e. within the bounds of patience. 2 The folio reads "o'erwhelmed with your grief." 3 Hide yourself in a private place. www Cas. The worser, that you give me the addition, Whose want even kills me. Iago. Ply Desdemona well, and you are sure of't. Now, if this suit lay in Bianca's power, How quickly should you speed? Cas. [Speaking lower. Alas, poor caitiff! [Aside. Oth. Look, how he laughs already! Iago. I never knew a woman love man so. Cas. Alas, poor rogue! I think, i'faith, she loves me. Iago. Do you hear, Cassio? [Aside. Now he importunes him To tell it o'er. Go to; well said, well said. [Aside. Iago. She gives it out that you shall marry her. Do you intend it? Cas. Ha, ha, ha! Oth. Do you triumph, Roman? do you triumph? [Aside Cas. I marry her!-what? a customer! 2 1 pr'ythee, bear some charity to my wit; do not think it so unwholesome. Ha, ha, ha! Oth. So, so, so, so. They laugh that win. [Aside. Iago. 'Faith, the cry goes that you shall marry her. Cas. Pr'ythee, say true. Iago. I am a very villain else. Oth. Have you scored me ?3 Well. [Aside. Cas. This is the monkey's own giving out; she is persuaded I will marry her, out of her own love and flattery, not out of my promise. Oth. Iago beckons me; now he begins the story. [Aside. 1 Othello calls him Roman ironically. 2 A common woman. 3 i. e. "have you numbered my days?" To score is to tale or tell, to number, or mark as on a tally. But perhaps it only means, "have you marked me?" as beasts are scored or marked when purchased for slaughter. The old quarto reads "have you stored me?" Cas. She was here even now; she haunts me in every place. I was, the other day, talking on the seabank with certain Venetians; and thither comes this bawble; by this hand,' she falls thus about my neck ; Oth. Crying, O dear Cassio! as it were: his gesture imports it. [Aside. Cas. So hangs, and lolls, and weeps upon me; so hales, and pulls me. Ha, ha, ha!— Oth. Now he tells how she plucked him to my chamber. O, I see that nose of yours, but not that dog I shall throw it to. Cas. Well, I must leave her company. Iago. Before me! look where she comes. Enter BIANCA. [Aside. Cas. 'Tis such another fitchew! 2 marry, a perfumed one. What do you mean by this haunting of me? Bian. Let the devil and his dam haunt you! What did you mean by that same handkerchief you gave me even now? I was a fine fool to take it. I must take out the whole work?-A likely piece of work that you should find it in your chamber, and not know who left it there! This is some minx's token, and I must take out the work! There,-give it your hobby-horse. Wheresoever you had it, I'll take out no work on't. Cas. How now, my sweet Bianca? how now? how now? Oth. By Heaven, that should be my handkerchief. [Aside. Bian. An you'll come to supper to-night, you may; an you will not, come when you are next prepared for. Iago. After her, after her. [Exit. Cas. 'Faith, I must; she'll rail in the street else. 1 The folio omits "by this hand;" and reads "thither comes the bauble and falls me thus," &c. 2 Shakspeare has alluded to the lust of this animal in King Lear. He tells Iago that Bianca is as lewd, but of a better scent. |