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 myself.

Des. Shall I deny you? no: Farewell, my lord.

Oth. Farewell, my Desdemona: I will come to thee straight.

Des. Emilia, come :-Be it as your fancies teach you;

Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

[Exit, with Emilia. Oth. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul,

But I do love thee! and, when I love thee not,

Oth. What dost thou say, Iago?

Iago. Good my lord, pardon me; Though I am bound to every act of duty,

my lady,

Know of your love?

Oth. He did, from first to last: Why dost

thou ask?

Iago. But for a satisfaction of my thought; No further harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Iago. I did not think, he had been acquainted with her.

Oth. O, yes; and went between us very oft. Iago. Indeed?

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed :-Discern'st thou aught in that?

Is he not honest?

Iago. Honest, my lord?

Oth. Ay, honest.

Iago. My lord, for aught I know.
Oth. What dost thou think?
Iago. Think, my lord?

Oth. Think, my lord!

By heaven, he echoes me,

As if there were some monster in his thought, Too hideous to be shown.-Thou dost mean something:

I heard thee say but now,-Thou lik'dst not that, When Cassio left my wife: What did'st not like? And, when I told thee-he was of my counsel In my whole course of wooing, thou cry'dst, Indeed?

And did'st contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then had'st shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit: If thou dost love me,
Show me thy thought.

Lugo. My lord, you know I love you.
Oth. I think, thou dost ;

And, for I know thou art full of love and honesty,

And weigh'st 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,

Utter my thoughts! Why, say, they are vile and false,

As where's that palace, whereinto foul things Sometimes intrude not? who has a breast so pure,

But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets, and law-days, and in session sit
With meditations lawful?

Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend,
Iago,

If thou but think'st him wrong'd, and mak'st his ear

A stranger to thy thoughts.

Iago. I do beseech you,—

Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess,
As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuses; and oft, my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not, I entreat you then,
From one that so imperfectly conjects,
You'd take no notice; nor build yourself &

trouble

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

Oth. What dost thou mean?

Iago. Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls: Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;

'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. By heaven, I'll know thy thought.
Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your
hand;

Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody.
Oth. Ha!

lago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;

lago. 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:
On horror's head, horrors accumulate:
Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amaz'd,
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 should'st be honest.
Iago. I should be wise; for honesty's a fool,
And loses that it works for.

Oth. By the world,

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 tupp'd?

Oth. Death and damnation! O!
Lago. It were a tedious difficulty, I think,
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 enter'd in this cause so far,-
Prick'd to it by foolish honesty and love,-
I will go on. I lay with Cassio lately;
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;
VOL. II.

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 pluck'd up kisses by the roots,
That grew upon my lips: then laid his leg
Over my thigh, and sigh'd, and kiss'd; and then,
Cry'd,-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. Iago. And this may help to thicken other proofs,

That do demonstrate thinly.

Oth. I'll tear her all to pieces.

Iago. Nay, but be wise; yet we see nothing done;

She may be honest yet. Tell me but this,→→→ Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief, Spotted with strawberries, in your wife's hand? Oth. I gave her such a one; 'twas my first gift. Iago. I know not that: but such a handkerchief,

(I am sure it was your wife's) did I to-day See Cassio wipe his beard with.

Oth. If it be that,

Iago. If it be that, or any that was hers, It speaks against her with the other proofs.

Oth. O, that the slave had forty thousand lives; One is too poor, too weak for my revenge! Now do I see 'tis true.-Look here, Iago; All my fond love thus I do blow to heaven: 'Tis gone.

Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell,
Yield up, O love, thy crown, and hearted throne,
To tyrannous hate! swell, bosom, with thy
fraught,

For 'tis of aspics' tongues!
Iago. Pray, be content.
Oth. O, blood, Iago, blood!

Iago. Patience, I say; your mind, perhaps, may change.

Oth. Never, Iago. Like to the Pontick sea, Whose icy current and compulsive course Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on To the Propontick, and the Hellespont; Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace, Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love, Till that a capable and wide revenge

Swallow them up.-Now, by yond' marble heaven, In the due reverence of a sacred vow [Kneels. I here engage my words.

[Kneels.

Iago. Do not rise yet.→→→ Witness, you ever-burning lights above! You elements that clip us round about! Witness, that here lago doth give up The execution of his wit, hands, heart, To wrong'd Othello's service! let him command, And to obey shall be in me remorse, What bloody work soever.

2 P

SCENE IV.-The same.

Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown. Des. Do you know, sirrah, where lieutenant Cassio lies?

Clo. I dare not say, he lies any where.
Des. Why, man?

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.

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 enquire him out, and be edified by report?

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

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. Erit.

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 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?

Oth. Give me your hand: This hand is moist, my lady.

Des. It yet has felt no age, nor known no sor

row.

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

Des. Is it possible?

And it was died in mummy, which the skilful Conserv'd of maidens' hearts.

Des. Indeed! is't true?

Oth. Most veritable; therefore look to't well. Des. Then 'would to heaven, that I had never seen it.