MON. Good faith, a little one; not past a pint, as I am a soldier. IAO. Some wine, ho!

And let me the canakin clink, clink;

And let me the canakin clink:

A soldier's a man;

O, man's life's but a span ;
Why, then, let a soldier drink.

[Sings.

61

IAGO. I karned it in England, where, indeed, they are most potent in poting: your Dane, your German, and your swag-bellied Hollander, Drink, ho!—are nothing to your English.

CAS. Is your Englishman so expert in his drinking?

70

IAGO. Why, he drinks you, with facility, your Dane dead drunk; he sweats not to overthrow your Almain; he gives your Hollander a vomit, er the next pottle can be filled.

CAS. To the health of our general!

MON. I am for t, lieutenant; and I'll do you justice.
IAGO. O sweet England!

King Stephen was and a worthy peer,
His breeches cost him but a crown;
He held them sixpence all too dear,
With that he call'd the tailor lown.

He was a wight of high renown,
And thou art but of low degree:

'Tis prie that pulls the country down;
Then ake thine auld cloak about thee.

Some wine, ho!

CAS. Why, this is a more exquisite song than the other.

IAGO. Will you hear 't again?

80

CAS. No; for I hold him to be unworthy of his place that does those things.—Well,—heaven's above all; and there be souls must be saved, and there be souls must not be saved.

IAGO. It's true, good lieutenant

90

CAS. For mine own part,-no offence to the general, nor any man of quality, I hope to be saved

IAGO. And so do I too, lieutenant.

CAS. Ay, but, by your leave, not before me; the lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient. Let's have no more of this; let's to our affairs.-Forgive us our sins!-Gentlemen, let's look to our business. Do not think, gentlemen, I am drunk : this is my ancient ;—this is my right hand, and this is my left: -I am not drunk now; I can stand well enough, and speak well enough.

ALL. Excellent well.

CAS. Why, very well, then; you must not think, then, that I am drunk.

MON. To the platform, masters; come, let's set the watch.
JAGO. You see this fellow that is gone before ;—
He is a soldier fit to stand by Cæsar

And give direction: and do but see his vice;
'Tis to his virtue a just equinox,

The one as long as the other: 'tis pity of him.
I fear the trust Othello puts him in,

On some odd time of his infirmity,

Will shake this island.

MON.

But is he often thus?

IAGO. 'Tis evermore the prologue to his sleep:
He'll watch the horologe a double set,

If drink rock not his cradle.

MON.
It were well
The general were put in mind of it.
Perhaps he sees it not; or his good nature
Prizes the virtue that appears in Cassio,
And looks not on his evils: is not this true?

Enter RODERIGO

IAGO. How now, Roderigo!

I pray you, after the lieutenant; go.

MON. And 'tis great pity that the noble Moor
Should hazard such a place as his own second
With one of an ingraft infirmity:

It were an honest action to say

So to the Moor.

IAGO.

[Exit.

120

[Aside to him. [Exit RODERIGO.

Not I, for this fai: island:
I do love Cassio well; and would do much
To cure him of this evil-But, ha'k! what noise?

Mor.

Come, come, you're drunk. [They fight.

CAS. Drunk!
IAGO. Away, I say; go out, and cry a mutiny!

Aside to RODERIGO, who goes out.

Nay, good lieutenant,-alas, gentlemen ;—
Help ho!-Lieutenant,-sir,-Montano,-sir;-
Help, masters!-Here's a goodly watch indeed!
Who's that which rings the bell?—Diablo, ho!
The town will rise: God's will, lieutenant, hold;
You will be sham'd for ever.

Отн.

Re-enter OTHELLO and Attendants

[Bell rings.

What is the matter here?

MON. Zounds, I bleed still; I am hurt to the death.

ОTH. Hold, for your lives!

IAGO. Hold, ho! Lieutenant, sir,-Montano,-gentlemen,—
Have you forgot all sense of place and duty?
Hold! the general speaks to you; hold, for shame!

Oтн. Why, how now, ho! from whence ariseth this?
Are we turn'd Turks, and to ourselves do that
Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites?
For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl:
He that stirs next to carve for his own rage
Holds his soul light; he dies upon his motion.-
Silence that dreadful bell it frights the isle
From her propriety.—What is the matter, masters ?-
Honest Iago, that look'st dead with grieving,
Speak, who began this? on thy love, I charge thee.
IAGO. I do not know:-friends all but now, even now,

In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom
Devesting them for bed; and then, but now
(As if some planet had unwitted men),
Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast,
In opposition bloody. I cannot speak
Any beginning to this peevish odds ;
And would in action glorious I had lost
Those legs that brought me to a part of it!
OTH. How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot?
CAS. I pray you, pardon me; I cannot speak.
ОTH. Worthy Montano, you were wont be civil;
The gravity and stillness of your youth

The world hath noted, and your name is great
In mouths of wisest censure: what's the matter,

That you unlace your reputation thus,

And spend your rich opinion for the name

Of a night-brawler? give me answer to it.

150

160

170

MON. Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger:
Your officer, Iago, can inform you,-

While I spare speech, which something now offends me,—
Of all that I do know: nor know I aught

By me that's said or done amiss this night;
Unless self-charity be sometimes a vice,
And to defend ourselves it be a sin
When violence assails us.

Отн.

Now, by heaven,
My blood begins my safer guides to rule;
And passion, having my best judgment collied,
Assays to lead the way :—if I once stir,
Or do but lift this arm, the best of you
Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know
How this foul rout began, who set it on;
And he that is approv'd in this offence,

Though he had twinn'd with me, both at a birth,
Shall lose me.-What! in a town of war,
Yet wild, the people's hearts brimful of fear,
To manage private and domestic quarrel,
In night, and on the court and guard of safety!
'Tis monstrous.-Iago, who began 't?

MON. If partially affin'd, or leagu'd in office,
Thou dost deliver more or less than truth,
Thou art no soldier.

IAGO.

Touch me not so near:

I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth
Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio;

Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth

Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, general.
Montano and myself being in speech,

There comes a fellow crying out for help;
And Cassio following him with determin'd sword,
To execute upon him. Sir, this gentleman
Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his
Myself the crying fellow did pursue,
Lest by his clamour (as it so fell out)

pause:

The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Outran my purpose; and I return'd the rather
For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
And Cassio high in oath; which till to-night
I ne'er might say before. When I came back
(For this was brief), I found them close together,
At blow and thrust; even as again they were
When you yourself did part them.
More of this matter cannot I report :-

But men are men; the best sometimes forget:

Though Cassio did some little wrong to him,——

As men in rage strike those that wish them best,—
Yet, surely, Cassio, I believe, receiv'd

From him that fled some strange indignity,

Which patience could not pass.

Отн.

I know, Iago,

Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter,
Making it light to Cassio.-Cassio, I love thee;
But never more be officer of mine.-

Re-enter DESDEMONA, attended

Look, if my gentle love be not rais'd up!—

I'll make thee an example.

DES.

What's the matter?

OTн. All's well now, sweeting; come away to bed.—
Sir, for your hurts, myself will be your surgeon:
Lead him off.

230

[To MONTANO, who is led off.

Iago, look with care about the town,
And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted.-
Come, Desdemona: 'tis the soldiers' life

To have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife.

[Exeunt all except IAGO and CASSIO.

IAGO. What, are you hurt, lieutenant?
CAS. Ay, past all surgery.
IAGO. Marry, heaven forbid!

240

CAS. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation! IAGO. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: you are but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in policy than in malice ; even so as one would beat his offenceless dog to affright an imperious lion: sue to him again, and he's yours. CAS. I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive so good a commander with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow?-O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!

253

IAGO. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you? CAS. I know not.

261