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That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor
May unfold me to him: there stand I in much peril.
No, he must die:-be't so. I hear him coming'.

Enter CASSIO.

Rod. I know his gait; 'tis he.-Villain, thou diest.

[Rushing out, and making a pass at CASSIO.

Cas. That thrust had been mine enemy indeed, my coat is better than thou know'st:

But that

I will make proof of thine.

Rod.

[Drawing, and wounding RODERIGO. Oh! I am slain. [He falls.

[IAGO rushes from his post, cuts CASSIO behind in the

leg, and exit.

Cas. I am maim'd for ever.-Light, ho! murder!

murder!

Enter OTHELLO, at a distance.

Oth. The voice of Cassio.-Iago keeps his word.
Rod. Oh, villain that I am!

Oth.

It is e'en so. Cas. Oh! help, ho! light! a surgeon!

[He falls.

Oth. 'Tis he.-Oh brave Iago! honest, and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong,
Thou teachest me.-Minion, your dear lies dead,
And your unblest fate hies :-strumpet, I come.
Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted.

[Exit OTHELLO.

Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO, at a distance.

Cas. What, ho! no watch? no passage? murder! murder!
Gra. "Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful.
Cas. Oh, help!

Lod.

Rod.

Hark!

Oh wretched villain!

Lod. Two or three groan.-It is a heavy night':

7

BE'T SO. I HEAR him coming.] The folio alone has "But so, I heard," &c. 8 LIGHT, ho!] In the folio alone, "Help, ho!" Just above, in Cassio's last speech, the 4to, 1622, has think'st for "know'st."

1622.

And your UNBLEST fate hies:]

"And your fate hies apace," in the 4to,

1 IT IS A heavy night:] The folio, only, to the injury, at least, of the metre, ""Tis heavy night." Just above it has voice for "cry" of the 4tos.

These may be counterfeits; let's think't unsafe

To come in to the cry without more help.

Rod. No body come? then, shall I bleed to death.

Lod. Hark!

Enter IAGO, with a light.

Gra. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons. Iago. Who's there? whose noise is this, that cries on

murder?

Lod. We do not know.

Iago.

Did not you hear a cry?

Cas. Here, here! for heaven's sake, help me.
Iago.

What's the matter?

Gra. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.
Lod. The same indeed; a very valiant fellow.
Iago. What are you here, that cry so grievously?
Cas. Iago? Oh! I am spoil'd; undone by villains:
Give me some help.

Iago. Oh me, lieutenant! what villains have done this?
Cas. I think that one of them is hereabout,

And cannot make away.

Iago.

Oh treacherous villains!

What are you there? come in, and give some help.

Rod. Oh, help me! here.

[To LODOVICO and GRATIANO.

Cas. That's one of them.
Iago.

Oh murderous slave! Oh villain!

[IAGO stabs RODERIGO.

Rod. Oh damn'd Iago! Oh inhuman dog'!—

Iago. Kill men i' the dark!-Where be these bloody

thieves ?

How silent is this town!-Ho! murder! murder!

What may you be? are you of good, or evil?

Lod. As you shall prove us, praise us.

Iago. Signior Lodovico ?

Lod. He, sir.

Iago. I cry you mercy. Here's Cassio hurt by villains.

Gra. Cassio?

? Oh inhuman dog!]

The modern stage-direction here is Dies, but it is evident, from what is said on p. 126, that Roderigo does not die immediately. The only stage-direction in any of the old copies is Thrusts him in, in the 4to, 1630, when Iago stabs Roderigo. The 4tos. add "Oh! oh! oh!" to this line.

Iago. How is it, brother?

Cas. My leg is cut in two.

Iago.

Marry, heaven forbid !—

Light, gentlemen; I'll bind it with my shirt.

Enter BIANCA.

Bian. What is the matter, ho? who is't that cried?

Iago. Who is't that cried!

Bian. Oh my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio!

Oh Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!

Iago. Oh notable strumpet!-Cassio, may you suspect Who they should be that have thus mangled you?

Cas. No.

Gra. I am sorry, to find you thus: I have been to seek

you.

Iago. Lend me a garter:-so.-Oh, for a chair,

To bear him easily hence3!

Bian. Alas! he faints.—Oh Cassio! Cassio! Cassio!
Iago. Gentleman all, I do suspect this trash

To be a party in this injury '.

Patience a while, good Cassio.-Come, come.
Lend me a light.-Know we this face, or no?
Alas! my friend, and my dear countryman,
Roderigo? no :-yes, sure.
Oh heaven! Roderigo.
Gra. What, of Venice?

Iago. Even he, sir; did you know him?

Gra.

Know him? ay.

Iago. Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon: These bloody accidents must excuse my manners, That so neglected you.

Gra.

I am glad to see you.

Iago. How do you, Cassio ?—Oh, a chair, a chair!

Gra. Roderigo!

Iago. He, he, 'tis he.-Oh! that's well said ';—the chair.—

[A chair brought in.

Some good man bear him carefully from hence;

I'll fetch the general's surgeon.-For you, mistress,

[TO BIANCA.

3 To bear him easily hence!] This speech is wanting in the 4to, 1622.

4 TO BE A PARTY in this injury.] So the folio: the 4to, 1622, reads, "To bear a part in this;" the 4to, 1630, “To bear a part in this injury.”

5 Oh! that's well said;] Another out of many examples to show that "well said" was often of old used for "well done."

Save you your labour.-He that lies slain here, Cassio,
Was my dear friend. What malice was between you?
Cas. None in the world; nor do I know the man.
Iago. What, look you pale?-Oh, bear him out o' the air.-
[CASSIO and ROD. are borne off.
Stay you, good gentlemen ".-Look you pale, mistress?

Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?—
Nay, an you stir' :-we shall hear more anon.—
Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her:

Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.

Enter EMILIA.

Emil. Alas! what's the matter? what's the matter, hus

band?

Iago. Cassio hath here been set on in the dark

By Roderigo, and fellows that are scap'd:

He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead.

Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio!

Iago. This is the fruit of whoring.-Pr'ythee, Emilia, Go know of Cassio where he supp'd to-night.

What! do you shake at that?

As

Bian. He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not. Iago. Oh! did he so? I charge you, go with me.

Emil. Oh, fie upon thee, strumpet!

Bian. I am no strumpet; but of life as honest,

you that thus abuse me.

Emil.

As I? fie upon thee!

Iago. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dress'd.— Come, mistress, you must tell's another tale.

Emilia, run you to the citadel,

And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd.-
Will you go on, I pray ?-This is the night,
That either makes me, or fordoes me quite *.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

Stay you, good GENTLEMEN.] Gentlewoman is the 4to. reading; and in the next line, gestures for "gastness." We have had the verb "gasted" in " King Lear," A. ii. sc. 1, Vol. v. p. 649.

7 Nay, AN you STIR:] Thus the 4tos, addressed to Bianca: the folio, "Nay, if you stare." Below, the folio alone reads, "and Roderigo quite dead;" but quite is struck out in the corr. fo. 1632.

- or FORDOES me quite.] To "fordo" is to destroy: it occurs in this sense in "King Lear," A. v. sc. 3, and in "Hamlet," A. v. sc. 1.

VOL. VI.

I

SCENE II.

A Bedchamber.

DESDEMONA in bed, asleep: a light burning.

Enter OTHELLO.

Oth. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul',-
Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!-
It is the cause.-Yet I'll not shed her blood;
Nor scar that whiter skin of her's than snow,
And smooth as monumental alabaster.

Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.
Put out the light, and then-put out the light'?
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,

I can again thy former light restore,

Should I repent me; but once put out thy light',

Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature,

I know not where is that Promethean heat,

That can thy light relume'. When I have pluck'd thy rose, I cannot give it vital growth again,

It needs must wither:-I'll smell it on the tree.-

[Kissing her.

- it is the cause, my soul,] Othello enters reasoning with himself on his justification for killing Desdemona, viz., her infidelity; and he refuses to name it to the stars, because they are "chaste:" hence the peculiar propriety of the epithet, for which Steevens informs us there is "no classical authority." There is, happily, "no classical authority" for many other beauties in Shakespeare.

Put out the light, and then-put out the light?] Warburton recommended this mode of pointing the line, excepting that he placed a mark of admiration after put out the light!" It rather seems a question, which Othello asks himself when the reflection comes across him. Some of the commentators have contended that the old pointing is right—" Put out the light, and then put out the light;" alleging that Warburton's change "gave a spirit to the passage which was not intended;" but what right have we to say, that Shakespeare did not intend to give the line all the spirit of which it is susceptible? The punctuation we have adopted is in accordance with what immediately follows.

2- but once put out THY LIGHT,] Thus the folio: the 4tos. merely, "but once put out thine." The folio, and the 4to, 1630, both read "cunning'st" in the next line, and not cunning, as in the 4to, 1622.

3 That can thy light RELUME.]

46

Relume" is the word in the folio: in the 4to, 1622, it is return; and in the 4to, 1630, relumine. Two lines lower the folio reads, "I'll smell thee on the tree." There are some minor variations, which it is not necessary to particularize.

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