Iago. Good my lord, pardon me! Though I am bound to every act of duty, I am not bound to that all slaves are free to. Utter my thoughts! Why, say, they are vile and As where's that palace, whereinto foul things Keep leets, and law-days, and in session sit Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, fago, Iago. I do beseech you, Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess, 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, 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands: And makes me poor indeed. Oth. By heaven, I'll know thy thought. Iago. I am glad of this; for now I shall have reason Is-not to leave undone, but keep unknown. Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; She that, so young, could give out such a seeming, Oth. I am bound to thee for ever. Iago. I see, this hath a little dash'd your spirits. Iago. Trust me, I fear it has. I hope, you will consider, what is spoke Oth. I will not. Iago. Should you do so, my lord, friend: :- My lord, I see you are mov'd. Oth. No, not much mov'd: I do not think but Desdemona's honest. Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Iago. Long live she so! and long live you to think so! Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody. Oth. Ha! Iago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy ; Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; Oth. Why? why is this? Think'st thou, I'd make a life of jealousy, To follow still the changes of the moon Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself,- with you, Not to affect many proposed matches, Oth. Farewell, farewell! If more thou dost perceive, let me know more; Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds [Exit. And hold her free, I do beseech your honour. For other's uses. Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones; If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself! — Des. How now, my dear Othello? Your dinner, and the generous islanders Des. Why is your speech so faint? are you not well? Oth. Your napkin is too little; Give it me again. Poor lady! she'll run mad, Iago. Be not you known of't; I have use for it. I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, Enter OTHELLO. I did say so. I swear, 'tis better to be much abus'd, Iago. How now, my lord? Oth. What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust? Oth. I had been happy, if the general camp, [lie puts the handkerchief from him, Farewell the tranquil mind: farewell content! and it drops. Let it alone! Come, I'll go in with you! To kiss, and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out, What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I; Enter IAGO. Iago. A good wench; give it me! Farewell the plumed troop, and the big wars, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war! [Taking him by the throat. Oth. Make me to see it; or (at the least) so prove it, Oth. If thou dost slander her, and torture me, On horror's head, horrors accumulate: Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amaz'd, 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, Emil. What will you do with it, that you have been 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, Jago. 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; 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! Iago. It were a tedious difficulty, I think, To bring them to that prospect: damn them then, Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys, But, sith I am enter'd in this cause so far,— There are a kind of men so loose of soul, In sleep I heard him say, - Sweet Desdemona, And then, sir, would he gripe, and wring my hand, Oth. But this denoted a foregone conclusion; Oth. I'll tear her all to pieces. To tyrannous hate! swell, bosom, with thy fraught, Iago. Patience, I say! your mind, perhaps, may change. [Kneel Oth. Never, Iago! Like to the Pontic sea, Whose icy current and compulsive course Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on To the Propontic, 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 I here engage my words! 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. Oth. I greet thy love, [Kneels. Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance bounteous And will upon the instant put thee to't: Within these three days let me hear thee say, That Cassio's not alive. Iago. My friend is dead; 'tis done at your request: But let her live. Oth. Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her! Come, go with me apart! I will withdraw, To furnish me with some swift means of death For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant. Iago. I am your own for ever. SCENE IV.- The same. [Exeunt Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown. Des. Do you know, sirrah, where lieutenant Cassio lies? Clo. I dare not say, he lies any where. 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 where Des. Can you enquire him out, and be edified by report? Clo. I will catechise the world for him; that is, make Des. Seek him, bid him come hither: tell him,! have moved my lord in his behalf, and hope all will be well. Iago. Nay, but be wise; yet we see nothing done; questions, and by them answer. 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, and therefore I will attempt the doing it. Des. Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse Emil. Is he not jealous? Des. Who, he? I think the sun, where he was born, Drew all such humours from him. Emil. Look, where he comes. Des. I will not leave him Be call'd to him.-How is't with you, my lord? Oth. Well, my good lady :-[Aside.] O, hardness to dissemble! How do you, Desdemona? Des. Well, my good lord! Oth. Give me your hand! This hand is moist, my lady! Des. It yet has felt no age, nor known no sorrow. 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, Des. You may, indeed, say so; For 'twas that hand, that gave away my heart. Des. I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you. Oth. I have a salt and sullen rheum offends me; Lend me thy handkerchief. Des. Here, my lord! Oth. That which I gave you. Des. I have it not about me. Oth. Not? Des. No, indeed, my lord! Oth. That is a fault: That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give: She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people: she told her, while she kept it, 'Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father Des. It is possible? Oth. 'Tis true: there's magic in the web of it: A sibyl, that had number'd in the world The sun to make two hundred compasses, In her prophetic fury sew'd the work: The worms were hallow'd, that did breed the silk; 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. Why do you speak so startingly and rash? Oth. Is't lost? is't gone? speak, is it out of the way? Des. Heaven bless us ! Des. It is not lost; but what an if it were? Des. I say, it is not lost. Oth. Fetch't, let me see it. Des. Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now; This is a trick, to put me from my suit; I pray, let Cassio be receiv'd again. Iago. There is no other way; 'tis she must do't; And, lo, the happiness! go, and impórtune her. Des. How now, good Cassio? what's the news with you? Cas. Madam, my former suit. I do beseech you, That neither service past, nor present sorrows, Can ransome me into his love again, So shall I clothe me in a forc'd content, Des. Alas! thrice-gentle Cassio, My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him, Were he in favour, as in humour, alter'd. So help me, every spirit sanctified, As I have spoken for you all my best; And stood within the blank of his displeasure, For my free speech! You must a while be patient: Than for myself I dare: let that suffice you. y? Emil. He went hence but now, And, certainly, in strange unquietness. Iago. Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon, When it hath blown his ranks into the air; And, like the devil, from his very arm Puff'd his own brother; and can he be angry Something of moment, then: I will go meet him; There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry. Des. I pr'ythee, do so!-Something, sure, of state,[Exit Iago. Either from Venice; or some unhatch'd practice, Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him,Hath puddled his clear spirit: and, in such cases, Men's natures wrangle with inferior things, Though great ones are their object. 'Tis even so; For let our finger ache, and it endues Our other healthful members ev'n to that sense As fit the bridal. — Beshrew me much, Emilia, Oth. Fetch me that handkerchief; my mind mis- Arraigning his unkindness with my soul; gives. Des. Come, come! But now I find, I had suborn'd the witness, And he's indited falsely. Thou said'st, O, it comes o'er my memory, Oth. That's not so good, now. Iago. What, if I had said, I had seen him do you Or heard him say,-As knaves be such abroad, I have this while with leaden thoughts been press'd; But they must blab Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca, Take me this work out. Bian. O Cassio, whence came this? This is some token from a newer friend. To the felt absence now I feel a cause: Is it come to this? Well, well! Cas. Woman, go to! Throw your vile guesses in the devil's teeth, No, in good troth, Bianca! Bian. Why, whose is it? Oth. Hath he said any thing? Iago. He hath, my lord! but be you well assar'd 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. With her? some. 1 will. Iago. With her, on her; what you Oth. Lie with her! lie on her!We say, lie on remem-her, when they belie her: lie with her! that's ful - Handkerchief, handker confessions, chief. To confess, and be hanged for his labour.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! - Handker [Falls in a trance. Cas. I know not, sweet: I found it in my chamber. Cas. I do attend here on the general; And think it no addition, nor my wish, Bian. Why, I pray you? Cas. Not that I love you not. Bian. But that you do not love me. I pray you, bring me on the way a little; Cas. 'Tis but a little way, that I can bring you, [Exeunt. Iago. Or to be naked with her friend abed, An hour, or more, not meaning any harm? chief! O devil! Iago. Work on, My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught; And many worthy and chaste dames, even thus, lord! All guiltless meet reproach. What, ho! my Enter CASSIO. My lord, I say! Othello!- How now, Cassio? Cas. What is the matter? Iago. My lord is fallen into an epilepsy; The lethargy must have his quiet course: How is it, general? have you not hurt your head? Oth. Dost thou mock me? Iago. I mock you! no, by heaven! 'Would, you would bear your fortunes like a man. |