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

Madam, here comes! Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

I do believe 'twas he,
Des. How now, my lord ?

I have been talking with a suitor here,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.
Oth. Who is't you mean?

Des. Why, your lieutenant Cassio. Good my
lord,

If I have any grace or power to move you,
His present reconciliation take;

For, if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance, and not in cunning,
I have no judgment in an honest face:
I pr'ythee call him back.

Din
Went he hence now?
Des. Ay, sooth; so humbled,
That he hath left part of his grief with me;
I suffer with him. Good love, call him back.
Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other

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,-Thon lik'dst not that,
When Cassio left my wife; What didst not like?
And, when I told thee-he was of my counsel
In my whole course of wooing, thou cry'dst,
Indeed!

And didst contract and purse thy brow together,
The sooner, sweet, for you. As if thou then had'st shut up in thy brain

Some horrible conceit: If thou dost love me,
Show me thy thought.

Iago. 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,
Are tricks of custom; but, in a man that's just,
They are close denotements, working from the
heart,

That passion cannot rule.
Iago.

For Michael Cassio,-
I dare be sworn, I think that he is honest.
Oth. I think so too.
Iago.
Men should be what they seem;
Or, those that be not, 'would they might seem

none!

Oth. Certain, men should be what they seem.
Iago. Why then, I think Cassio's an honest man.
Oth. Nay, yet there's more in this:

I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings,
As thou dost ruminate; and give thy worst of
thoughts

The worst of words.
Iago.
Good my lord, pardon me;
Though I am bound to every act of duty,
I am not bound to that ali slaves are free to.
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.

Think'st thou, I'd make a life of jealousy,
To follow still the changes of the moon
With fresh suspicions? No: to be once in doubt,
Is-once to be resolved: Exchange me for a goat,
When I shall turn the business of my soul
To such exsufflicate and blown surmises,
Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me
jealous,

To say-my wife is fair, feeds well, loves com-
pany,

Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well;
Where virtue is, these are more virtuous:
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear, or doubt of her revolt;
For she had eyes, and chose me: No, Iago;
I'll see, before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,-
Away at once with love, or jealousy.
Iago. I am glad of this, for now I shall have

reason

To show the love and duty that I bear you
With franker spirit: therefore, as I am bound,
Receive it from me :-I speak not yet of proof.
Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio;
Wear your eye-thus, not jealous, nor secure,
I would not have your free and noble nature,
Out of self-bounty, be abus'd; look to't:
I know our country disposition well;
In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks
They dare not show their husbands; their best
conscience

Is-not to leave undone, but keep unknown.
Oth. Dost thou say so?

Iago She did deceive her father, marrying you;
And, when she seem'd to shake, and fear your
looks,
She lov'd them most.

Oth.

Iago.

And so she did.

Why, go to, then; She that, so young, could give out such a seem ing, 1 do beseech you,-To seal her father's eyes up, close as oak,He thought, 'twas witchcraft :-But I am much

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. hen,
From one that so imperfectly conjects,
You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a
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 some-
thing, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thou-
sands:

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!

Iago.
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy?
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth make
The meat it feeds on: 'That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;
But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er,
Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly
Oth. O misery!
[loves!
Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich
enough;

But riches, fineless, is as poor as winter,
To him that ever fears he shall be poor:-
Good heaven, the souls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Oth.

Why why is this!

to blame;

I humbly do beseech you of your pardon,
For too much loving you.

Oth.
I am bound to thee for ever.
Iago. I see, this hath a little dash'd your spirits.
Oth. Not a jot, not a jot
Iago.

Trust me, I fear it has.
I hope, you will consider, what is spoke
Comes from my love;-But, I do see you are

mov'd:

I am to pray you, not to strain my speech
To grosser issues, nor to larger reach,
Than to suspicion.
Oth. I will not.
Iago.

Should you do so, my lord
My speech should fall into such vile success
As my thoughts aim not at. Cassio's my worthy
friend:-

My lord, I see you are mov'd.
Oth.

No, not much mov'd:-
I do not think but Desdemona's honest.
Iago. Long live she so ! and long live you to
think so!

Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself,-
Iago. Ay, there's the point :-As,-to be bold

with you,

Not to affect many proposed matches,
Of her own clime, complexion, and degree;
Whereto, we see, in all things nature tends:
Foh! one may smell, in such, a will most rank,
Foul disproportion, thoughts unnatural.-
But pardon me; I do not, in position,
Distinctly speak of her: though I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country forms,
And (happily) repent.

Oth

Farewell, farewell:
If inore thou dost perceive, let me know more;
Set on thy wife to observe: Leave me, lago,

Iago. My lord, I take my leave. [Going. Emil. What handkerchief 7
Oth. Why did I marry 7-This honest creature,

doubtless,

Sees and knows more,much more than he unfolds.
Iago. My lord, I would, I might entreat your
honour

To scan this thing no further; leave it to time:
And though it be fit that Cassio have his place
(For, sure, he fills it up with great ability,)
Yet, if you please to hold him off a while,
You shall by that perceive him and his means:
Note, if your lady strain his entertainment
With any strong or vehement importunity;
Much will be seen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought too busy in my fears
(As worthy cause I have to fear-I am)
And hold her free, I do beseech your honour.
Oth. Fear not my government.
Iago. I once more take my leave.
Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty,
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings: If I do prove her haggard,
Though that her jesses were my dear heart-
strings,

[Exit.

I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind,
To prey at fortune. Haply, for I am black;
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have :-Or, for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years;-yet that's not much ;-
She's gone; I am abus'd; and my relief
Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,

For others' uses. Yet, 'tis the plague of great

ones;

Prerogativ'd are they less than the base;
"Tis destiny unshunnable, like death;
Even then this forked plague is fated to us,
When we do quicken. Desdemona comes:
Enter Desdemona and Emilia.

If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself!-
I'll not believe it.
Des.
How now, my dear Othello?
Your dinner, and the generous islanders
By you invited, do attend your presence.
Oth. I am to blame.

Des. Why is your speech so faint are you not
well?

Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here.
Des. 'Faith, that's with watching; 'twill away
again:

Let me but bind it hard, within this hour
It will be well.

Oth.

Your napkin is too little;

Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona;
That which so often you did bid me steal.
Iago. Hast stolen it from her?

Emil. No, 'faith; she let it drop by negligence;
And to the advantage, I, being here, took 't up.
Look, here it is.
Iago.
A good wench; give it me.
Emil. What will you do with it, that you have
been so earnest

To have me filch it?
Iago.
Why, what's that to you ?
[Snatching it.
Emil. If it he not for some purpose of import,
Give it me again: Poor lady, she'll run mad,
When she shall lack it.

Iago. Be not you known of't; I have use for it.
Go, leave me.
(Exit.

I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin,
And let him find it: Trifles, light as air,
Are, to the jealous, confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ. This may do something.
The Moor already changes with my poison:
Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons,
Which, at the first, are scarce found to distaste;
But, with a little act upon the blood,

Burn like the mines of sulphur.-I did say so :

Enter Othello.

Look, where he comes! Not poppy, nor man-
dragora,

Nor all the drowsy sirups of the world,
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep
Which thou ow'dst yesterday.

Oth.
To me?

Ha! ha false to me 7

Iago. Why, how now, general? no more of that.
Oth. Avaunt! be gone! thou hast set me on the
rack:-

I swear, 'tis better to be much abus'd,
Than but to know a little.
Iago.
How now, my lord ?
Oth. What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust?
I saw it not, thought it not, it harm'd not me:
I slept the next night well, was free and merry;
I found not Cassio's kisses on her lips:
He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen,
Let him not know it, and he's not robb'd at all.
Iago. I am sorry to hear this.

Oth. I had been happy, if the general camp,
Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body,
So I had nothing known: O now, for ever,
Farewell the tranquil mind! farewell content!
Farewell the plumed troop, and the big wars,
That make ambition virtue! O, farewell!
Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,

[He puts the Handkerchief from him, and The royal banner; and all quality,
it drops.

Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with you.
Des. I am very sorry that you are not well.
[Exeunt Othello and Desdemona.
Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin;
This was her first remembrance from the Moor:
My wayward husband hath a hundred times
Woo'd me to steal it: but she so loves the token
(For he conjur'd her, she would ever keep it,)
That she reserved it ever more about her,
To kiss and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,
And give 't lago;

What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I;
I nothing, but to please his fantasy.

Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!
And, O, you mortal engines, whose rude throats
The immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeit,
Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone!
Iago. Is it possible !-my lord,
Oth. Villain, be sure thou prove my love a
whore;

Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof;
[Taking him by the Throat
Or, by the worth of mine eternal soul,
Thou hadst been better have been born a dog,
Than answer my wak'd wrath.
Iago.
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, wo upon thy lifel
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.

rago 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 více!

Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell! Yield up, O love, thy erown and hearted throne, To tyrannous hate! swell bosom, with thy O monstrous world! Take note, take note, O For 'tis of aspicks' tongues! world, Iago. Pray, be content. Oth. O, blood, lago, blood Iago. Patience, I say; your mind, perhaps, may change.

I think my wite 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 inine own face.-If there be cords, or knives,
Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams,
I not endure it.-Would I were satisfied!
Tago. I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion:
I do repent me, that I put it to you.
You would be satisfied?

Cas. Madam, my former suit: I do beseech you,
That, by your virtuous means, I may again
Exist, and be a member of his love,
Whom I, with all the duty of my heart,
Entirely honour; I would not be delay'd:
If my offence be of such mortal kind,
That neither service past, nor present sorrows,
I have it not about me. Nor purpos'd merit in futurity,

Can ransome me into his love again,
But to know so must be my benefit;
That is a fault: So shall I clothe me .n a fore'd content,
And shut myself up in some other course,
To fortune's alms."
Des.

And it was dyed 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.