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Than thou wast worthy her.

Oth.

Peace, you were best. Emil. Thou hast not half the power to do me

harm,

As I have to be hurt*. O gull! O dolt!

As ignorant as dirt! thou hast done a deed,-
I care not for thy sword; I'll make thee known,
Though I lost twenty lives:-Help! help, ho! help!
The Moor has kill'd my mistress; Murder! murder!

Enter Montano, Gratiano, and Iago.

Mon. What is the matter?-How now, general? Emil. O, are you come, Iago? you have done well,

That men must lay their murders on your neck.
Gra. What is the matter?

Emil. Disprove this villain, if thou be'st a man :
He says, thou told'st him that his wife was false:
I know, thou didst not, thou'rt not such a villain;
Speak, for my heart is full.

Iago. I told him what I thought; and told no

more

Than what he found himself was apt and true. Emil. But did you ever tell him, she was false? Iago. I did.

Emil. You told a lie; an odious, damned lie; Upon my soul, a lie; a wicked lie:

She false with Cassio !-Did you say, with Cassio? Iago. With Cassio, mistress; Go to, charm your tongue.

Emil. I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak;

My mistress here lies murder'd in her bed.

All. O heavens forfend + !

Emil. And your reports have set the murder on. Oth. Nay, stare not, masters; it is true, indeed. Gra. 'Tis a strange truth.

Mon. O monstrous act!
Emil.

Villainy, villainy, villainy !+ Forbid.

* ' More can I bear than you dare execute.'

VOL. X.

GG

I think upon't,-I think,-I smell't;-O villainy!
I thought so then ;-I'll kill myself for grief.—
O villainy, villainy!

Iago. What, are you mad? I charge you, get you
home.

Emil. Good gentlemen, let me have leave to

speak;

'Tis proper I obey him, but not now :Perchance, Iago, I will ne'er go home. Oth. O! O! O!

[Hanging over his wife.
Nay, lay thee down, and roar ;

Emil.
For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent,
That e'er did lift up eye.

Oth.

O, she was foul !

[Rising. I scarce did know you, uncle: There lies your niece, Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopp'd:

I know, this act shows horrible and grim.

Gra. Poor Desdemona! I am glad thy father's

dead;

Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief
Shore his old thread in twain: did he live now,
This sight would make him do a desperate turn,
Yea, curse his better angel from his side,
And fall to reprobation.

Oth. 'Tis pitiful: but yet Iago knows,
That she with Cassio hath the act of shame
A thousand times committed; Cassio confess'd it:
And she did gratify his amorous works

With that recognizance and pledge of love
Which I first gave her: I saw it in his hand;
It was a handkerchief, an antique token

My father gave my mother.

Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers!
Iago.
Come, hold your peace.
Emil. "Twill out, 'twill out:-I hold my peace,

sir? no;

No, I will speak as liberal* as the air;

* Free.

"

Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all,
All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
Iago. Be wise, and get you home.

Emil.

Gra.

I will not.

[Iago offers to stab his wife.

Your sword upon a woman?

Fye!

Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou

speak'st of,

I found by fortune, and did give my husband;
For often, with a solemn earnestness

(More than, indeed, belong'd to such a trifle,)
He begg❜d of me to steal it.

Iago.

Villainous whore!

Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas; I found it, And I did give't my husband.

Iago.

Filth, thou liest. Emil. By heaven, I do not; I do not, gentlemen: O murd'rous coxcomb! what should such a fool Do with so good a wife?

Oth.

[lago stabs Emilia, then runs out. Are there no stones in heaven,

But what serve for the thunder?-Precious villain! Gra. The woman falls; sure he has kill'd his

wife.

Emil. Ay, ay; O lay me by my mistress' side! Gra. He's gone, but his wife's kill'd.

Mon. 'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this weapon,

Which I have here recover'd from the Moor: Come, guard the door without; let him not pass, But kill him rather; I'll after that same villain, For 'tis a damned slave.

Oth.

[Exeunt Montano and Gratiano.
I am not valiant neither,

But every puny whipster gets my sword:-
But why should honour outlive honesty?
Let it go all.

Emil.

What did thy song bode, lady? Hark, canst thou hear me? I will play the swan,

And die in musick;-Willow, willow, willow.

Moor, she was chaste; she lov'd thee, cruel Moor;
So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true;
So speaking as I think, I die,—I die.

[Dies.

Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber, It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook's temper* ;O, here it is:-Uncle, I must come forth.

Gra. [Within.] If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear;

Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer. Oth. Look in upon me then, and speak with me, Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee.

Re-enter Gratiano.

Gra. What is the matter?

Oth.

Behold! I have a weapon;

A better never did itself sustain

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Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day,
That, with this little arm, and this good sword,
I have made my way through more impediments
Than twenty times your stop:-But, O vain boast!
Who can control his fate? 'tis not so now.-
Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon'd;
Here is my journey's end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
Do you go back dismay'd? 'tis a lost fear
Man but a rush against Othello's breast,
And he retires ;-Where should Othello go?—
Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd
wench!

r;

Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt†,
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl?
Even like thy chastity.-

O cursed, cursed slave !-Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds! roast me in sulphur
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire !—

* Steel is hardened by being put red-hot into very cold water.
+ Account.

O Desdemona! Desdemona! dead?
Dead? O! O! O!

Enter Lodovico, Montano, Cassio, carried in a chair, and Officers, with Iago, prisoner.

Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man?

Oth. That's he, that was Othello; here I am. Lod. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth. Oth. I look down towards his feet* ;-but that's a fable:

If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee.

[Othello wounds Iago.

Lod. Wrench his sword from him.

Iago.
I bleed, sir; but not kill'd.
Oth. I am not sorry neither; I'd have thee live
For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die.

Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good,
Fall'n in the practice+ of a cursed slave,
What shall be said to thee?

Oth.

Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you will;

For nought I did in hate, but all in honour.

e;

Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy :

Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?

Oth. Ay.

Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause.
Oth. I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
Will you, I pray you, demand that demi-devil,
Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body?
Iago. Demand me nothing: What you know,
you know:

From this time forth I never will speak word.
Lod. What? not to pray?

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Gra.

Torments will ope your lips.

Oth. Well, thou dost best.

Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath be

fall'n,

To see if his feet be cloven.

+ By the stratagem.

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