Yet could I bear that too; well, very well:
But there, where I have garner'd up my heart;
Where either I must live, or bear no life;
The fountain from the which my current runs,
Or else dries up; to be discarded thence!

Or keep it as a cistern, for foul toads

To knot and gender in! turn thy complexion there,
Patience, thou young and rose-lipp'd cherubin!
Ay, there, look grim as hella!

DES. I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.
Oтн. O, ay; as summer flies are in the shambles,

That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed,

Who art so lovely fair, and smell'st so sweet,

That the sense aches at thee,-'would thou hadst ne'er been born!
DES. Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?

OTн. Was this fair paper, this most goodly book,
Made to write whore upon? What committed?
Committed?-0 thou public commoner!
I should make very forges of my cheeks,
That would to cinders burn up modesty,
Did I but speak thy deeds.-What committed?
Heaven stops the nose at it, and the moon winks;
The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets,

Is hush'd within the hollow mine of earth,
And will not hear it: What committed?

Impudent strumpet b!

DES. By heaven, you do me wrong.
Отн. Are not you a strumpet?
DES. No, as I am a Christian;

If to preserve this vessel for my lord,
From any other foul unlawful touch,
Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.
OTH. What, not a whore?
DES.

ОTH. Is 't possible?

DES. O, heaven forgive us!

Отн.

No, as I shall be saved.

I took you for that cunning whore of Venice,
That married with Othello.-You, mistress,

ing. The slow finger is the pausing finger, pointing at the fixed figure; but, while it points, it moves in mockery. Shakspere was probably thinking of the Digito Monstrari of the ancients, and it may be, also, of the finger gesticulations of the Italians.

a In all the old copies-I here look grim as hell. Ay is often printed I.

> The quarto omits the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth lines of Othello's speech, adding, after the last question, "Impudent strumpet!"

TRAGEDIES.-VOL. I.

X

That have the office opposite to Saint Peter,
And keep the gate of hell; You! you! ay, you!
Re-enter EMILIA.

your pains;

We have done our course; there's money for
I pray you turn the key, and keep our counsel.
EMIL. Alas, what does this gentleman conceive?—
How do you, madam? how do you, my good lady?
DES. 'Faith, half asleep.

EMIL. Good madam, what's the matter with my lord?
DES. With who?

EMIL.

Why, with my lord, madam.

DES. Who is thy lord?

EMIL.

He that is yours, sweet lady a.

DES. I have none: Do not talk to me, Emilia ;
I cannot weep; nor answer have I none,
But what should go by water. Prithee, to-night
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets,-remember;-
And call thy husband hither.

EMIL.
Here's a change, indeed!
DES. "T is meet I should be us'd so, very meet.
How have I been behav'd, that he might stick
The small'st opinion on my least misuse b?

Re-enter EMILIA, with IAGO.

IAGO. What is your pleasure, madam? How is 't with you?

DES. I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes,

Do it with gentle means, and easy tasks:

He might have chid me so; for, in good faith,

I am a child to chiding.

a Desdemona's question and this answer are omitted in the quarto.

b On my least misuse. The quarto reads, on my great'st abuse.

[Exit.

[Exit.

EMIL. Has she forsook so many noble matches,

Her father, and her country, and her friends,
To be called whore? would it not make one weep?
DES. It is my wretched fortune.

IAGO.

DES.

Beshrew him for 't!

How comes this trick upon him?

Nay, heaven doth know.

EMIL. I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain,

Some busy and insinuating rogue,

Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,
Have not devis'd this slander; I will be hang'd else.
IAGO. Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible.
DES. If any such there be, heaven pardon him!
EMIL. A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones!
Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company?
What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?
The Moor's abus'd by some most villainous knave,
Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow:
O, heaven, that such companions thou 'dst unfold;
And put in every honest hand a whip,

To lash the rascals a naked through the world,
Even from the east to the west!

IAGO.

Speak within door.

EMIL. O, fie upon them! some such squire he was

That turn'd your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor. IAGO. You are a fool; go to.

DES.

Alas, Iago,

What shall I do to win my lord again?

Good friend, go to him; for, by this light of heaven,

I know not how I lost him c. Here I kneel;

If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love,

Either in discourse of thought, or actual deed;

Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense,
Delighted them in any other form;

Or that I do not yet, and ever did,

And ever will, though he do shake me off
To beggarly divorcement,-love him dearly,
Comfort forswear me !

Unkindness may do much;

And his unkindness may defeat my life,

But never taint my love. I cannot say, whore;

a Rascals. The quarto, rascal.

Them. The quarto, him.

• The following lines to the end of the speech are not found in the quarto.

Discourse of thought. In 'Hamlet' we have discourse of reason. Sir John Davies has the discoursing thought. Pope changed the text before us to discourse, or thought.

ROD. Every day thou dafts me with some device, Iago; and rather, as it seems to me now, keep'st from me all conveniency, than suppliest me with the least advantage of hope. I will, indeed, no longer endure it: Nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already I have foolishly suffered. IAGO. Will you hear me, Roderigo ?

ROD. I have heard too much; and your words and performances are no kin together.

IAGO. You charge me most unjustly.

ROD. With nought but truth. I have wasted myself out of my means.

The

jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona, would half have corrupted a votarist: You have told me she hath received them, and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquaintanced: but I find none.

IAGO. Well; go to; very well.

ROD. Very well! go to! I cannot go to, man; nor 't is not very well. Nay, I think, it is scurvy; and begin to find myself fobbed in it.

IAGO. Very well.

ROD. I tell you, 't is not very well. I will make myself known to Desdemona: If she will return me my jewels I will give over my suit, and repent my unlawful solicitation; if not, assure yourself I will seek satisfaction of you.

a The line in brackets is not in the folio.

The quarto reads

"And the great messengers of Venice stay."

Steevens calls the reading of the folio poor; but its precision and familiarity make it more dramatic and characteristic.

Dafts. The Prince of Wales, in 'Henry IV.,' is described as one "that daft the world aside.” The quarto reads doffts. The words are the same.

IAGO. You have said now.

ROD. Ay, and said nothing but what I protest intendment of doing.

IAGO. Why, now I see there 's mettle in thee; and even, from this instant, do build on thee a better opinion than ever before. Give me thy hand, Roderigo: Thou hast taken against me a most just exception; but yet, I protest, I have dealt most directly in thy affair.

ROD. It hath not appeared.

IAGO. I grant, indeed, it hath not appeared; and your suspicion is not without wit and judgment. But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever,—I mean, purpose, courage, and valour,—this night show it: if thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona, take me from this world with treachery, and devise engines for my life.

ROD. Well, what is it? is it within reason and compass?

IAGO. Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice, to depute Cassio in Othello's place.

ROD. Is that true? why then Othello and Desdemona return again to Venice. IAGO. O, no; he goes into Mauritania, and taketh away with him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be lingered here by some accident; wherein none can be so determinate as the removing of Cassio.

ROD. How do you mean removing him?

IAGO. Why, by making him uncapable of Othello's place; knocking out his brains.

ROD. And that you would have me to do?

IAGO. Ay; if you dare do yourself a profit, and a right. He sups to-night with a harlotry, and thither will I go to him ;-he knows not yet of his honourable fortune if you will watch his going thence (which I will fashion to fall out between twelve and one), you may take him at your pleasure; I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us. Come, stand not amazed at it, but go along with me; I will show you such a necessity in his death, that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him. It is now high supper-time, and the night grows to waste: about it.

ROD. I will hear further reason for this.

IAGO. And you shall be satisfied.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.—Another Room in the Castle.

Enter OTHELLO, LODOVICO, DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Attendants.

LOD. I do beseech you, sir, trouble yourself no further.

Отн. O, pardon me; 't will do me good to walk.

LOD. Madam, good night; I humbly thank your ladyship.
DES. Your honour is most welcome.

Отн.

Will you walk, sir?