Ay, but, lady, That policy may either last so long, Des. Do not doubt that; before Emilia here, To the last article: my lord shall never rest; With Cassio's suit: Therefore be merry, Cassio'; Than give thy cause away. Enter Othello, and lago, at a distance. I have no judgment in an honest face: I pr'ythee, call him back. Oth. Went he hence now? Des. Ay, sooth; so humbled, Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time. Des. But shall't be shortly? Oth. The sooner, sweet, for you. Des. Shall't be to-night at supper? Oth. Des. To-morrow dinner then? Oth. No, not to-night. I shall not dine at home; I meet the captains at the citadel. Des. Why then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday morn; Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday morn; To incur a private check: When shall he come? Or stand so mammering4 on. What? Michael Cassio, Oth. I will deny thee nothing, Whereon, I do beseech thee, grant me this, Des. Shall I deny you? no: Farewell, my lord. thee straight. Des. Emilia, come: -Be it as your fancies teach you; Whate'er you be, I am obedient. [Exit, with Emil. Oth. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again. Jago. My noble lord, Oth. What dost thou say, Iago? Iago. Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my lady, Know of your love? Oth. He did, from first to last: Why dost thou ask? lago. But for a satisfaction of my thought; No further harm. Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago? Iago. I did not think he had been acquainted with her.. Oth. O, yes; and went between us very oft. Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed:-Discern'st thou aught in that? By heaven, he echoes me, As if there were some monster in his thought Too hideous to be shown. -Thou dost mean some thing: And, for I know thou art full of love and honesty, breath, 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 that Cassio is an honest man. Oth. Nay, yet there's more in this: I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings, Is the immediate jewel of their souls: nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; And makes me poor indeed. Oth. By heaven, I'll know thy thought. Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Iago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; jealous, To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company, As thou dost ruminate; and give thy worst of And, on the proof, there is no more but this, thoughts Away at once with love, or jealousy. The worst of words. Iago. I am glad of this, for now I shall have reason lago. Good my lord, pardon me; To show the love and duty that I bear you With franker spirit: therefore, as I am bound, Wear your eye-thus, not jealous, nor secure: Utter my thoughts? Why, say, they are vile and Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; false,- Keep leets, and law-days, and in session sit Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago, lago. Shapes faults that are not, I entreat you then, You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble It were not for your quiet, nor your good, To let you know my thoughts. In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks conscience My lord, I see you are mov'd. Oth. No, not much mov'd : I do not think but Desdemona's honest. lago. Long live she so! and long live you to think so! Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself,lago. Ay, there's the point:-As, to be bold with you, Not to affect many proposed matches, Of her own clime, complexion, and degree; Oth. Farewell, farewell : lago My lord, I take my leave. [Going. Oth. Why did I marry? - 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: Oth. Fear not my government. Iago. I once more take my leave. [Exit. Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty, And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit, Of human dealings: If I do prove her haggard,3 Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings, 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 loath 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, If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself!- How now, my dear Othello? Your dinner, and the generous islanders 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 it drops. Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with you. Des. I am very sorry that you are not well. [Exeunt Oth. and Des. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin; What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I; Why, what's that to you? [Snatching it. Emil. If it be 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 Emilia. I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, (5) Men of intrigue. (6) When we begin to live. (7) In the north of England this term for a handkerchief is still used. (8) Seem as if you knew nothing of the matter, Iago. How now, my lord? Oth. What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust? I saw it not, thought it not, it barm'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. lago. 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, The royal banner; and all quality, 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! lago. 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, 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 life! Iago. My noble lord, Oth. If thou dost slander her, and torture me, Never pray more: abandon all remorse ;4 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. Iago. O grace! O heaven defend me! (1) The mandrake has a soporific quality. (3) The vilest of the camp. Pioneers were generally degraded soldiers. And loses that it works for. Oth. By the world, I think my wife 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 mine own face. If there be cords, or knives, Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams, I'll not endure it. Would, I were satisfied! Iago. I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion: I do repent me, that I put it to you. You would be satisfied? Iago. And may: but, how? how satisfied, my lord? Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on? Oth. Death and damnation! O! lago. It were a tedious difficulty, I think, 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, Tis gone. Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell! Iago. Pray, be content. O, blood, lago, blood! Iago. Patience, I say; your mind, perhaps, may change. Oth. Never, Ingo. 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 capables and wide revenge Swallow them up. -Now, by yond' marble heaven, In the due reverence of a sacred vow [Kneels. 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, [Kneels. 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; To wrong'd Othello's service! let him command, For here's a young and sweating devil here, And to obey shall be in me remorse, 5 What bloody work soever. Oth. I greet thy love, Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance boun That commonly rebels. 'Tis a good hand, A frank one. [Exeunt. Oth. That which I gave you. Des. I have it not about me. Enter Desdemona, That handkerchief Des. Do you know, sirrah, where lieutenant Cassio lies? Clo. I dare not say, he lies any where. Des. Why, man? Clo. He is a soldier; and for me to say a soldier The thoughts of people: she told her, while she 'Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father Clo. To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you Entirely to her love; but if she lost it, where I lie. Des. Can any thing be made of this? Clo. I know not where he lodges; and for me to devise a lodging, and say-he lies here, or he lies there, were to lie in my own throat. Des. Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report? Clo. I will catechize the world for him; that is, make questions, and by them answer. Des. Seek him, bid him come hither: tell him, I have moved my lord in his behalf, and hope, all will be well. Clo. To do this, is within the compass of man's wit; and therefore I will attempt the doing doing it. it. [Ex. Des. Where should I lose that handkerchief, |