Emil. My husband? Oth. What needs this iterance, woman? I say, thy husband. Emil. O mistress, villainy hath made mocks with love! My husband say, that she was false? Oth. Emil. If he say so, may his pernicious soul This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven, 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,- 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: 8 villainy hath made mocks with love!] Villainy hath taken advantage to play upon the weakness of a violent passion. 9 Thou hast not half the power to do me harm, As I have to be hurt.] She means to say.-I have in this cause power to endure more than thou hast power to inflict. I know, thou did'st not, thou'rt not such a villain; 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? 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. Mon. O monstrous act! Emil. Villainy, villainy, villainy !— I think upon't, I think,—I smell't;—O villainy! 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. Emil. [Hanging over his Wife. Nay, lay thee down, and roar: For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent, That e'er did lift up eye. 1 I thought so then ;] i. e. at the instant when she gave Desdemona's handkerchief to Iago; for even then Emilia appears to have suspected it was sought after for no honest purpose, and therefore asks her husband-" What will you do with it?" &c. O, she was foul!- [Rising. Oth. 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 : This sight would make him do a desperate turn, And fall to reprobation. Oth. 'Tis pitiful: but yet Iago knows, With that recognizance and pledge of love My father gave my mother. Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers! lago. Come, hold your peace. Emil. Twill out, 'twill out;-I hold my peace, sir? no; No, I will speak as liberal' as the air; Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all, All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak. 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, 2 No, I will speak as liberal-] Liberal is free, under no control. (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. Oth. [IAGO 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, Oth. [Exeunt MONTANO and GRATIANO. But every puny whipster gets my sword:- Emil. What did thy song bode, lady? Hark, can'st 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. Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber, [Dies. 3 Are there no stones in heaven, But what serve for the thunder?] Shakspeare might mean, does heaven reserve its thunder only to make a noise? has it no implements of mischief to punish as well as terrify? 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? Behold! I have a weapon; Oth. A better never did itself sustain www. Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day, O cursed, cursed slave!-Whip me, ye devils, 4 the ice-brook's temper ;] This ice-brook was the brook or rivulet called Salo (now Xalon), near Bilbilis in Celtiberia. In this the Spaniards plunged all their swords and other weapons while hot from the forge; and to the icy qualities of the waters they were indebted for their stubborn temper. |