These may be counterfeits; let's think't unsafe
To come in to the cry without more help.
ROD. No body come? then shall I bleed to
death.

LOD. Hark!

GRA. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.

Re-enter IAGO, with a light.

LAGO. Who's there? whose noise is this that cries on murder?

LOD. We do not know.
IAGO.
Did not you hear a cry?
CAS. Here, here! for heaven's sake, help me!
IAGO.
What's the matter?

GRA. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it. LOD. The same, indeed; a very valiant fellow. IAGO. What are you here that cry so grievously? CAS. Iago? O, I am spoil'd, undone by villains! Give me some help.

IAGO. O, me, lieutenant! what villains have done this?

CAS. I think that one of them is hereabout, And cannot make away.

IAGO.

O, treacherous villains!—

What are you there? come in, and give some help. [To LODOVICO and GRATIANO.

BIAN. O, my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio! O, Cassio! Cassio! Cassio!

IAGO. O, notable strumpet !-Cassio, may you

suspect

Who they should be that have thus mangled you? CAS. No.

GRA. I am sorry to find you thus: I have been to seek you.

IAGO. Lend me a garter:-so.-O, for a chair, To bear him easily hence!

BIAN. Alas, he faints!-O, Cassio! Cassio!
Cassio!

IAGO. Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash
To be a party in this injury.-
Patience awhile, good Cassio.-Come, come;
Lend me a light.-Know we this face or no?
Alas! my friend and my dear countryman,
Roderigo? no:-yes, sure; O, heaven!* Roderigo.
GRA. What, of Venice?

IAGO. Even he, sir: did you know him?
GRA.
Know him! ay.
LAGO. Signior Gratiano? I cry your gentle
pardon ;

These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,
That so neglected you.

GRA.

I am glad to see you. IAGO. How do you, Cassio ?-0, a chair, a chair! GRA. Roderigo!

IAGO. He, he, 't is he :-O, that's well said; —the chair :— [A chair brought in.

Some good man bear him carefully from hence; I'll fetch the general's surgeon.-For you, mistress, [TO BIANCA.

Save you your labour.-He that lies slain here, Čassio,

Was my dear friend: what malice was between you? CAS. None in the world; nor do I know the man. IAGO. [TO BIAN.] What, look you pale?-0 bear him out o' the air.

[CASSIO and ROD. are borne of. Stay you, good gentlemen.-Look you pale, mistress?

Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?—
Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon:-
Behold her well; I pray you look upon her;
Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.

Enter EMILIA.

EMIL. 'Las, what's the matter? what is the matter, husband?

IAGO. Cassio hath here been set on in the dark

(*) First folio, in place of O, heaven, has, Yes 'tis.

y Roderigo, and fellows that are scap'd: e's almost slain, and Roderigo* dead. EMIL. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio! IAGO. This is the fruits of whoring.-Pr'ythee, Emilia,

to know of Cassio where he supp'd to-night :What, do you shake at that?

BIAN. He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not.

IAGO. O, did he so? I charge you, go with me.
EMIL. Fie,t fie upon thee, strumpet !
BIAN. I am no strumpet; but of life as honest
As you that thus abuse me.

EMIL.
As I? foh! fie upon thee!
IAGO. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio

dress'd.

Come, mistress, you must tell's another tale.— Emilia, run you to the citadel,

And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd.Will you go on afore?-This is the night

And love thee after.-One more, and that's the last:

So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,
But they are cruel tears: this sorrow's heavenly;
It strikes where it doth love.-She wakes.
DES. Who's there? Othello?
Отн.

Ay, Desdemona.
DES. Will you come to bed, my lord?
Отн. Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemon?
DES.
Ay, my lord.
OTн. If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconcil'd as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.

DES. Alack, my lord, what may you mean by

that?

Oтн. Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by: I would not kill thy unprepared spirit; No,-heaven forfend!-I would not kill thy soul. DES. Talk you of killing?

Отн.

That either makes me or fordoes me quite.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

DES.

Have mercy on me!

Отн.

Ay, I do.

Then heaven

SCENE II.-A Bedchamber in the Castle : DESDEMONA in bed asleep. A light burning.

Enter OTHELLO.

OTH. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,*Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars !It is the cause.-Yet I'll not shed her blood; Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. Yet she must die, else she 'll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light! If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me:-but once put out thy light, Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd thy rose,

I cannot give it vital growth again, It needs must wither:-I'll smell it§ on the tree.— [Kissing her.

O, balmy breath, that dost almost persuade Justice to break her sword!-One more, one

Amen, with all my heart! DES. If you say so,* I hope you will not kill me. ОTH. Hum!

DES. And yet I fear you; for you are fatal

then,

Thou gav'st to Cassio.
DES.
No, by my life and soul!
Send for the man, and ask him.
Отн.
Sweet soul, take heed,
Take heed of perjury; thou art on thy death-bed.
DES. Ay, but not yet to die.

OTH.
Yes,† presently;
Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;
For to deny each article with oath

(*) First folio omits, so. received."-STEEVENS.

(†) First folio omits, Yes.

b Put out the light, and then put out the light!] This regulation of the line, which certainly imparts to it a spirit and beauty we miss in the old punctuation, was suggested both by Upton and Warburton, and is now very generally adopted.

DES. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not! Оги. Down, strumpet!

There is no pause.

DES.

DES. O, falsely, falsely murder'd!

EMIL.

But half an hour!

But while I say one prayer!

ОTH. It is too late. [Smothers her. EMIL. [Without.] My lord! my lord! what ho! lord! my my lord!

ОTH. What noise is this?-Not dead? not yet quite dead?

I that am cruel am yet merciful;

I would not have thee linger in thy pain:-
So, so.

EMIL. [Without.] What ho! my lord! my lord!
ОTH.
Who's there?

EMIL. [Without.] O, good my lord, I would
speak a word with you!

[dead.Oгн. Yes: 't is Emilia;-by and by.-She's "T is like she comes to speak of Cassio's death; The noise was high.-Ha! no more moving? Still as the grave.-Shall she come in? were 't good?

I think she stirs again :-no.-What's best to do?
If she come in, she 'll sure speak to my wife:
My wife! my wife! what wife?--I have no wife!
O, insupportable! O, heavy hour!

Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse

Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Should* yawn at alteration.

EMIL. [Without.] I do beseech
speak with you,

O, good my lord!

you that I

may

OTH. I had forgot thee:-O, come in, Emilia:— Soft, by and by:-let me the curtains draw.— Where art thou? [Unlocks the door.

Alas, what cry is that?

EMIL. Out, and alas! that was my lady's

And you the blacker devil!
Oтн. She turn'd to folly," and she was a whore.
EMIL. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a
devil.

Отн. She was false as water.
EMIL.

Thou art rash as fire, to say
That she was false; O, she was heavenly true!
Отн. Cassio did tup her; ask thy husband else
O, I were damn'd beneath all depth in hell,
But that I did proceed upon just grounds
To this extremity! Thy husband knew it all.
EMIL. My husband!

Отн. Thy husband.

EMIL. That she was false to wedlock?

Отн. Ay, with Cassio. Nay,† had she been

true,

If heaven would make me such another world
Of one entire and perfect chrysolite,
I'd not have sold her for it.

EMIL. My husband!
Отн.

Ay, 't was he that told me‡ first;

to folly, That is, to wantonness.