Have you forgot all sense of place and duty ? shame! Oth. Why, how now, ho! from whence ariseth this? Are we turn'd Turks; and to ourselves do that, For christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl: Honest Iago, that look'st dead with grieving, In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom Oth. How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot? Mon. Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger; Your officer, lago, can inform you While I spare speech, which something now offends me; Of all that I do know: nor know I aught Oth. Mon. If partially affin'd, or leagu'd in office, Thou dost deliver more or less than truth, Thou art no soldier. Myself the crying fellow did pursue, More of this matter can I not report i But men are men: the best sometimes forget: - Oth. Enter DESDEMONA, attended. Look, if my gentle love be not rais'd up; I'll make thee an example. Des. Oth. All's well now, sweeting; Come away to bed. Sir, for your hurts, What's the matter, dear? Myself will be your surgeon: Lead him off. [To MONTANO, who is led off. `Iago, look with care about the town; To have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife. Iago. Marry, heaven forbid ! Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part, sir, of myself, and what remains is bestial. — My reputation, Iago, my reputation. Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that, than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a. loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: You are but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in policy than in malice; even so as one would beat his offenceless dog, to affright an imperious lion: sue to him again, and he is your's. Cas. I will rather sue to be despised, than to deceive so good a commander, with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow ?-O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee—devil! Iago. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you? Cas. I know not. Jugo. Why, but you are now well enough: How | In any honest suit; she's fram'd as fruitful came you thus recovered? Cas. It hath pleased the devil, drunkenness, to give place to the devil, wrath: one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself. Iago. Come, you are too severe a moraler: As the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good. Cas. I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me, I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! O strange! - Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a devil. Iago. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used; exclaim no more against it. And, good lieutenant, I think, you think I love you. Cas. I have well approved it, sir. — I drunk! Iago. You, or any man living, may be drunk at some time, man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife is now the general; I may say so in this respect, for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and graces: confess yourself freely to her; importune her; she'll help to put you in your place again: she is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, that she holds it a vice in her goodness, not to do more than she is requested: This broken joint, between you and her husband, entreat her to splinter; and, my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before. Cas. You advise me well. Iago. I protest, in the sincerity of love, and honest kindness. Cas. I think it freely; and, betimes in the morning, I will beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me: I am desperate of my fortunes, if they check me here. Iago. You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant; I must to the watch. Cas. Good night, honest Iago. [Exit CASSIO. Iago. And what's he then, that says,-I play the villain? When this advice is free, I give, and honest, | As the free elements. And then for her That she may make, unmake, do what she list, Enter RODERIGO. Rod. I do follow here in the chace, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is almost spent; I have been to-night exceedingly well cudgelled; and, I think, the issue will be I shall have so much experience for my pains: and so, with no money at all, and a little more wit, return to Venice. Iago. How poor are they, that have not patience!- And wit depends on dilatory time. My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress} Myself, the while, to draw the Moor apart, heard, to't again: but, as they say, to hear musick, the general does not greatly care. 1 Mus. We have none such, sir. Clo. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away: Go; vanish into air; away. [Exeunt Musicians. Cas. Dost thou hear, my honest friend? Enter IAGO. [Exit. Emil. Good madam, do; I know, it grieves my husband, As if the case were his. Des. O, that's an honest fellow. Cassio, But I will have my lord and you again Bounteous madam, Des. O, sir, I thank you: You do love my lord: Cas Ay, but, lady, That policy may either last so long, Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet, Or breed itself so out of circumstance, Cas. Do, good my friend.-In happy time, Iago. That, I being absent, and my place supplied, Iago. You have not been a-bed then? Cas. Why, no; the day had broke Before we parted. I have made bold, Iago, To send in to your wife: My suit to her Is, that she will to virtuous Desdemona Procure me some access. Iago. I'll send her to you presently; And I'll devise a mean to draw the Moor Out of the way, that your converse and business May be more free. Cas. I humbly thank you for't. A Florentine more kind and honest. For Enter EMILIA. [Exit. I never knew Emil. Good morrow, good lieutenant: I am sorry And needs no other suitor, but his likings, To bring you in again. My general will forget my love and service. Des. Do not doubt that; before Emilia here, I give thee warrant of thy place: assure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it To the last article: my lord shall never rest; I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience; His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift; I'll intermingle every thing he does With Cassio's suit: Therefore be merry, Cassio; For thy solicitor shall rather die, Than give thy cause away. Enter OTHELLO and IAGO, at a distance. Ha! I like not that. Iago. Oth. What dost thou say? Iago. Nothing, my lord: or if-I know not what. Oth. Was not that Cassio, parted from my wife? Iago. Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it, That he would steal away so guilty-like, Seeing you coming. Oth. I do believe 'twas he. Des. How now, my lord? I have been talking with a suitor here, Oth. Who is't you mean? Des. Why, your lieutenant Cassio. Good my lord, For, if he be not one that truly loves you, Oth. Went he hence now? Des. Ay, sooth; so humbled, That he hath left part of his grief with me; I suffer with him. Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time. Des. But shall't be shortly? Good love, call him back. The sooner, sweet, for you. Oth. Oth. I meet the captains at the citadel. Des. Why then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday morn; I shall not dine at home; | When Cassio left my wife; What did'st not like? Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday morn;- To incur a private check: When shall he come? I will deny thee nothing. Des. To your own person: Nay, when I have a suit, Oth. Des. Shall I deny you? no: Farewell, my lord. Oth. Farewell, my Desdemona: I will come to thee straight. Des. Emilia, come: - - Be it as your fancies teach you; Whate'er you be, I am obedient. [Exit, with EMILIA. Oth. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again. Iago. My noble lord, Oth. What dost thou say, Iago? Jago. Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my lady, Know of your love? Oth. He did, from first to last: Why dost thou ask? Iago. But for a satisfaction of my thought; No further harm. Iago. My lord, you know I love you. Oth. I think thou dost; And, for I know thou art full of love and honesty, And weigh'st thy words before thou giv'st them breath, Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more: For such things in a false disloyal knave, I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings, The worst of words. As where's that palace, whereunto foul things Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Isga, Is the immediate jewel of their souls: Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands, Oth. By heaven, I'll know thy thought. The meat it feeds on: That cuckold lives in biss Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, 0, what damned minutes tells he o'er, Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves! Oth. O misery! Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; But riches, fineless, is as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he shall be poor :Good heaven, the souls of all my tribe defend From jealousy! Oth. Why! why is this? Think'st thou, I'd make a life of jealousy, once to be resolv'd: Exchange me for a goat, When I shall turn the business of my soul To such exsufficate, and blown surmises, Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous, To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company, Jago. I am glad of this; for now I shall be [Exit. To scan this thing no further; leave it to time: For others' uses. Yet 'tis the plague of great ones; 'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death; Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA. If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself! - Des. How now, my dear Othello? Your dinner, and the generous islanders By you invited, do attend your presence. Oth. I am to blame. Des. Why is your speech so faint? are you not well? Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here. |