And out of her own goodness make the net,
That shall enmesh them all. How now, Rodorigo!

Enter Rodorigo.

Rod. I do follow here in the chace, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My mony is almost spent ; I have been to night exceedingly well cudgelled; and, I think, the iffue will be, I fhall have fo much experience for my pains; and fo with no mony at all, and a little more wit, return again to Venice.

Iago. How poor are they, that have not patience? What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

Thou know'ft, we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;
And wit depends on dilatory time :

Does't not go well? Caffio hath beaten thee,
And thou by that small hurt haft cashier'd Caffio.
Tho' other things grow fair against the Sun,
Yet fruits, that bloffom firft, will first be ripe :
Content thy felf a while. In troth, 'tis morning;
Pleasure and action make the hours feem fhort.
Retire thee; go where thou art billetted:
Away, I fay; thou fhalt know more hereafter:
Nay, get thee gone.

Two things are to be done; (30)

[Exit Rodorigo.

My Wife must move for Cafio to her mistress:

I'll fet her on :-

My felf, the while, to draw the Moor apart,

(30) Two Things are to be done s

My Wife must move for Caffio to her Mistress:

and, then, it was lago,

I'll fet her on to draw the Moor apart.] Mr. Pope has falfified the Text, because it wanted a little Help: fo that, in the firft place, we don't see what were the two things to be done: not his Wife, that was to draw the Moor apart. Tavo things are to be done;

My Wife must move for Caffio to her Miftrefs,

The old Books read;

I'll fet her on my felf, a while, to draw the Moor apart.

This unreasonable long Alexandrine was certainly a Blunder of the Editors: a flight Tranfpofition and Change will regulate it, as the Poet intended.

My Wife must move for Caffio to her Miftrefs:

I'll fet bar on.

My felf, the while, to draw the Moor apart,
And bring him jump, &c,

And

And bring him jump, when he may Caffio find
Solliciting his Wife: ay, that's the way :-
Dull not, Device, by coldness and delay.

[Exit

M

A C T III.

SCENE, before Othello's Palace.

Enter Caffio, with Muficians.

CASSIO.

ASTERS, play here, I will content your

1

pains, Something that's brief; and bid, good morrow, General.

[Mufick plays; and enter Clown from the House.

Clown. Why, masters, have your inftruments been in Naples, that they speak i'th' nose thus ?

Muf. How, Sir, how?

Clown. Are thefe, I pray you, wind-inftruments?

Muf. Ay, marry are they, Sir.

Clown. Oh, thereby hangs a tail.

Muf. Whereby hangs a tale, Sir?

Clown. Marry, Sir, by many a wind-inftrument that I know. But, Masters, here's money for you: and the

General fo likes your mufick, that he defires

mufick, that he defires you for loves!

fake to make no more noife with it.

Muf. Well, Sir, we will not.

Clown. If you have any mufick that may not be heard, to't again: But, as they fay, to hear mufick, the Gene

ral does not greatly care.

Muf. We have none fuch, Sir.

Clown. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll

away. Go, vanish into air, away.

[Exeunt Muf.

Caf

Caf. Doft thou hear, mine honest friend? (31) Clown. No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you. Caf. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets, there's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman, that attends the General's wife, be ftirring, tell her, there's one Caffio entreats of her a little favour of fpeech... Wilt thou do this?

Clown. She is ftirring, Sir; if fhe will ftir hither, I fhall feem to notifie unto her. [Exit Clown

Caf. Do, my good friend.

To him, enter lago,

In happy time, lago.

lago. You have not been a-bed then?

;

Caf. Why, no; the day had broke, before we parted. I have made bold to fend in to your wife My fuit is, that he will to Defdemona Procure me fome access.

Iago. I'll fend her presently;

And I'll devise a mean to draw the Moor
Out of the way, that your converfe and bufinefs
May be more free.

Caf. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew
A Florentine more kind and honeft.

To him, enter Æmilia.

[Exit.

Emil. Good morrow, good lieutenant, I am forry
For your displeasure; but all will, fure, be well.
The General and his wife are talking of it:
And she speaks for you ftoutly. The Moor replies,

(31) Caf. Doft thou hear me, mine honeft Friend?

Clown. No, I hear not your boneft Friend; I bear you.] Tho' the Clown has his Defign of playing at cross-purposes here, he has no Defign to make fuch an abfurd answer. But, for this, the Inattention of our Editors is only accountable: 'Tis plain, to make the low Joak intelligible, we muft expunge [me] out of Caffio's Speech; as both Mr. Warburton and Dr. Thomas Bentley obferv'd to me: and their Obfervation happens to have the Sanction of the elder Quarto.

That

That he, you hurt, is of great fame in Cyprus,

And great affinity; and that in wisdom

He might not but refuse you. But he protefts, he loves

you;

And needs no other fuitor, but his likings,

To bring you in again.

Caf. Yet I befeech you,

If you think fit, or that it may be done,
Give me advantage of fome brief discourse
With Desdemona alone.

Emil. Pray you, come in;

I will bestow you where you fhall have time
To speak your bofom freely.

Caf. I'm much bound to you.

Enter Othello, Iago, and Gentlemen.

Oth. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot, And by him do my duties to the Senate; That done, I will be walking on the Works; Repair there to me.

Tago. My good lord, I'll do't.

[Exeunt.

Oth. This fortification, gentlemen, fhall we fee't?

Gent. We'll wait upon your lordship.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

Def. B

Enter Defdemona, Caffio, and Æmilia.

E thou affur'd, good Caffio, I will do
All my abilities in thy behalf.

Emil. Good Madam, do

husband

As if the cause were his.

F

I know, it grieves my

Def. Oh, that's an honeft fellow; doubt not, Caffio, But I will have my lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Moft bounteous Madam,

Whatever fhall become of Michael Caffio,

He's

He's never any thing but your true fervant.

Def. I know't, I thank you; you do love my lord, You've known him long; and, be you well affur'd, He fhall in ftrangeness ftand no farther off Than in a politick distance.

Caf. Ay, but, lady,

That policy may either laft fo long,
Or feed upon fuch nice and waterish diet,
Or breed it felf fo out of circumftances,
That I being abfent, and my Place supply'd,
My General will forget my love and fervice.

Def. Do not doubt that; before Æmilia here,
I give thee warrant of thy Place. Affure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it

To the laft article. My lord fhall never reft;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed fhall feem a fchool, his board a fhrift;
I'll intermingle every thing he do's

With Caffio's fuit: therefore be merry, Caffio;
For thy follicitor fhall rather die,

Than give thy caufe away.

Enter Othello, and Iago, at diftance.

Emil. Madam, here comes my lord.
Caf. Madam, I'll take my leave.
Def. Why, ftay, and hear me fpeak.

Caf. Madam, not now; I'm very ill at ease,

Unfit for mine own purposes.,

Def. Well, do your discretion.

lago. Hah! I like not that.

Oth. What doft thou fay?

[Exit Caffio.

Iago. Nothing, my lord; or if I know not what. Oth. Was not that Caffio, parted from my wife?

Iago. Caffio, my lord?

no, sure, I cannot think it,

That he would steal away fo guilty-like,

Seeing you coming.

Oth. I believe, 'twas he.
Def. How now, my lord?

I have been talking with a fuitor here,

Α