He was a wight of high renown, Cas. Why, this is a more exquisite song than the other. lago. Will you hear it again? Cas. No; for I hold him to be unworthy of his place, that does those things.-Well,-Heaven's above all; and there be souls that must be saved, and there be souls must not be saved. Iago. It's true, good lieutenant. Cas. For mine own part,-no offence to the general, or any man of quality,-I hope to be saved. fago. And so do I too, lieutenant. Cas. Ay, but, by your leave, not before me; the lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient. Let's have no more of this; let's to our affairs.-Forgive us our sins!-Gentlemen, let's look to our business. Do not think, gentlemen, I am drunk; this is my ancient ;-this is my right hand, and this is my left hand-I am not drunk now; I can stand well enough, and speak well enough. All. Excellent well. Cas. Why, very well, then: you must not think then that I am drunk. [Exit. I pray you, sir, hold your hand. Or I'll knock you o'er the mazzard. Let me go, sir, Come, come, you're drunk. Enter Othello, and Attendants. Oth. Oth. Hold, for your lives. Iago. Hold, hold, lieutenant, sir, Montano,- Have you forgot all sense of place and duty? Oth. Why, how now, ho! from whence ariseth Mon. To the platform, masters; come, let's set Are we turn'd Turks; and to ourselves do that, Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites? the watch. Iago. You see this fellow, that is gone before;-For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl: He is a soldier, fit to stand by Cæsar And give direction: and do but see his vice; The one as long as the other: 'tis pity of him. Mon. But is he often thus ? Iago. 'Tis evermore the prologue to his sleep: If drink rock not his cradle. It were well, The general were put in mind of it. He that stirs next to carve for his own rage, ters? Honest lago, that look'st dead with grieving, now, In quarter, and in terins like bride and groom Oth. How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot?* That you unlace your reputatiou thus, Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know Mon. If partially affin'd, or leagu'd in office, Iago. Touch me not so near: I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot, Oth. Enter Desdemona, attended. Look, if my gentle love be not rais'd up ;- 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's yours. 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 ?4 and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow ?-0 thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee-devil! lago. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you? Cas. I know not. lago. Is it possible? Cas. I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore.—0, that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, revel, pleasure, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! Iago. Why, but you are now well enough: How 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 conn try 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. more Iago. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used; exclaim no against it. And, good lieutenant, I think, you think I love you. Cas. I have well approved it, sir.-I drunk! lago. 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, [To Montano, who is led off. so apt, so blessed a disposition, that she holds it a What's the matter, dear? Oth. All's well now, sweeting; Come away to bed. Sir, for your hurts, Myself will be your surgeon: Lead him off. vice in her goodness, not to do more than she is fago, look with care about the town; And silence those whom this : ile brawl distracted.-requested: This broken joint, between you and Come, Desdemona; 'tis the soldier's life, To have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife. Jago. Marry, heaven forbid! Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I her husband, entreat her to splinter; and, my for- Jago. I protest, in the sincerity of love, and honest kindness. Cas. I think it freely; and, betimes in the mornhave lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal ing, I will beseech the virtuous Desdemona to unpart, sir, of myself, and what remains is bestial.-dertake for me: I am desperate of my fortunes, if 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 (1) Convicted by proof. (2) Related by nearness of office. they check me here. Jago. You are in the right. tenant; I must to the watch. Good night, lieu 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, (3) Dismissed in his anger. (4) Talk idly. (5) Bet or wager. Probal to thinking, and (indeed) the course In any honest suit; she's fram'd as fruitful1 To win the Moor,-were't to renounce his baptism, That she may make, unmake, do what she list, With his weak function. How am I then a villain, 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. lago. How poor are they, that have not patience! What wound did ever heal, but by degrees? Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft; And wit depends on dilatory time. Does't not go well? Cassio hath beaten thee, My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress; Myself, the while, to draw the Moor apart, ACT III. [Exit. 1 Mus. How, sir, how? Clo. Are these, I pray you, called wind instruments? 1 Mus. Ay, marry, are they, sir. Clo. O, thereby hangs a tail. 1 Mus. Whereby hangs a tale, sir? Clo. Marry, sir, by many a wind instrument that I know. But, masters, here's money for you: and the general so likes your music, that he desires you, of all loves, to make no more noise with it. 1 Mus. Well, sir, we will not. Clo. If you have any music that may not be heard, to't again: but, as they say, to hear music, the general does not greatly care. 1 Mus. We have none such, sir. Cas. Dost thou hear, my honest friend? you. Cas. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets. There's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman tha. attends the general's wife, be stirring, tell her, there's one Cassio entreats her a little favour of speech: Wilt thou do this? Clo. She is stirring, sir; if she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify unto her. [Exit. Enter lago. Cas. Do, good my friend.-In happy time, Iago. 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. Jago. 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. [Exil. Cas. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew A Florentine more kind and honest. And, by him, do my duties to the state: That done, I will be walking on the works, Repair there to me. lago. Well, my good lord, I'll do't. Oth. This fortification, gentlemen,-shall we see't? Gent. We'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt. SCENE III-Before the castle. Enter Desdemona, Cassio, and Emilia. Des. Be thou assur'd, good Cassio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf. Emil. Good malam, do; I know it grieves my husband, As if the case were his. Des. O that's an honest fellow.-Do not doubt, But I will have my lord and you again Cas. Cas. Ay, but, lady, 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 Iago, at a distance. Emil. My lord. Madam, here comes morn; Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday morn;- That came a wooing with you; and many a time, I will deny thee nothing. Des. Why, this is not a boon; To your own person: Nay, when I have a suit, Oth. Des. Shall I deny you? no: Farwell, my lord. Oth. Farewell, my Desdemona: I will come to thee straight. Des. Emilia, come :-Be it as your fancies teach I heard thee say but now,-Thou lik'dst not that, Jago. My lord, you know I love you. Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more; That passion cannot rule. Iago. Is the immediate jewel of their souls. 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; Oth. By heaven, I'll know thy thought. lago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock Oth. O misery! Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; Oth. Why? why is this? For Michael Cassio,-To I dare be sworn, I think that he is honest. Oth. I think so too. Iago. Men should be what they seem; I think that Cassio is an honest man. Why then, I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings, 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 The worst of words. Jago. Away at once with love, or jealousy. Jago. I am glad of this, for now I shall have reason Though I am bound to every act of duty, As where's that palace, whereinto foul things Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago, Jago. (1) Courts of inquiry. (2) Conjectures. (3) Endless, unbounded. LaWhich makes fair gifts fairer.' With franker spirit: therefore, as I am bound, conscience |