Emil. Good-morrow, good lieutenant. I am sorry

For your displeasure; but all will soon be well.
The general and his wife are talking of it;
And she speaks for you stoutly. The Moor replies,
That he you hurt is of great fame in Cyprus,
And great affinity; and that, in wholesome
wisdom,

He might not but refuse you: but he protests he loves you,

And needs no other suitor but his likings

To take the saf'st occasion by the front,
To bring you in again.

That policy may either last so long,

Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,
Or breed itself so out of circumstance,
That, I being absent, and my place supplied,
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 everything 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.
Madam, here comes

Emil.

And hear me speak.

Cas. Madam, not now: I am very ill at ease; Unfit for mine own purposes.

Des. Well, do your discretion. [Exit CASSIO. Lago. Ha! I like not that.

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 't was he.

Des. How now, my lord?

I have been talking with a suitor here,

A man that languishes in your displeasure.

Oth. Who is 't you mean?

Des. Why, your lieutenant Cassio. Good my

Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday

morn :

I pray thee, name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days. In faith, he's penitent:
And yet his trespass, in our common reason
(Save that they say the wars must make examples
Out of their best), is not almost a fault
To incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my soul
What you could ask me that I should deny,
Or stand so mammering on. What! Michael
Cassio,

That came a wooing with you; and so many a time,

When I have spoke of you dispraisingly,
Hath ta'en your part: to have so much to do
To bring him in! Trust me, I could do much,--

Oth. Pr'y thee, no more: let him come when he will:

I will deny thee nothing.

Des.

Why, this is not a boon :

"T is as I should entreat you wear your gloves, Or feed on nourishing dishes, or keep you warm; Or sue to you to do peculiar profit

To your own person. Nay, when I have a suit
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It shall be full of poize and difficulty,
And fearful to be granted.

Oth.

I will deny thee nothing: Whereon, I do beseech thee grant me this, To leave me but a little to myself.

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? Iago. Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, Know of your love?

I heard thee say but now,--Thou lik'dst not that,
When Cassio left my wife. What didst not like?
And when I told thee he was of my counsel
In my whole course of wooing, thou criedst,
"Indeed?"

And didst contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit. If thou dost love me,
Shew me thy thought.

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

As where 's that palace whereinto foul things
Sometimes intrude not?--who has a breast so pure
But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets and law-days, and in session sit
With meditations lawful?

Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago, If thou but think'st him wronged, and mak'st his

ear

A stranger to thy thoughts.
I do beseech you,

Iago.
Though I perchance am vicious in my guess
(As I confess it is my nature's plague

To spy into abuses; and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not),—I entreat you then,
From one that so imperfectly conjects,
You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble
Out of his scattering and unsure observance.
It were not for your quiet nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honesty, or wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands:

But he that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. By heaven, I'll know thy thought.
Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand;
Nor shall not, whilst 't is in my custody.
Oth. Ha!
Iago.

O beware, my lord, of jealousy:

It is the green-eyed monster which doth make
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger:
But O, what damnéd 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, To follow still the changes of the moon With fresh suspicions? No: to be once in doubt, Is-once to be resolved. Exchange me for a goat, When I shall turn the business of my soul To such exsufflicate and blown surmises, Matching thy inference. "Tis not to make me jealous,

To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company;

Is free of speech; sings, plays, and dances well:
Where virtue is, these are more virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt:
For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago:
I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove :
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,-
Away at once with love or jealousy.

Iago. I am glad of this; for now I shall have

reason

To shew the love and duty that I bear you
With franker spirit: therefore, as I am bound,
Receive it from me :-I speak not yet of proof:-
Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio:
Wear your eye thus,-not jealous, nor secure.
I would not have your free and noble nature,
Out of self-bounty, be abused: look to 't.
I know our country disposition well :

In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks They dare not shew their husbands: their best conscience

Is not to leave undone, but keep unknown.
Oth. Dost thou say so?

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when she seemed to shake and fear your looks, She loved them most.

[Exit.

To scan this thing no further: leave it to time.
And though it be fit that Cassio have his place
(For sure he fills it up with great ability),
Yet if you please to hold him off awhile,
You shall by that perceive him and his means.
Note, if your lady strain his entertainment
With any strong or vehement importunity:
Much will be seen in that. In the meantime,
Let me be thought too busy in my fears
(As worthy cause I have to fear I am),
And hold her free, I do beseech your honour.
Oth. Fear not my government,
Iago. I once more take my leave.
Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty,
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings.-If I do prove her haggard,
Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings,
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind,
To prey at fortune.-Haply for I am black,
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have: or, for I am declined
Into the vale of years;-yet that's not much :-
She's gone; I am abused; and my relief
Must be to loath her.-O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For others' uses. Yet 't is the plague of great ones;
Prerogatived are they less than the base :
'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death:
Even then this forkéd plague is fated to us,
When we do quicken.-Desdemona comes:

Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA.

If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself!I'll not believe it.

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. Des. Faith, that's with watching; 't will away again :

Let me but bind it hard, within this hour
It will be well.

Oth.

Your napkin is too little :

[He puts the handkerchief from him, and
it drops.

Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with you.
Des. I am very sorry that you are not well.

[Exeunt OTHELLO and DESDEMONA. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin : This was her first remembrance from the Moor. My wayward husband hath a hundred times Wooed me to steal it; but she so loves the token (For he conjured her she would ever keep it), That she reserves it evermore about her,

To kiss and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,
And give it lago:

What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I;
I nothing, but to please his fantasy.

I saw it not, thought it not, it harmed not me:
I slept the next night well, was free and merry:
I found not Cassio's kisses on her lips.
He that is robbed, not wanting what is stolen,
Let him not know it, and he 's not robbed at all,
Iago. I am sorry to hear this.

Oth. I had been happy if the general camp,
Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body,
So I had nothing known.-O now, for ever,
Farewell the tranquil mind: farewell content!
Farewell the pluméd troop, and the big wars,
That make ambition virtue! O, farewell!
Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner; and all quality,

Pride, pomp,
and circumstance of glorious war!
And O you mortal engines, whose rude throats
The immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeit,
Farewell! Othello's occupation 's gone!
Iago. Is it possible? My lord,-

Oth. Villain, be sure thou prove my love a
whore :

Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof;
[Taking him by the throat.
Or, by the worth of mine eternal soul,
Thou hadst been better have been born a dog,
Than answer my waked wrath.