As mine own face. If there be cords or knives,
Poifon, or fire, or fuffocating fteams,

I'll not endure't. Would I were fatisfied!

Iago. I fee, Sir, you are eaten up with paffion; I do repent me that I put it to you.

You would be fatisfied?

Oth. Would? nay, and will.

Iago. And may; but how? how fatisfied, my Lord? Would you be supervisor, grofly gape on? Behold her tupp'd?

Oth. Death and damnation! oh!

Iago. It were a tedious difficulty, I think,
To bring 'em to that profpect: damn them then,
If ever mortal eyes do fee them bolster
More than their own. What then? how then?
What fhall I fay? where's fatisfaction?

It is impoffible you should fee this,

Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys,
As falt as wolves in pride, and fools as grofs
As ignorance made drunk. But yet, I fay,
If imputation and strong circumstances
Which lead directly to the door of truth,
Will give you fatisfaction, you might have't.
Oth. Give me a living reafon fhe's difloyal.
Iago. I do not like the office;

But fith I'm entred in this caufe so far,
Prick'd to't by foolish honefty and love,
I will go on. I lay with Caffio lately,
And being troubled with a raging tooth,
I could not fleep there are a kind of men
So loofe of foul, that in their fleeps will mutter
"All their affairs: one of this kind is Caffio:
In fleep I heard him fay, Sweet Desdemona,
Let us be wary, let us bide our loves.

And then, Sir, would he gripe, and wring my hand,
Cry -Ofweet creature! and then kifs me hard,
As if he pluckt up kiffes by the roots

6 Their

And

And grew upon my lips; then lay his leg
Over my thigh, and figh and kifs, and then
Cry, Curfed fate! that gave thee to the Moor.
Oth. Oh monftrous! monftrous!

Iago. This was but his dream.

Oth. But this denoted a fore-gone conclufion;
'Tis a fhrewd doubt, tho' it be but a dream.
Iago. And this may help to thicken other proofs
That do demonstrate thinly.

Oth. I'll tear her all to pieces.

Iago. Nay, but be wife; yet we fee nothing done;
She may be honeft yet. Tell me but this,
Have you not fometimes feen a handkerchief,
Spotted with ftrawberries, in your wife's hand?
Oth. I gave her fuch a one; 'twas my first gift.
Iago. I know not that; but fuch a handkerchief,
(I'm fure it was your wife's,) did I to-day
See Caffio wipe his beard with.

Otb. If it be that

Iago. If it be that, or any, if 'twas hers,
It speaks against her with the other proofs.
Oth. Oh that the flave had forty thousand lives!
One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.
Now do I fee 'tis true:Look here, Lago,
All my fond love thus do I blow to heav'n:
'Tis gone

Arife, black vengeance, from the hollow hell!
Yield up, oh love, thy crown and hearted throne
To tyrannous hate! fwell, bofom, with thy fraught,
For 'tis of afpicks tongues.

Iago. Yet be content.

Qtb. O blood, blood, blood

Iago. Patience, I fay; your mind may change.

Oth. Never, Iago. Like the Pontick fea,

Whofe icy current and compulfive course
Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on
To the Propontick, and the Hellefpont:
Even fo my bloody thoughts with violent pace
Ii 2

Shall

Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love;
Till that a capable and wide revenge

Swallow them up

Now by yond marble heav'n,

In the due rev'rence of a facred vow,
I here engage my words-

Iago. Do not rife yet:

Witnefs, you ever-burning lights above!
You elements that clip us round about!
Witnefs, that here Iago doth give up
The execution of his wit, hands, heart,

[He kneels.

[Iago kneels.

To wrong'd Othello's fervice. Let him command, 7 'Nor to obey fhall be in me remorse,

What bloody business ever.

Oth. I greet thy love,

Not with vain thanks but with acceptance bounteous, And will upon the inftant put thee to't:

Within these three days let me hear thee say,

That Caffio's not alive.

Iago. My friend is dead;

'Tis done at your request. But let her live.

Oth. Damn her, lewd minx! oh damn her, damn her!

Come go with me apart; I will withdraw

To furnish me with fome fwift means of death

For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.
Iago. I am your own for ever.

S CEN E IX.

Another Apartment in the Palace.

Enter Defdemona, Emilia, and Clown.

[Exeunt.

Def. Do you know, firrah, where lieutenant Cassio lyes?

Clown. I dare not fay he lies any where.

Def. Why, man?

Clown. He's a foldier, and for me to fay a foldier lies, 'tis ftabbing.

Def. Go to; where lodges he?

7 And... old edit. Theob, emend.

Clown.

Clown. To tell you where he lodges is to tell you where I lie.

Def. Can any thing be made of this?

Clown. I know not where he lodges; and for me to devise a lodging, and fay he lyes hére, or he lyes there, were to lye in mine own throat.

Def. Can you enquire him out? and be edified by report? Clown. I will catechize the world for him, that is, make questions, and 'bid` them anfwer.

8

Def. Seek him, bid him come hither; tell him, I have mov'd my Lord on his behalf, and hope all will be well. Clown. To do this is within the compafs of man's wit, and therefore I will attempt the doing of it. [Exit Clown. Def. Where fhould I lofe the handkerchief, Emilia? Emil. I know not, Madam..

Def. Believe me, I had rather have loft my purse Full of cruzadoes. And but my noble Moor

Is true of mind, and made of no fuch baseness

As jealous creatures are, it were enough

To put him to ill thinking.

Amil. Is he not jealous?

Def. Who, he? I think the Sun where he was born Drew all fuch humours from him.

Emil. Look where he comes.

Def. I will not leave him now, till Caffio be Call'd to him. How is it with you, my Lord?

Oth. Well, my good Lady. Oh hardness to diffemble!

How do you, Desdemona?

Def. Well, my Lord.

[Afide.

Oth. Give me your hand; this hand is moist, my Lady. Def. It yet hath felt no age, nor known no forrow. Oth. This argues fruitfulness, and liberal heart: Hot, hot, and moift this hand of yours requires

A fequefter from liberty; fafting and prayer,
Much caftigation, exercise devout,

For here's a young and fweating devil here,
That commonly rebels: 'tis a good hand,
9'A very frank one.`

Def. You may, indeed, fay fo;

For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart.

Oth. A liberal hand. The hands of old gave hearts;` But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.

Def I cannot speak of this; come now your promise. Oth. What promise, chuck?

Def. I have fent to bid Caffio come fpeak with you. Oth. I have a falt and forry rheum offends me; Lend me thy handkerchief.

Def. Here, my Lord.

Oth. That which I gave you.

Def. I have it not about me.

Oth. Not?

Def. No indeed, my Lord.
Oth. That's a fault.

That handkerchief

Did an Egyptian to my mother give;

She was a charmer, and could almoft read

The thoughts of people. She told her, while fhe kept it, 'Twould make her amiable, fubdue father

my

Intirely to her love; but if fhe loft it

Or made a gift of it, my father's eye
Should hold her loathed, and his fpirits hunt
After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me,

And bid me, when my fate would have me wiv'd,
To give it her. I did fo, and take heed on't;
Make it a darling like your precious eye;
To lofe't or give't away, were fuch perdition
As nothing elfe could match.

Def. Is't poffible?

Oth. 'Tis true; there's magick in the web of it; A Sybill that hath numbred in the world.

9

Of the fun's courfe two hundred compaffes,

In

Alfrank one. The hearts, of old, gave hands;.. old edit. Warb. emend. 2 The fun to