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SCENE, a Bed-chamber: Defdemona is discovered afleep in her bed.

Enter Othello, with a Light and a Sword.

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T is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul;

Oth. Let me not name it to you, you chafte ftars!

It is the cause.-Yet I'll not shed her blood,
Nor fear that whiter skin of hers than fnow,
And smooth as monumental alabafter :

[Lays down the fword.

Yet fhe muft die; elfe fhe'll betray more men.

Put out the light, and, then, put out the light; (29) If I quench thee, thou flaming minifter,

I can again thy former light reftore,

Should I repent: but once put out thy light,
Thou cunning'ft pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Promethean heat,
That can thy light re-lumine..
When I have pluck'd thy rose,

[Sets down the taper.

(29) Put out the light, and then put out the light] The Players have many times inconfiderately committed an Abfurdity here, in making Othello put out the Candle; which, 'tis evident, never was the Poet's Intention. Defdemona is difcover'd in her Bed, in the dark; and Othello enters the Chamber with a fingle Taper. If there were any other Lights burning in the Room, where would be the Drift of putting out his? If there were no others, and that he puts bis out, how abfurd is it for Defdemona in the Dark to talk of his Eyes rowling, and his gnawing his nether Lip ?. -This, I conceive, to have been the Poet's Meaning. Othello, ftruck in part with Remoife at the Murder he's going to do, thinks it beft to do it in the Dark; this compunction of Nature, in the hurry and perturbation of Thought, and thofe Remains of Tenderness ftill combating in his Bofom, frikes him into an inftant Reflexion, that if he puts out the Light, he can rekindle it; but if he once puts out the Light of ber Life, that will be extinguish'd for ever. While he is bufied in this Contemplation, he throws his Eyes towards her; and then, footh'd with her beauteous Appearance, fets down the Light, to go and kifs her. Upon this, Defdemona wakes; and they continue in Difcourfe together till he fifles her.

I cannot

I cannot give it vital growth again;

It needs muft wither.

I'll fmell thee on the tree;

[Kiffing her.

Oh balmy breath, that doft almoft perfuade
Justice to break her fword!- -One more; one more;
Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
And love thee after.-One more, that's the laft;
So fweet, was ne'er fo fatal! I must weep,

But they are cruel tears: this forrow's heav'nly;
It ftrikes, where it doth love.- She wakes-

Def. Who's there? Othello?

Oth. Ay, Desdemona.

Def. Will you come to bed, my Lord ?
Oth. Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemona?
Def. Ay, my Lord.

Oth. If you bethink yourfelf of any crime
Unreconcil'd as yet to heav'n, and grace,
Sollicit for it ftrait.

Def. Alack, my Lord,

What may you mean by that?

Oth. Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by.
I would not kill thy unprepared fpirit,

No, (heav'ns forefend !) I would not kill thy foul.
Def. Talk you of killing?

Oth. Ay, I do.

Def. Then heav'n have mercy on me!

Oth. Amen, with all my heart.

Def. If you fay fo, I hope, you will not kill me.
Oth. Hum.

Def. And yet I fear you: for you're fatal then, When your eyes rowl fo. Why I fhould fear, I know not, Since guilt I know not: yet, I feel, I fear.

Oth. Think on thy fins.

Def. They're loves I bear to you.

Oth. Ay, and for that thou dy't.

Def. That death's unnatural, that kills for loving.

Alas, why gnaw you fo your nether lip?
Some bloody paffion fhakes your very frame;
Thefe are portents: but yet I hope, I hope,
They do not point on me.

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Oth. Peace, and be ftill.

Def. I will fo: what's the matter?

Oth. That handkerchief

Which I fo lov'd, and gave thee, thou gav'ft Caffio. Def. No, by my life and foul: fend for the man, And ask him.

Oth. Sweet foul, take heed, take heed of perjury; Thou art on thy death-bed.

Def. Ay, but not yet to die.

Oth. Prefently;

Therefore confefs thee freely of thy fin:

For to deny each article with oath,

Cannot remove, nor choak, the strong conception
That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.
Def. Oh, heav'n have mercy on me!

Oth. I fay, amen.

Def. And have you mercy too!-I never did Offend you in my life; never lov'd Caffio,

But with fuch general warranty of heav'n,

As I might love. I never gave him token.

Oth. By heav'n, I faw my handkerchief in's hand.

Oh perjur'd woman! thou doft ftone my heart;

And mak'ft me call, what I intend to do,

A murder, which I thought a facrifice.

I faw the handkerchief.

Def. He found it then ;

I never gave it him; fend for him hither,
Let him confefs a truth.

Oth. He hath confeft.
Def. What, my Lord ?

Oth. That he hath-us'd thee

Dej. How? unlawfully?

Oth. Ay.

Def. He will not fay fo.

Oth. No, his mouth is stopp'd;

Honeft Iago hath ta'en order for't.

Def. My fear interprets then-What, is he dead? Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge

Had ftomach for them all.

Def. Alas, he is betray'd, and I undone.

Oth.

Oth. Out, ftrumpet! weep'st thou for him to my face? Def. Oh, banish me, my Lord, but kill me not.

Oth. Down, ftrumpet.

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Def. Kill me to-morrow,

let me live to-night.

Oth. Nay, if you ftrive

Def. But half an hour.

Oth. Being done, there is no pause.
Def. But while I fay one prayer.

Oth. It is too late.

-Emilia, at the door.

[He fmothers her.

Em. My Lord, my Lord! what hoa! my Lord, my Lord! Oth. What noife is this? not dead? not yet quite dead? I, that am cruel, am yet merciful;

I would not have thee linger in thy pain.

So, fo.

Emil. witbin.] What hoa! my Lord, my Lord! Oth. Who's there?

Em. Oh,mygood Lord, Iwould fpeak a word with you. Qth. Yes; 'tis Emilia-by and by-fhe's dead. 'Tis like, fhe comes to speak of Caffio's death; The noife was high.-Ha, no more moving? Still as the grave. Shall the come in? were't good? I think, fhe ftirs again-No-what's the beft? If the come in, he'll, fure, fpeak to my wife; My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no wife. Oh infupportable! oh heavy hour!

Methinks it fhould be now a huge eclipfe

Of fun, and moon, and that th' affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration--

Emil. I befeech you,

That I may speak with you. Oh, good my Lord!
Oth. I had forgot thee; oh, come in, Æmilia.

Soft, by and by, let me the curtains draw.

Where art thou? what's the matter with thee now?

Enter Emilia.

[Unlocks the door.

Emil. Oh, my good Lord, yonder's foul murder done.

Oth. What

now?

Emil. But now, my Lord.

Oth. It is the very error of the moon ;

She comes more near the earth than fhe was wont,
And makes men mad.

Emil. Caffio, my Lord, hath kill'd
A young Venetian, call'd Rodorigo.

Oth. Roderigo kill'd? and Caffio kill'd?
Emil. No, Caffio is not kill'd.

Oth. Not Caffio kill'd? then murder's out of tune, And sweet revenge grows harfh.

Def. Oh, falfly, falfly murder'd !---

Emil. Alas! what cry is that?

Oth. That? what?

Emil. Out, and alas! that was my lady's voice. Help! help, hoa! help! oh lady, fpeak again, Sweet Defdemona! oh fweet miftrefs, fpeak,

Def. A guiltlefs death I die.

Emil. Oh, who hath done this deed?
Def. No body, I myfelf, farewel;
Commend me to my kind Lord; oh, farewel.
Oth. Why, how should fhe be murder'd?
Emil. Alas! who knows?

[Dies.

Oth. You heard her fay, herself, it was not I.
Emil. She faid fo, I muft needs report the truth.
Oth. She's like a lyar gone to burning hell;
"Twas I, that kill'd her.

Em. Oh, the more angel fhe, and you the blacker devil.
Oth. She turn'd to folly, and fhe was a whore.
Emil. Thou dost bely her, and thou art a devil.
Oth. She was falfe as water.

Emil. Thou art rafh as fire, to fay

That fhe was falfe. Oh, he was heav'nly true.
Oth Caffio did tup her; afk thy husband elfe.
Oh, I were damn'd beneath all depth in hell,
But that I did proceed upon juft grounds
To this extremity. Thy hufband knew it all.
Emil. My husband!

Oth. Thy husband.

Emil. That fhe was falfe to wedlock?

Oth. Ay, with Caffio: had the been true,

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