Enter Othello, Iago, and Gentlemen.

Oth. Thefe 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.

Jago. My good Lord, I'll do't.

Oth. This fortification, gentlemen, fhall we fee't? Gent. We'll wait upon your Lordship.

[Exeunt

SCENE changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

Enter Defdemona, Caffio, and Emilia.

D.J. B

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

All my
[band
Emil. Good Madam, do: I know, it grieves my huf-
As if the cause were his.

Def. Ch, that's an honeft fellow; doubt not, Caffi But I will have my Lord and you again. As friendly as you were..

Caf. Moft bounteous Madam,. Whatever shall become of Michael Caffio,

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 shall in ftrangenefs ftand no farther off Than in a politick diftance..

Caf. Ay, but, lady,.

That policy may either laft fo long,
Or feed upon fuch nice and waterish diet,
Or breed itself so out of circumstances,
That I being abfent, and my place fupply'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 last article. My Lord fhall never reft;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed fhall feem a school, his board a fhrift;

I'll intermingle every thing he does
With Caffio's fuit: therefore be merry, Caffio;
For thy follicitor fhall rather die,

Then give thy cause 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 speak.

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

Def. Weil, 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 Cafio, parted from my wife? laga. Caffio, my Lord? no, fure, I cannot think it, That he would fteal 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,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.

Oth. Who is't you mean?

Def. Why, your lieutenant Caffio. Good my Lord, If I have any grace, or power to move you,

His prefent reconciliation take.

For if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance, and not in cunning,
I have no judgment in an honeft face.

I pr'ythee, call him back.

Oth. Went he hence now?
Def. I, footh, fo humbled,

That he hath left part of his grief with me,

To fuffer with him. Good love, call him back.
Oth. Not now, fweet Defdemona; fome other time.
Def. But fhall't be shortly?

Oth. The fooner, Sweet, for you.

Def. Shall't be to-night at fupper?
Oth. Not to-night-

Def.

Def. To-morrow dinner then?
Oth. I fhall not dine at home;
I meet the Captains at the citadel.

Def. Why then to-morrow night, or Turfday morn
Or Tuesday noon, or night, or Wednday morn,
I pr'ythee, name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days; in faith, he's penitent:
And yet his trefpafs, in our common reafon,
(Save that, they fay, the wars must make examples
Out of their beft,) is not almost a fault

T' incur a private check. When fhall he come ?
Tell me Ofell. I wonder in my soul,

What you would ask me, that I would deny,
Or ftand fo mutt'ring on? what? Michael Caffio!
That came a wooing with you, and many a time,
When I fpoke of you difpraifingly,

Hath ta'en your part, to have fo much to do
To bring him in? truft me, I could do much

Oth. Prythee, no more; let him come when he will,

I will deny thee nothing.

Def. Why, this is not a boon:

'Tis as I fhould entreat you wear your gloves,

Or feed on nourishing meats, or keep you warm;

Or fure to you, to do peculiar profit

To your own perfon. Nay, when I have fuit,,.
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It fhall be full of poize and difficulty,

And fearful to be granted.

Oth. I will deny thee nothing..

Whereon I do befeech thee, grant me this,

To leave me but a little to myself.

Daf. Shall I deny you? no: Farewel, my Lord.
Oth. Farewel, my Defdemona, I'll come ftrait

Def. Emilia, come; be, as your fancies teach you:: Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

Manent Othello, and Iago.

[Exeunt.

Oth. Excellent Wench!-Perdition catch my foul, (32)

But

(32) Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my foul,

But I do love thee; &c.] Tho' all the printed copies concur in

'But I do love thee; and when I love thee not,

Chaos is come again.

lago. My noble Lord,

Oth. What doft thou say, lago?

lag. Did Michael Caffio, when you woo'd my lady, Know of your love?

Oth. He did, from first to laft; why doft thou ask? Iago. But for a satisfaction of my thought,

No farther harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Iago. I did not think, he'd been acquainted with it.
Oth. Oh, yes, and went between us very oft.
Iago. Indeed!

[that?

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed. Difcern'ft thou aught in

Is he not honest?

Iago. Honeft, my Lord?

Oth. Honeft?.ay, honeft.

lago. My Lord, for aught I know.

Oth. What doft thou think?

Tago. Think, my Lord!

[me;

Oth. Think, my Lord! why, by heav'n, thou echo'ft As if there were fome monster in thy thought,

Too hideous to be fhewn. Thou doft mean fomething:
I heard thee fay but now, thou lik'dst not that,
When Caffio left

my wife. What did'ft not like?

this reading, I think, it is very reasonably to be fufpected. Othello is exclaiming here with admiration and rapturous fondness: but wretch can fcarce be admitted to be used, unlefs in compaffion or contempt. I make no queftion, but the Poet wrote;

Excellent wench!- -Perdition catch my foul, &c.

It is to be observ'd, that, in SHAKESPEARE's time, wench, lafs, and girl were not used in that low and vulgar acceptati n as they are at this time of day; but very frequently with dignity. To appeal to a few inftances.

Oh ill-ftarr'd wench!

Pale as thy fmock!

Agrip.

-Royal rench!

Othello.

She made great Cafar lay his sword to bed, &c. Anto, and Cleop.
Now boast thee, Death, in thy poffeffion lies

A lafs unparagon'd.

Ibid.

What, girl! tho' gray

Do fomething mingle with our younger brown, &c.

Ibid.

And

And when I told thee, he was of my counsel,

In my whole courfe of wooing; thou cry'dft, indeed ?
And didft contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadft fhut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit: if thou doft love me,
Shew me thy thought.

Iago. My Lord! you know, I love you.
Oth. I think, thou doft:

And for I know, thou art full of love and honefty,
And weigh'ft thy words before thou giv'ft them breath,
Therefore thefe ftops of thine fright me the more:
For fuch things, in a falfe difloyal knave,

Are tricks of cuftom; but, in a man that's juft,
They're cold dilations working from the heart, (33)
That paffion cannot rule.

lago. For Michael Caffio,

I dare be fworn, I think, that he is honeft.
Oth. 1 think so too.

Iago. Men fhould be what they seem.

Or those that be not, would they might seem none !
Oth. Certain, men fhould be what they feem.
Iago. Why, then, I think, Caffio's an honest man.
Oth. Nay, yet there's more in this ;

I

pray thee, fpeak to me as to thy thinkings,

As thou doft ruminate; and give thy worft of thoughts The worst of words.

Iago. Good my Lord, pardon me.

Tho' I am bound to every act of duty,

I am not bound to that, all flaves are free to;

(33)

-but, in a man that's juft,

They're clofe denotements working from the heart,

That paffion cannot rule.] I cannot fee, why this reading fhould be prefer'd into the text; and another degraded, which makes the fentiment admirably fine.

Thy're cold dilations working from the heart,

That paffion cannot rule.

Thefe ftops and breaks, which thou mak'ft, (says Othello) are cold dilations, or the cold keeping back a secret, which men of phlegma"tick conftitutions, whofe hearts are not ruled or govern'd by their "paffions, we find, can do; while more fanguine tempers reveal themselves at once, and without referve." Mr. Warburton.

Utter