Enter Othello, lago, and Gentlemen. Oth. These letters give, lago, 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.

lago. My good Lord, I'll do't. Oih. This fortification, gentlemen, shall we fee't? Gent. We'll wait upon your Lordship. [Exeunt.

Del.

B

Enter Desdemona, Callio, and Æmilia,
E thou assur'd, good Caffio, I will do

All my abilities in thy behalf. [band Æmil. Good Madam, do: I know it grieves my hus. As if the cause were his.

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

Cas. Most bounteous Madam,
Whatever Thall become.of Michael Caffio,
He's never any thing but your true fervanti

Def. I know't, I thank you; you do love my Lord,
You've known him long; and, be you well affurd,
He shall in ftrangeness stand no farther off
Than in a politic diftance.

Caf. Ay, but, lady,
That policy may either last so long,
Or feed upon such nice and wateris diet,
Or breed itself ro out of circumitances,
That I being absent, and my place supply'd,
My General will forget my love and service.

Des. Do not doubt that ; before Æmilia here,
I give thee warrant of thy place. Afsure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it
To the laft article. My Lord mall never rest;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience ;
His bed thall seem a school, his board a fhrift;

I'N

I'll intermingle every thing he does
With Caffio's fuit ; therefore be merry, Cafeo;
For thy solicitor shall rather die,
Than give thy cause away.

Enter Othello, and Iago, at a distance.
Æmil. Madam, here comes my Lord.
Caf. Madam, I'll take my leave.
Def. Why, stay, and hear me speak,

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

your

discretion. [Exit Callio, lago. Ha! I like not that.Oib. What doft thou say? Tago. Nothing, my Lord; or if I know not what. Orh. Was not that Cafio, parted from my wife ? lago. Casio, my Lord? no, fure, I cannot think it, That he would steal away so guilty-like, Seeing you coming.

Oib, 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 Cafio. Good my Lord,
If I have any grace, or power to move you,
His present 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 honest face.
I pry'thee call him back,
Oth. Went he hence now?

Def. I, footh, so humbled,
That he hath left part of his grief with me,
To fuffer with him. Good love, call him back.

Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemona ; some other time.
Def, But shall't be fhortly?
Dib. The fooner, Sweet, for you.'
Def. Shall't be to night at supper?
Otb. Not to-night.

Def.

Def. To-morrow at dinner then?

Otb. I shall not dine at home;
I meet the Captains at the citadel.

Def: Why then to morrow night, or Tuesday morny
Or Tuesday noon, or night, or Wednesday morn,
I pry’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
T'incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me Orbello. I wonder in my soul,
What you would ask me, that I would deny,
Or stand so mutt'ring on what? Michael Caffio !
That came a wooing with you, and many a time,
When I 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. Pry'thee, no more; let him come when he will, I will deny thee nothing.

Def. Why this is not a boon:
'Tis as I thould intreat you wear your gloves,
Or feed on nourishing meats, or keep you warm ;.
Or sure to you, to do peculiar profit
To your own person. Nay, when I have 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 : Farewel, my

Lord.
Oth, Farewel, my Desdemona, l’ll come Atrait.

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

[Exeunt. Manent Othello, and Iago. Oth. ExcellentWench!-Perdition catch my soul,(32)

But (32) Excellent wretch ! Perdition catch my soul, Bul. I do love, ebse ; &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,
Oih. What dost thou say, Iago ?

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

Oth. He did, from first to last; why dost thou ask?

lago. But for a satisfaction of my thought, No farther harm.

Otb. Why of thy thought, Iago? lago. I did not think, he'd been acquainted with it. Oth. Oh, yes, and went between us very oft. lago. Indeed!

Oih. Indeed! ay, indeed. Discern'st thou aught in Is he not honest ?

Iago. Honest, my Lord?
Oth, Honest ? ay, honest.
lago. My Lord, for aught I know.
Oth. What dost thou think?
lago. Think, my Lord!

[me;
Oih. Think, my Lord! why, by heav'n, thou echo'kt
As if there were some monster in thy thought,
Too hideous to be shewn. Thou doft mean something:
I heard thee say but now, thou lik’dft not that,
When Cako left my wife. What did't not like?

(that?

this reading, I think, it is very reasonably to be suspected, Orbello is exclaiming here with admiration and rapturous fondness: but wreteb can scarce be admitted to be used, unless io compasion or contemps, I make no queftion but the Poet wrote ;

Excellent wench ! -Perdition carch my soul, &c. It is to be observ’d, that, in SHAKESPEARI's time, wencb, lass, and giri were not used in that low and vulgar acceptation as they are at this time of day; but very frequently with dignity. To appeal to a few inftances.

Oh ill Atari'd wench!
Pale as thy smoke!

Orbello,
Agrip. -Royal wencb?
She made great Cæfar lay his sword to bed, &c. Anto, and Clego.,
Now boaft thee, Death, in thy poffeffion lies
A lass unparagon'd.

-What, girl tho' gray
Do something mingle with our younger browo, &c.

Ibid.
And

Ibid,

And when I told thee, he was of my counsel,
In my whole course of wooing; thou cry'dft, indeed?
And didft contract and parfe thy brow together,
As if thou then hadft 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.

Oib. I think, thou doft:
And for I know, thou art full of love and honesty,
And weigh'ft thy words before thou giv'it them breath,
Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more:
For such things in a false disloyal knave,
Are tricks of custom; but, in a man that's just,
They're cold dilations working from the heart, (33)
That passion cannot rule.

Iago. For Michael Caffio,
I dare be sworn, I think, that he is honeft.

Oth. I think so too.

lago. Men should be what they seem, Or those that be not, would they might seem none!

Oth. Certain, men should be what they seem. lago. Why, then, I think, Caffio's an honest man.

Otb. Nay, yet there's more in this ; I pray thee, speak to-me as to thy thinkings, As thou doft ruminate ; and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words.

lago. Good, my Lord, pardon me. Though I am bound to every act of duty, I am not bound to that, all flaves are free to ;

(33)

-but, in a man tbae's juft,
They're close denotements working from the beart,

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

They're cold dilations working from the beart,

Tbat pasion cannot rule. $ These Rops and breaks, which thou mak'A, (says Othello ) are cold “ dilations, or the cold keeping back a secret, which men of phlegma. • tick conftitutions, whose hearts are not ruled or govern'd by their • paffions, we find, can do ; while mare fanguine tempers reveal " thero felves at once, and without reserve." Mr, Warburtori.

Utter