Thou dost deliver more or less than truth, Thou art no soldier.

even now,

In quarter, and in terms: and then, but now,
(As if some planet had unwitted men,)
Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast,
In opposition bloody. I cannot speak
Any beginning to this peevish odds;
And 'would in action glorious I had lost
These legs, that brought me to a part of it!

Oth. How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot?
Cas. I pray you pardon me, I cannot speak.
Oth. Worthy Montano, you were wont be civil;
The gravity and stillness of your youth
The world hath noted, and your name is great
In mouths of wisest censure; What's the matter,
That you unlace your reputation thus,
And spend your rich opinion, for the name
Of a night brawler? give me answer to it.

Mon. Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger; Your officer, Iago, can inform you While I spare speech, which something now offends

me;

Of all that I do know: nor know I aught
By me that's said or done amiss this night;
Unless self-charity be sometime a vice;
And to defend ourselves it be a sin,
When violence assails us.

Oth.
Now, by heaven,
My blood begins my safer guides to rule;
And passion, having my best judgment collied',
Assays to lead the way: If once I stir,
Or do but lift this arm, the best of you
Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know

How this foul rout began, who set it on;
And he that is approv'd in this offence,
Though he had twinn'd with me, both at a birth,
Shall lose me.
What! in a town of war,

Yet wild, the people's hearts brimful of fear,
To manage private and domestick quarrel,
In night, and on the court and guard of safety!
'Tis monstrous. - Iago, who began it?

-

Mon. If partially affin'ds, or leagu'd in office, • Convicted by proof. 3 Related by nearness of ollice.

I Darkened.

Iago.

Touch me not so near:

I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth,
Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio ;
Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth
Shall nothing wrong him. - Thus it is, general.
Montano and myself being in speech,
There comes a fellow, crying out for help;
And Cassio following him with determin'd sword,
To execute upon him: Sir, this gentleman
Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause;
Myself the crying fellow did pursue,
Lest, by his clamour, (as it so fell out,)
The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Outran my purpose; and I return'd the rather
For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
And Cassio high in oath; which, till to-night,
I ne'er might say before: when I came back,
(For this was brief,) I found them close together,
At blow, and thrust; even as again they were,
When you yourself did part them.
More of this matter can I not report :
But men are men; the best sometimes forget:
Thou Cassio did some little wrong to him,
As men in rage strike those that wish them best;
Yet, surely, Cassio, I believe, receiv'd,
From him that fled, some strange indignity,
Which patience could not pass.

Oth. I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio: - Cassio, I love thee: But never more be officer of mine..

Enter DESDEMONA, attended. Look, if my gentle love be not rais'd up ;— I'll make thee an example.

Des. What's the matter, dear? Oth. All's well now, sweeting; Come away to bed. Sir, for your hurts,

Myself will be your surgeon: Lead him off.
[To MONTANO, who is led off.

Iago, look with care about the town;
And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted.-
Come, Desdemona; 'tis the soldier's life,
To have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife.
[Exeunt all but IAGO and CASSIO.

Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant?
Cas. Ay, past all surgery.

Iago. Marry, heaven forbid !

Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part, sir, of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation.

Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that, than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: You are but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in policy than in malice; even so as one would beat his offenceless dog, to affright an imperious lion: sue to him again, and he's yours. Cas. I will rather sue to be despised, than to deceive so good a commander, with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot?5 and squabble? swagger? swear? and 4 Dismissed in his anger. 5 Talk idly

Cas. I remember a mass of things, but nothing| distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. - O, that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, revel, pleasure, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!

Iago. Why, but you are now well enough: How came you thus recovered?

Cas. It hath pleased the devil, drunkenness, to give place to the devil, wrath: one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself. Iago. Come, you are too severe a moraler: As the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but since it is as it is, mend it for your own good. Cas. I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me, I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! O strange! Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a devil.

Iago. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used; exclaim no more against it. And, good lieutenant, I think, you think I love you.

Cas. I have well approved it, sir. —I drunk! Iago. You, or any man living, may be drunk at some time, man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife is now the general:- I may say so in this respect, for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and graces: confess yourself freely to her; importune her; she'll help to put you in your place again: she is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, that she holds it a vice in her goodness, not to do more than she is requested: This broken joint, between you and her husband, entreat her to splinter; and, my fortunes against any lay 6 worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before.

When this advice is free, I give, and honest,
Probal to thinking, and (indeed) the course
To win the Moor again? For, 'tis most easy
The inclining Desdemona to subdue
In any honest suit: she's fram'd as fruitful
As the free elements. And then for her
To win the Moor,-were't to renounce his baptism,
His soul is so enfetter'd to her love,
That she may make, unmake, do what she list,
With his weak function. How am I then a villain,
To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,
Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!
When devils with their blackest sins put on,
They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,
As I do now: For while this honest fool
Plies Desdemona to repair his fortunes,
And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor,
I'll pour this pestilence into his ear, —
That she repeals 9 him for her love of him?
And, by how much she strives to do him good,
She shall undo her credit with the Moor.
So will I turn her virtue into pitch;
And out of her own goodness make the net,
That shall enmesh them all. — How now, Roderigo?

Iago. How poor are they, that have no patience!

What wound did ever heal, but by degrees?
Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;
And wit depends on dilatory time.
Does't not go well? Cassio hath beaten thee,
And thou, by that small hurt, hath cashier'd Cassio;
Though other things grow fair against the sun,
Yet fruits, that blossom first, will first be ripe:
Content thyself a while: 'tis almost morn:
Pleasure, and action, make the hours seem short.—
Retire thee; go where thou art billeted:
Away, I say; thou shalt know more hereafter :
Nay, get thee gone. [Exit ROD.] Two things are
to be done,

My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress;
I'll set her on;

Myself, the while, to draw the Moor apart,
And bring him jump when he may Cassio find
Soliciting his wife: - Ay, that's the way;
Dull not device by coldness and delay.

[Exit.

Clo. If you have any musick that may not be a heard, to't again: but, as they say, to hear musick, the general does not greatly care.

1 Mus. We have none such, sir.

Clo. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away: Go; vanish into air; away.

[Exeunt Musicians. Cas. Dost thou hear, my honest friend? Clo. No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you. Cas. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets. There's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman that attends the general's wife be stirring, tell her there's one Cassio entreats her a little favour of speech: Wilt thou do this?

Clo. She is stirring, sir; if she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify unto her.

Enter IAGO.

[Exit.

Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio,
He's never any thing but your true servant.

Des. O, sir, I thank you: You do love my lord: You have known him long; and be you well assur'd,

He shall in strangeness stand no further off
Than in a politick distance.

Cas.
Ay, but, lady,
That policy may either last so long,
Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,

That, I being absent, and my place supplied, My general will forget my love and service.

Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen. Oth. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot; And, by him, do my duties to the state: That done, I will be walking on the works. Repair there to me. Iago. Well, my good lord, I'll do't. Oth. This fortification, gentlemen,-shall we see't? Gent. We'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. - Before the Castle. Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA. Des. Be thou assur'd, good Cassio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf.

2 Nice distinctions.

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 every thing 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.

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 pr'ythee, call him back.
Oth.

Went he hence now?
Des. Ay, sooth; so humbled,
That he hath left part of his grief with me;

I suffer with him. Good love, call him back. Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time.

3 Hawks are tamed by keeping them from sleep