Oth. Emil. If he say so, may his pernicious soul Emil. Do thy worst: This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven, Oth. Shore his old thread in twain: did he live now, With that recognizance and pledge of love Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers! No, I will speak as liberal as the air; Enter MONTANO, GRATIANO, and Iago. Gra. Fye! Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou speak'st of, I found by fortune, and did give my husband; (More than, indeed, belong'd to such a trifle,) Iago. Iago. Oth. [IAGO stabs EMILIA, then runs out. But what serve for the thunder? - Precious villain ! weapon Take you this Oth. Behold! I have a weapon; A better never did itself sustain Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day, That, with this little arm, and this good sword, I have made my way through more impediments Than twenty times your stop: - But, O vain boast! Who can control his fate? 'tis not so now. Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon'd; Here is my journey's end, here is my butt, And very sea-mark of my utmost sail. Do you go back dismay'd? 'tis a lost fear; Man but a rush against Othello's breast, And he retires; ;- Where should Othello go? Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd wench! Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl? Even like thy chastity. O cursed, cursed slave! - Whip me, ye devils, 5 Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO, carried in a Chair, and Officers, with IAGO, prisoner. Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man? Oth. That's he, that was Othello; here I am. If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good, Oth. Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you will; For nought I did in hate, but all in honour. Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy: Did you and he consent in Cassio's death? Oth. Ay. Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. Oth. I do believe it, and I ask your pardon. Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil, Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body? Iago. Demand me nothing: What you know, you know: From this time forth I never will speak word. Lod. What? not to pray? Torments will ope your lips. Oth. O villain! 5 Account. By the stratagem. 6 To see if his feet be cloven. Cas. Oth. Cas. I found it in my chamber: Oth. O fool! fool! fool! Cas. There is, besides, in Roderigo's letter, — How he upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came That I was cast: And even but now he spake, After long seeming dead, — Iago hurt him, Iago set him on. Lod. You must forsake this room and go with us; Your power and your command is taken off, And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave, If there be any cunning cruelty, That can torment him much, and hold him long, It shall be his: You shall close prisoner rest, Till that the nature of your fault be known To the Venetian state: - Come, bring away. Oth. Soft you; a word or two before you go. I have done the state some service, and they know it; No more of that: - I pray you, in your letters, When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak Of one, that lov'd not wisely, but too well; Of one, not easily jealous, but, being wrought, Perplex'd in the extreme; of one, whose hand, Like the base Judean, threw a pearl away, Richer than all his tribe; of one, whose subdu'd eyes, Albeit unused to the melting mood, Lod. O bloody period! [Stabs himself. No way All, that's spoke, is marr'd. Oth. I kiss'd thee, ere I kill'd thee; but this, [Falling upon DESDEMONA. [Dies. Killing myself, to die upon a kiss. weapon: - For he was great of heart. POSTSCRIPT TO OTHELLO. "You must away to-night." IN considering this admirable tragedy, which if | sio is a crime not only improbable, but absolutely not the very first, is certainly one of the first of impossible to have been committed; Cassio having dramatic writings, I think it is impossible to help sailed at the same time as Othello during the night wishing that one easy alteration had been made, of the marriage : — which would add to the probability of the story, and would rather improve than injure the general effect of the drama. If Othello had entrusted Desdemona at Venice to the care of Cassio instead of Iago, the accusation of the latter would have gained an additional degree of probability. Cassio was the most intimate friend of Othello, he went a wooing with him, and to whom could he so naturally entrust the care of his wife, when compelled to leave her at the hour of his marriage? Iago might then have urged their being together at Venice after the departure of Othello, and their performing the voyage together; but as the story is now told, the adultery of Desdemona with Cas The drunken quarrel in the street of Cyprus, took place on the night of Othello's arrival, and it was the next day that Iago urged Desdemona's entreaties for the pardon of Cassio, as a proof of her unlawful connection with him. Every argument which he enforces to prove their guilt, might, therefore, as the story is now told, have been answered, by saying the thing is impossible; and this objection to the play might have been obviated, by the easy and natural alteration which has here been suggested. THOMAS BOWDLER. THE END. LONDON: Printed by A. SPOTTISWOODE, |