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.
Des. But shall't be shortly?

Oth. The sooner, sweet, for you.
Des. Shall't be to-night at supper?
Oth. No, not to-night.

Des. To-morrow dinner then?

Oth. I shall not dine at home:

I meet the captains at the citadel.

Des. Why then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday

morn;

Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday morn:-
I pr'ythee, name the time; but let it not

Exceed three days.-In faith, he's penitent :-
When shall he come?

Tell me, Othello.-I wonder, in my soul,

What

you could ask of me, that I should deny,
Or stand so mammering on. What! Michael Cassio,
That came a-wooing with you; and many a time,
When I have 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. Pr'ythee, no more ;-let him come when he
will;

I will deny thee nothing.

Des. Why, this is not a boon;

'Tis as I should entreat you wear your gloves,
Or feed on nourishing dishes, or keep you warm;
Or sue to you, to do a peculiar profit

To your own person: Ñay, when I have a suit,
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It shall be full of poise 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: Farewell, my lord. Oth. Farewell, my Desdemona. I'll come to thee straight.

Des. Emilia, come :-Be't as your fancies teach

you;

Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

[Exeunt EMILIA and DESDEMONA. Oth. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.

Iago. My noble lord

Oth. What dost thou say, Iago?

Iago. Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my lady,

Know of your love?

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

Iago. But for the satisfaction of my thought; No further harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Iago. I did not think he had been acquainted with

her.

Oth. O, yes: and went between us very oft.
Iago. Indeed!

Oth. Indeed?-Ay, indeed: Discern'st thou aught

in that?

Is he not honest?

Iago. Honest, my lord?

Oth. Honest?-ay, honest.

Iago. My lord, for aught I know.

Oth. What dost thou think?

Iago. Think, my lord?

Oth. Think, my lord!

By heaven, he echoes me,

As if there were some monster in his thought,

Too hideous to be shown.-Thou dost mean somcthing:

I heard thee say but now,-Thou lik'dst not that,When Cassio left my wife :- -What didst not like?.

And, when I told thee he was of my counsel

In my whole course of wooing, thou cried'st, "Indeed!"

And didst contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain

Some horrible conceit; if thou dost love me,
Show me thy thought.

Iago. My lord, you know I love you.

Oth. I think thou dost;"

And-for I know thou'rt full of love and honesty, And weigh'st thy words before thou givest 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 close denotements, working from the heart, That passion cannot rule.

Iago. For Michael Cassio,

I dare be sworn,-I think that he is honest.
Oth. I think so too.

Iago. Men should be that they seem;

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

I

pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings,

As thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words.

Iago. Good my lord, pardon me;

Though I am bound to every act of duty,

I am not bound to that all slaves are free to.-
Utter my thoughts? Why say they are vile and
false,-

As where's that palace whereinto foul things
Sometimes intrude not?

Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago,

If thou but think'st him wrong'd, and makest his ear A stranger to thy thoughts.

Iago. I do beseech you,-

(Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess,-
As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not,)-I entreat you then,
From one that so imperfectly conceits,

You'ld take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble
Out of his scattering and unsure observance :-
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honesty, or wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

Oth. What dost thou mean?

Iago. Good name, in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of our souls:

Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. By Heaven, I'll know thy thought!

Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand;

Nor shall not, while 'tis in my custody.

Oth. Ha!

Iago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;

It is the green-eyed monster which doth make
The meat it feeds on: That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his

wronger;

But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er,

Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves! Oth. O misery!

Iago. Poor and content, is rich, and rich enough; But riches, fineless, is as poor as winter,

To him that ever fears he shall be

E

poor:

Good Heaven, the souls of all my

From jealousy!

Oth. Why, why is this?

tribe defend

Think'st thou I'd make a life of jealousy,

To follow still the changes of the moon

With fresh suspicions? No; to be once in doubt, Is-once to be resolved.

'Tis not to make me jealous,

To say, my wife is fair, loves company,
Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well;
Where virtue is, these are more virtuous:
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt:
For she had eyes, and chose me: No, Iago;
I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
Away at once with love, or jealousy.

Iago. I'm glad of this; for now I shall have reason
To show the love and duty that I bear you,
With franker spirit: therefore, as I'm bound,
Receive it from me:-I speak not yet of proof:
Look to your
observe her well with Cassio:
Wear your eye-thus, not jealous, nor secure;-
I would not have your free and noble nature,
Out of self-bounty, be abused; look to't;

wife;

I know our country disposition well;

In Venice they do let Heaven see the pranks

They dare not show their husbands; their best conscience

Is-not to leave undone, but keep unknown.

Oth. Dost thou

say so?

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And, when she seem'd to shake, and fear your looks, She loved them most.

Oth. And so she did.

Iago. Why, go to, then;

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,