Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO, carried in a chair, and Officers, with IAGO, prisoner.

Lodovico. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man? Othello. That's he that was Othello;-here I am. Lodovico. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth. Othello. I look down towards his feet, but that's a

fable:

If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee.

[Othello wounds Iago.

Lodovico. Wrench his sword from him.

lago. I bleed, sir; but not kill'd.

Othello. I am not sorry neither; I'd have thee live; For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die.

Lodovico. O thou Othello, that was once so good,

Fall'n in the practice of a cursed slave,

What shall be said of thee?

Othello.

Why, any thing:

An honourable murderer, if you will;

For naught I did in hate, but all in honour.

Lodovico. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy:

Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?

Othello. Ay.

Cassio. Dear general, I never gave you cause.
Othello. 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.

Lodovico. What, not to pray?

Gratiano.

Torments will ope your lips.

Othello. Well, thou dost best.

Lodovico. Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n, Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter, Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo; And here another; the one of them imports The death of Cassio to be undertook

By Roderigo.

Othello.

Cassio.

O villain !

Most heathenish and most gross!

Lodovico. Now! here's another discontented paper,
Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems,
Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain;

But that, belike, Iago in the interim

Came in and satisfied him.

Othello. O, the pernicious caitiff!—

How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief,
That was my wife's?

Cassio.

I found it in my chamber;

And he himself confess'd, but even now,
That there he dropp'd it, for a special purpose,
Which wrought to his desire.

Othello. O fool! fool! fool!

Cassio. 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.

Lodovico. 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 him away.

Othello. 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,

Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees

Their medicinal gum. Set you down this;
And say, besides,—that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban'd Turk
Beat a Venetian, and traduc'd the state,
I took by the throat, the circumcised dog,
And smote him—thus.

Lodovico.

O bloody period !

Gratiano. All that's spoke is marr'd.

[Stabs himself.

Othello. I kiss'd thee, ere I kill'd thee :-no way but

this,

Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.

[Dies.

Cassio. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; For he was great of heart.

Lodovico.

O Spartan dog,

More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea!
Look on the tragic loading of this bed:
This is thy work :-the object poisons sight;
Let it be hid.-Gratiano, keep the house,

T

And seize upon the fortunes of the Moor,

For they succeed on you.-To you, lord governor, Remains the censure of this hellish villain;

The time, the place, the torture,-O, enforce it! Myself will straight abroad; and, to the state, This heavy act with heavy heart relate.

E calls me back: my pride fell with my for

tunes:

I'll ask him what he would :-Did you call,

sir ?

Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown

More than your enemies.

Celia.

Will you go, coz?

-Fare you well.

Rosalind. Have with you :

[Exeunt Rosalind and Celia.

Orlando. What passion hangs these weights upon my

tongue?

I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference.

O poor Orlando! thou art overthrown;

Or Charles, or something weaker, masters thee.

SCENE III.

Rosalind. So was I, when your highness took his duke

dom;