Cas. I'll do't: but it dislikes me. [Exit Cassio. Iago. If I can fasten but one cup upon him, With that which he hath drunk to-night already, He'll be as full of quarrel and offence As my young mistress' dog. Now, my sick fool, Roderigo, Whom love has turn'd almost the wrong side To Desdemona hath to-night carous'd Cas. Why, this is a more exquisite song than the other. Iago. Will you hear it again? Cas. No; for I hold him to be unworthy of his place, that does those things.-Well,-Heaven's above all; and there be souls that must be saved, and there be souls must not be saved. Iago. It's true, good lieutenant. Cas. For mine own part,-no offence to the general, nor any man of quality,-I hope to be saved. Iago. And so do I too, lieutenant. Cas. Ay, but, by your leave, not before me; the lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient. Let's have no more of this; let's to our affairs. flock-Forgive us our sins!-Gentlemen, let's look to our business. Do not think, gentlemen, I am drunk; this is my ancient; this is my right hand, and this is my left hand :-I am not drunk now; I can stand well enough, and speak well enough. Am I to put our Cassio in some action Re-enter CASSIO, with him MONTANO and Cas. 'Fore heaven, they have given me a Mon. Good faith, a little one; not past a pint, as I am a soldier. Iago. Some wine, ho! All. Excellent well. Cas. Why, very well, then you must not think then that I am drunk. [Exit. Mon. To the platform, masters; come, let's set the watch. Iago. You see this fellow that is gone before; He is a soldier, fit to stand by Cæsar And give direction; and do but see his vice; And let me the canakin clink, clink; [Sings. 'Tis to his virtue a just equinox, And let me the canakin clink : A soldier's a man; A life's but a span; Why then, let a soldier drink. Some wine, boys! [Wine brought in. Cas. 'Fore heaven, an excellent song. Iago. I learned it in England, where (indeed) they are most potent in potting: your Dane, your German, and your swag-bellied Hollander,-Drink, ho!—are nothing to your English. Cas. Is your Englishman so expert in his drinking? Iago. Why, he drinks you, with facility, your Dane dead drunk; he sweats not to overthrow your Almain; he gives your Hollander a vomit, ere the next pottle can be filled. Cas. To the health of our general. The one as long as th' other: 'tis pity of him. Mon. But is he often thus? Iago. 'Tis evermore the prologue to his sleep: Mon. It were well, [Exit Roderigo. Mon. And 'tis great pity, that the noble Moor Mon. I am for it, lieutenant; and I'll do Should hazard such a place, as his own second, you justice. Iago. O sweet England! With one of an ingraft infirmity: It were an honest action, to say So to the Moor. Iago. Not I, for this fair island: I do love Cassio well; and would do much Re-enter CASSIO, driving in RODERIGO, Cas. You rogue! you rascal! I'll beat the knave into a twiggen bottle. Rod. Beat me! Cas. Dost thou prate, rogue? Striking Roderigo. Staying him. Mon. Nay, good lieutenant; [They fight. Enter OTHELLO and Attendants. Oth. What is the matter here? Mon. I bleed still, I am hurt to the death he dies. Oth. Hold, for your lives. ; Iago. Hold, hold, lieutenant,—sir, Montano,gentlemen, Have you forgot all sense of place and duty? Hold, hold; the general speaks to you; hold, for shame! Oth. Why, how now, this? Are we turn'd Turks; and to ourselves do that, Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites? For christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl: He, that stirs next to carve for his own rage, Holds his soul light; he dies upon his motion. Silence that dreadful bell, it frights the isle From her propriety.-What is the matter, masters? ,ho! from whence ariseth Honest Iago, that look'st dead with grieving, Speak, who began this? on thy love I charge thee. Iago. I do not know ;-friends all but now, even now, In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom Cas. I pray you, pardon me, I cannot speak. Of all that I do know: nor know I aught Oth. Now, by heaven, My blood begins my safer guides to rule; Mon. If partially affin'd, or leagu'd in office, Thou dost deliver more or less than truth, Thou art no soldier. Iago. Touch me not so near: I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, More of this matter can I not report :- 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. Come, Desdemona; 'tis the soldiers' life, 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? and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow-O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee-devil! Iago. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you? Cas. I know not. Iago. Is it possible? 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 imperfectness 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 worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before. Cas. You advise me well. Iago. I protest, in the sincerity of love, and honest kindness. Cas. I think it freely; and, betimes in the morning, I will beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me: I am desperate of my fortunes, if they check me here. Good-night, Iago. You are in the right. lieutenant; I must to the watch. Cas. Good-night, honest Iago. [Exit Cassio. Iago. And what's he then, that says,—I play the villain? When this advice is free, I give, and honest, In any honest suit; she's fram'd as fruitful All seals and symbols of redeemed sin,— Enter RODERIGO. Rod. I do follow here in the chace, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is almost spent; I have been tonight exceedingly well cudgelled; and, I think, the issue will be I shall have so much experience for my pains: and so, with no money at all, and a little more wit, return to Venice. Iago. How poor are they, that have not 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. Though other things grow fair against the sun, Pleasure, and action, make the hours seem short.— My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress; Myself, the while, to draw the Moor apart, ACT III. SCENE I.-Before the Castle: Enter CASSIO, and some Musicians. Cas. Masters, play here, I will content your pains, Something that's brief; and bid-good-morrow, general. [Music. Enter Clown. Clo. Why, masters, have your instruments been at Naples, that they speak i' the nose thus? 1 Mus. How, sir, how? Clo. Are these, I pray you, called wind instruments? 1 Mus. Ay, marry, are they, sir. Clo. O, thereby hangs a tail. 1 Mus. Whereby hangs a tale, sir? Clo. Marry, sir, by many a wind instrument that I know. But, masters, here's money for you and the general so likes your music, that he desires you, of all loves, to make no more noise with it. 1 Mus. Well, sir, we will not. Clo. If you have any music that may not be heard, to't again: but, as they say, to hear music, 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. [Exit. Enter IAGO. Cas. Do, good my friend.-In happy time, Iago. Iago. You have not been a-bed then? Iago. I'll send her to you presently; Enter EMILIA. Emil. Good-morrow, good lieutenant: I am sorry For your displeasure; but all will soon be well The general, and his wife, are talking of it; And she speaks for you stoutly: The Moor replies, That he, you hurt, is of great fame in Cyprus, And great affinity; and that, in wholesome wisdom, He might not but refuse you: but, he protests, he loves you; And needs no other suitor, but his likings, Cas. Yet, I beseech you,- Emil. Pray you, come in ; I will bestow you where you shall have time To speak your bosom freely. [Exeunt. Cas. I am much bound to you. SCENE II-A room in the castle. Jago. Well, my good lord, I'll do't, Iago. Ha! I like not that. Iago. Nothing, my lord: or if-I know not what. Oth. Was not that Cassio, parted from my wife? Iago. Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it, That he would steal away so guilty-like, Oth. This fortification, gentlemen,-shall we Seeing you coming. see't? Gent. We'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt. SCENE III-Before the castle. Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA, Emil. Good madam, do; I know it grieves As if the case were his. Oth. I do believe 'twas he. I have been talking with a suitor here, Des, Why, your lieutenant Cassio. Good If I have any grace, or power to move you, For, if he be not one that truly loves you, Des. O, that's an honest fellow.-Do not I pr'ythee, call him back. doubt, Cassio, But I will have my lord and you again As friendly as you were. Cas. Bounteous madam, Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio, You have known him long; and be you well He shall in strangeness stand no further off Cas. Ay, but, lady, That policy may either last so long, Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet, His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift; Enter OTHELLO and IsGo, at a distance. Emil. Madam, here comes Cas. Madam, I'll take my leave. My lord. Des. Why, stay, And hear me speak. Oth. Went he hence now? Des. Ay, sooth; so humbled, That he hath left part of his grief with me; Des. But shall't be shortly? Oth. The sooner, sweet, for you. Des. To-morrow dinner then? I meet the captains at the citadel. Des. Why then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday morn; Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday That came a wooing with you; and many a time, I will deny thee nothing. Des. Why, this is not a boon ; Cas. Madam, not now; I am very ill at ease, 'Tis as I should entreat you wear your gloves, Unfit for mine own purposes. Des. Well, well, Do your discretion. Or feed on nourishing dishes, or keep you warm; Or sue to you to do peculiar profit [Exit Cassio. To your own person: Nay, when I have a suit, |