ACT III.

SCENE I.-CYPRUS. 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.

Enter Clown.

[Music.

Clo. Why, masters, have your instruments been in Naples, that they speak i' the nose thus?

I Mus. How, sir, how!

Clo. Are these, I pray you, wind instruments? .

1 Mus. Ay, marry, are they, sir.

Clo. O, thereby hangs a tale.

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, for love's sake, 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, mine 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.

Cas. Do, good my friend.

Enter IAGO.

[Exit Clown.

In happy time, Iago.

Iago. You have not been a-bed, then?
Cas. Why, no; the day had broke

Before we parted. I have made bold, Iago,
To send in to your wife: my suit to her

Is, that she will to virtuous Desdemona
Procure me some access.

Iago.

I'll send her to you presently;

And I'll devise a mean to draw the Moor

Out of the way, that your converse and business

May be more free.

Cas. I humbly thank you for't. [Exit IAGO.] I never knew A Florentine more kind and honest.

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

To take the saf'st occasion by the front

To bring you in again.

Cas.
Yet, I beseech you,
If you think fit, or that it may be done,-
Give me advantage of some brief discourse
With Desdemon alone.

Emil.

Pray you, come in:
I will bestow you where you shall have time
To speak your bosom freely.

Cas.

I am much bound to you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-CYPRUS. A Room in the Castle.

Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen.

Oth. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot;
And by him do my duties to the senate:
That done, I will be walking on the works;
Repair there to me.

fago.
Well, my good lord, I'll do’'t.
Oth. This fortification, gentlemen,-shall we see't?
Gent. We'll wait upon your lordship.

SCENE III.-CYPRUS.

[Exeunt.

The Garden of the Castle

Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA.

Des. Be thou assur'd, good Cassio, I will do

All my abilities in thy behalf.

Emil. Good madam, do: I warrant it grieves my husband As if the case were his.

Des. O, that's an honest fellow. -Do not 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,

He's never anything but your true servant.

Des. I know't,-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 politic distance.

Cas.

Ay, but, lady,
That policy may either last so long,
Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,
Or breed itself so out of circumstance,
That, I being absent, and my place supplied,
My general will forget my love and service.

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 everything he does

With Cassio's suit: therefore be merry, Cassio;
For thy solicitor shall rather die

Than give thy cause away.

Emil.

My lord.

Madam, here comes

Why, stay,

Madam, I'll take my leave.

Cas.

Des.

And hear me speak.

Cas. Madam, not now: I am very ill at ease,

Unfit for mine own purposes.

Des. Well, do your discretion.

Enter OTHELLO and IAGO.

lago. Ha! I like not that.

Oth. What dost thou say?

[Exit CASSIO.

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,

Seeing you coming.

Oth.

I do believe 'twas he.

Des. How now, my lord!

I have been talking with a suitor here,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.
Oth. Who is't you mean?

Des. Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord, 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,

To suffer with him. Good love, call him back.
Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemon; some other time.
Des. But shall't be shortly?

Oth.

The sooner, sweet, for you.

Des. Shall't be to-night at supper?
Oth.

Des. To-morrow dinner, then?
Oth.

I meet the captains at the citadel.

No, not to-night.

I shall not dine at home;

Des. Why, then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday morn ; On Tuesday noon, or night; on Wednesday morn:— I pr'ythee, name the time; but let it not Exceed three days: in faith, he's penitent; And yet his trespass, in our common reason,Save that, they say, the wars must make examples Out of the best,-is not almost a fault

To incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello: I wonder in my soul

What you would ask me that I should deny,

Or stand so mammering on. What! Michael Cassio,
That came a-wooing with you; and so 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: nay, when I have a suit
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,

It shall be full of poise and difficult weight,
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 as your fancies teach you; Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

[Exit with EMILIA. 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 a 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?

By heaven, he echoes me,

Honest! ay, honest.

Think, my lord!

Think, my lord!

As if there were some monster in his thought

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

I heard thee say even 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 criedst, 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,