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lago. My lord, you know I love you.

Oth. I think, thou dost ;

And, for I know thou art full of love and honesty,

And weigh'st thy words before thou giv'st 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 are 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.

lago. Men should be what 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 that Cassio is 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.

lago. 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? who has a breast so pure,

But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets, and law-days, and in session sit
With meditations lawful.R

Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago,
If thou but think'st him wrong'd, and mak'st 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 conjects,

You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble
Out of his scattering and unsure observance :---

[8] Leet (says Jacob, in his Law Dictionary) is otherwise called a law-day. The poet's meaning appears plainly to be: Who has a breast so little apt to form ill opinions of others, but that foul suspicion will sometimes mix with his fairest and most candid thoughts, and erect a court in his mind, to inquire of the offences apprehended. STEEVENS.

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 their 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, whilst 'tis in my custody.

Oth. Ha!

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Iago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy ;
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
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 poor :

Good heaven, the souls of all my tribe defend

From jealousy!

Oth. Why? why is this?

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 resolv'd: Exchange me for a goat,
When I shall turn the business of my soul
To such exsufflicate and blown surmises,2

Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous,
To say-my wife is fair, feeds well, 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;

[9] Unbounded, endless, unnumbered treasures.
1 Finely expressed: winter producing no fruits.

JOHNSON.
WARBURTON.

[2] Exsufficate I think is used in the sense of swollen, and appears to have been formed from sufflatus,

MALONE.

And, on the proof, there is no more but this,-
Away at once with love, or jealousy.

Iago. I am 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 am bound,
Receive it from me :-I speak not yet of proof.
Look to your wife; 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 abus'd; look to't :

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 lov'd them most.

Oth. And so she did.

Iago. Why, go to, then ;

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,
To seel her father's eyes up, close as oak,*—

He thought, 'twas witchcraft :-But I am much to blame ;
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon,

For too much loving you.

Oth. I am bound to thee for ever.

Iago.

I see, this hath a little dash'd your spirits.

Oth. Not a jot, not a jot.

lago. Trust me, I fear it has.

I hope, you will consider, what is spoke

Comes from my love ;-But, I do see you are mov'd :-
I am to pray you, not to strain my speech

To grosser issues,' nor to larger reach,

Than to suspicion.

Oth. I will not.

[3] This and the following argument of Iago ought to be deeply impressed on every reader. Deceit and falsehood, whatever conveniences they may for a time promise or produce, are, in the sum of life, obstacles to happiness. Those, who profit by the cheat, distrust the deceiver, and the act, by which kindness is sought, puts an end to confidence. The same objection may be made with a lower degree of strength against the imprudent generosity of disproportionate marriages. When the first heat of passion is over, it is easily succeeded by suspicion, that the same violence of inclination, which caused one irregularity, may stimulate to another; and those who have shown, that their passions are too powerful for their prudence, will, with very slight appearances against them, be censured as aot very likely to restrain them by their virtue. JOHNSON.

[4] Close as oak, means close as the grain of the oak. To stel a hawk, is to sew up STEEVENS.

his eyelids.

5 Issues, for conclusions.

WARBURTON.

A

Iago. Should you do so, my lord,
My speech should fall into such vile success
As my thoughts aim not at.

Cassie's my worthy friend:

My lord, I see you are mov'd.
Oth. No, not much mov'd :·

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I do not think but Desdemona's honest.

lago. Long live she so! and long live you to think so! Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself,

Iago. Ay, there's the point :--As,--to be bold with you,-Not to affect many proposed matches

Of her own clime, complexion, and degree;
Whereto, we see, in all things nature tends:
Foh! one may smell, in such, a will most rank,"
Foul disproportion, thoughts unnatural.—
But pardon me; I do not, in position,
Distinctly speak of her: though I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country forms,
And (happily) repent.

Oth. Farewell, farewell:

If more thou dost perceive, let me know more ; Set on thy wife to observe: Leave me, lago. lago. My lord, I take my leave.

[Going. Oth. Why did I marry? This honest creature, doubtless, Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. lago. My lord, I would, I might entreat your honour To scan this thing no further; leave it to time : And though it be fit that Cassio have his place, (For, sure, he fills it up with great ability,) Yet, if you please to hold him off a while, You shall by that perceive him and his means : Note, if your lady strain his entertainment? With any strong or vehement opportunity; Much will be seen in that. In the mean time, Let me be thought too busy in my fears, (As worthy cause I have, to fear--I am,) And hold her free, I do beseech your honour. Oth. Fear not my government. Iago. I once more take my leave.

Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty.

And know's all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings: If I do prove her haggard,®

[Exit.

[6] Will, is for wilfulness. It is so used by Ascham. A rank will is self-will avergrown and exuberant.

JOHNSON.

17 Press hard his re-admission to his pay and office.

A haggard bayk is a wild Raw, a hawk irreclaimable.

JOHNSON

JOHNSON,

Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings,
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind,
To prey at fortune.' Haply, for I am black;
And have not those softs parts of conversation
That chamberers have: or, for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years;-yet that's not much ;---
She's gone; I am abus'd; and my relief
Must be to loath her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,
For other's uses. Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones;
Prerogativ'd are they less than the base;
'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death;
Even then this forked plague is fated to us,
When we do quicken. Desdemona comes :
Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA.

If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself!-
I'll not believe it.

Des. How now, my dear Othello?

Your dinner, and the generous islanders
By you invited, do attend your presence.
Oth. I am to blame.

Des. Why is your speech so faint? are you not well?
Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here.

Des. Faith, that's with watching; 'twill away again: Let me but bind it hard, within this hour It will be well

Oth. Your napkin' is too little;

[He puts the handkerchief from him, and it drops. Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with you.

Des. I am very sorry that you are not well.

[Exeunt ОTH. and DESD. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin ; This was her first remembrance from the Moor: My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it but she so loves the token, (For he conjur'd her, she would ever keep it,) That she reserves it evermore about her,

[9] Jesses are short straps of leather tied about the foot of a lawk, by which she is held on the fist.

IANMER.

[1] The falconers always let fly the hawk against the wind; if she flies with the wind behind her, she seldom returns. If therefore a hawk was for any reason to be dismissed, she was let down the wind, and from that time shifted for herself, and preyed at fortune.

JOHNSON.

12 Ray says, that a pocket handkerchief is so called about Sheffield in Yorkshire. STEEVENS.

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