Cas. He is not yet arriv'd; nor know I aught But that he's well, and will be shortly here.

Des. O, but I fear;-How lost you company? Cas. The great contention of the sea and skies Parted our fellowship: But, hark! a sail.

See for the news.

[Exit Gentleman.

Good ancient, you are welcome ;-Welcome, mistress: [To EMILIA.

Let it not gall your patience, good Iago,

That I extend my manners; 'tis my breeding

That gives me this bold show of courtesy.

Iago. Sir, would she give you so much of her lips,
As of her tongue she oft bestows on me,
You'd have enough.

Des.

.

Alas, she has no speech.

Iago. In faith, too much;

I find it still, when I have list to sleep :
Marry, before your ladyship, I grant,
She puts her tongue a little in her heart,
And chides with thinking.

Emil. You have little cause to say so.
Des. O, fye upon thee, slanderer!
Iago. Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk.
Emil. You shall not write my praise.
Iago.

No, let me not

[Kissing her.

Des. What would'st thou write of me, if thou should'st praise me!

Iago. O gentle lady, do not put me to’t;

For I am nothing, if not critical.

Des. Come on, assay :-There's one gone to the harbor?

Iago. Ay, madam.

Des. I am not merry; but I do beguile

The thing I am, by seeming otherwise.

Come, how would'st thou praise me?

Iago. I am about it; but, indeed, my invention
Comes from my pate, as birdlime does from frize,
It plucks out brains and all.

She that was ever fair, and never proud,
Had tongue at will, and yet was never loud ;
Never lack'd gold, and yet went never gay;
Fled from her wish, and yet said,—now I
may,
She that, being anger'd, her revenge being nigh,
Bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly:
She that could think, and ne'er disclose her mind,
See suitors following, and not look behind,

She was a wight,-if ever such wight were,—
Des. To do what?

Iago. To nurse young fools, and chronicle small beer.

Des. O most lame and impotent conclusion !-Do not learn of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband.-How say you, Cassio? is he not ■ most profane and liberal counsellor ?

Cas. He speaks home, madam; you may relish hinı more in the soldier, than in the scholar.

Iago. [Aside.] He takes her by the palm: Ay, well said, whisper: with as little a web as this, will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon him, do; I will gyve thee in thine own courtship. You say true; 'tis so, indeed: if such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenancy, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers sc oft, which now again you are most apt to play the sir in. Very good; well kissed! an excellent courtesy 'tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingers to your lips ?—[Trumpet.3 The Moor, I know his trumpet.

Cas. "Tis truly so.

Des. Let's meet him, and receive him.

Cas. Lo, where he comes!

Enter OTHELLO, and Attendants

My dear Othello!

Oth. O my fair warrior!

Des.

Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content,
To see you here before me. O my soul's joy!
If after every tempest come such calms,

May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!
If it were now to die,

"Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear,

My soul hath her content so absolute,

That not another comfort like to this

Succeeds in unknown fate.

Des.

But that our loves and comforts should increase,

Even as our days do grow!

Oth.

The heavens forbid,

Amen to that, sweet powers!

[Kissing her

O, you are well tun'd now!

[Aside

I cannot speak enough of this content,
It stops me here; it is too much of joy :
And this, and this, the greatest discords be,
That e'er our hearts shall make.

Iago.
But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,

As honest as I am.

Oth.

Come's, let's to the castle.

News, friends; our wars are done, the Turks are drown'd.

How do our old acquaintance of this isle?

Honey, you shall be well desir'd in Cyprus,

I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet,

I prattle out of fashion, and I dote

In mine own comforts.-I pr'ythee, good Iago,

Go to the bay, and disembark my coffers:

Bring thou the master to the citadel;

He is a good one, and his worthiness

Does challenge much respect.-Come, Desdemona,

Once more well met at Cyprus.

Iago now commences his plots against the Moor: his first movement is to put (thell into a jealousy so strong,

That judgment cannot cure,'

and Cassio is the instrument he selects for his purpose. Under the plea of "carousing" to the health of the General and his fair wife, he leads Cassio into a drunken brawl, while he Lieutenant is on guard at the Castle. Othello enters to learn the cause of the ai

turbance.

OTHELLO, IAGO, CASSIO, MONTANO, 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, ho! from whence ariseth 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?—
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:

And then, but now,

(As if some planet had unwitted men,)

Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast,

In opposition bloody. I cannot speak

Any beginning to this peevish odds;

And 'would in action glorious I had lost

These legs, that brought me to a part of it!

Oth. How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot?
Cas. I pray you, pardon me, I cannot speak.
Oth. Worthy Montano, you were wont be civil;

The gravity and stillness of your youth

The world hath noted, and your name is great
In mouths of wisest censure; What's the matter,
That

you unlace your reputation thus,

And spend your rich opinion, for the name

Of a night-brawler? give me answer to it.

Mon. Worthy Othello, I anı hurt to danger;

Your officer, Iago, can inform you

While I spare speech, which something now offends ine :-
Of all that I do know: nor know I aught

By me that's said or done amiss this night;
Unless self-charity be sometime a vice;
And to defend ourselves it be a sin,

When violence assails us.

Oth.
Now, by heave
My blood begins my safer guides to rule;
And passion, having my best judgment collied,
Assays to lead the way: If I once stir,
Or do but lift this arm, the best of you
Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know
How this foul rout began, who set it on:
And he that is approv'd in this offence,
Shall lose me.-What! in a town of war,
Yet wild, the people's hearts brimful of fear,
To manage private and domestic quarrel,
In night, and on the court and guard of safety!
"Tis monstrous.—Iago, who began it?

Mon. If partially affin'd, or leagu'd in office,
Thou dost deliver more or less than truth,
Thou art no soldier.

Ingo.

Touch me not so near:

I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth
Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio;
Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth
Shall nothing wrong him.→Thus it is, general.
Montano and myself being in speech,
There comes a fellow, crying out for help;

And Cassio following him with determin'd sword,
To execute upon him: Sir, this gentleman
Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause;
Myself the crying fellow did pursue,
Lest, by his clamor, (as it so fell out,)

The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Outran my purpose; and I return'd the rather
For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
And Cassio high in oath; which, till to-night,
I ne'er might say before: When I came back,
(For this was brief,) I found them close together,
At blow, and thrust; even as again they were,
When you yourself did part them.

More of this matter can I not report :

But men are men: the best sometimes forget:---Though Cassio did some little wrong to him,―

As men in rage strike those that wish them best,-
Yet, surely Cassio, I believe, receiv'd,

From him that fled, some strange indignity,
Which patience cou. d not pass. •

I know, Iago,

Oth.
Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter,

Making it light to Cassio:-Cassio, I love theu,

But never more be officer of mine.-
Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant?
Cas. Ay, past all surgery.

Iago. Marry, heaven forbid!

[Exit.

Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have .ost my repu tation! I have lost the immortal part.-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: sue to him again, and he is 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. O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hadst no name to be known by, let us call thee-devil!

Iago. What was he that you follow'd 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 demon drunkenness, to give place to the demon wrath one unperfectness shows me another to make me frankly despise myself.

Iago. I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good.

am a

Cas. I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me, I 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 demon.

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 he; importune her; she'll help to put you in your place again: she is of so free, so kind,