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Where virtue is, these make more virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The fmalleft fear, or doubt of her revolt,

No, Iago,

For fhe had eyes, and chofe me.
I'll fee, before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,

Away at once with love or jealousy.

IAGO. I'm glad of this; for now I fhall have reason To fhew the love and duty that I bear you

Therefore, as I'm bound,

With franker fpirit.

I speak not yet of proof. observe her well with Caffio;

Receive it from me.

Look to your wife,

Wear your eye, thus; not jealous, nor fecure ;
I would not have your free and noble nature
Out of felf-bounty be abus'd; look to't.

I know our country-difpofition well;

In Venice they do let Heav'n fee the pranks
They dare not fhew their husbands.

Oтн. Doft thou fay fo?

IAGO.

She did deceive her father, marrying you;

And when the feem'd to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them moft.

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She, that, fo young, could give out such a seeming To feal her father's eyes up, clofe as oak

He thought 'twas witchcraft-But I'm much to blame: I humbly do befeech you of your pardon,

For too much loving you.

OTн. I am bound to you for ever.

IAGO. I fee this hath a little dash'd your fpirits.
OTH. Not a jot, not a jot.

IAGO. Trust me, I fear it has :

I hope you will confider what is spoke

Comes from my love. But I do see you're mov’d-➡

I am to pray you, not to strain my fpeech

To groffer iffues, not to larger reach,

Than to fufpicion.

ОTH. I will not..

IAGO. Should you do fo, my Lord,.. My speech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs, Which my thoughts aim not at.

My Lord, I fee you're mov'd

Oтн. No, not much mov'd

Caffio's my worthy friend

I do not think, but Desdemona's honest..

IAGO. Long live she fo! and long live you to think so!
Отн. And yet, how nature erring from itself-
IAGO. Ay, there's the point;-as (to be bold with you)
Not to affect many propofed matches

Of her own clime, complexion, and degree,
Whereto we see in all things nature tends:
Foh! one may fmell, in fuch, a will moft rank,
Foul difproportions, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me, I do not in pofition
Diftinctly speak of her; though I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country-forms,
And, haply, fo repent.

Oтн. Farewel, farewel;

If more thou doft perceive, let me know more:

Set on thy wife t' obferve. Leave me, Iago..

IAGO. My Lord, I take my leave.

ОTн. Why did I marry?

This honeft creature, doubtlefs,

Sees,

Sees, and knows more, much more, than he unfolds.

IAGO. My Lord, I would I might intreat your Honour To scan this thing no further; leave it to time: Altho' 'tis fit that Caffio have his place, For, fure, he fills it up with great ability; Yet if you please to hold him off a while, You fhall by that perceive him and his means; Note, if your lady ftrain his entertainment With any ftrong or vehement importunity; Much will be feen in that. In the mean time, Let me be thought too bufy in my fears, (As worthy cause I have to fear I am) And hold her free, I do befeech your Отн. Fear not my government. IAGO. I once more take my leave.

Honour.

SHAKESPEAR.

CHA P. XXVIII.

HAMLET's SOLILOQUY ON HIS MOTHER's MARRIAGE.

O

H that this too too folid flesh would melt,

Thaw, and refolve itself into adew!

Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!

How weary, ftale, flat, and unprofitable,

Seem to me all the ufes of this world!

Fie on't! oh fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,

That grows to feed; things rank, and grofs in nature,
Poffefs it merely. That it fhould come to this!

But two months dead! nay, not fo much; not two:-
So excellent a king, that was, to this,

Hyperion

Hyperion to a fatyr: so loving to my mother,
That he permitted not the winds of heav'n
Vifit her face too roughly. Heav'n and earth!
Muft I remember?-why, fhe would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown

By what it fed on; yet, within a month,-
Let me not think

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Frailty, thy name is Woman!.

A little month! or ere those shoes were old,

With which she follow'd my poor father's body,.
Like Niobe, all tears -Why, she, ev'n she

(O Heav'n! a beast that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourn'd longer-) married with mine uncle,
My father's brother; but no more like my father,
Than I to Hercules. Within a month!..

Ere yet the falt of moft unrighteous tears.
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,

She married.
With fuch dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.

Oh, moft wicked speed, to poft.

But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.

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HAM.

NGELS and ministers of grace defend us!

A Be thou a fpirit of health, or goblin damn'd,

Bring with thee airs from heav'n, or blasts from hell,
Be thy intent wicked or charitable,

Thou com'ft in fuch a queftionable shape,

That I will speak to thee.. I'll call thee Hamlet,
King, Father, Royal Dane: oh! anfwer me;

Let

Let me not burst in ignorance; but tell,

Why thy canoniz'd bones, hearfed in earth,
Have burft their cearments? why the fepulchre,
Wherein we saw thee quietly inurn'd,

Hath op'd his ponderous and marble jaws,
To caft thee up again? What may this mean?
That thou, dead corfe, again in compleat steel,
Revifit'ft thus the glimpses of the moon,
Making night hideous, and us fools of nature
So horribly to fhake our difpofition

With thoughts beyond the reaches of our fouls?
Say, why is this? wherefore? what should we do?
GHOST. Mark me.-

HAM. I will.

GHOST. My hour is almoft come,
When I to fulphurous and tormenting flames.

Muft render up myself.

HAM. Alas, poor ghoft!

GHOST. Pity me not, but lend thy ferious hearing

To what I fhall unfold.

HAM. Speak, I am bound to hear.

GHOST. So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.

HAM. What?

GHOST. I am thy father's fpirit;

Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,

And, for the day, confin'd to faft in fire;

Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature,

Are burnt and purg'd away. But that I am forbid
To tell the fecrets of my prifon-house,

I could a tale unfold, whofe lightest word

Would harrow up thy foul, freeze thy young blood,
Make thy two eyes, like ftars, ftart from their spheres,

Thy

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