But I do love thee! and when I love thee not,

Chaos is come again.

Jago. 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?

lago. But for a satisfaction of my thought;

No further harm.
Oth.

Why of thy thought, lago?

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?

Iago. My lord, for aught I know.

Honest, my lord?

Ay, honest.

Think, my lord?

Think, my lord!

Oth. What dost thou think?

lago.

Oth.

By heaven, he echoes me,

As if there were some monster in his thought
Too hideous to be shown.-Thou dost mean some-

thing:

I heard thee say but 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 cry'dst, 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 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.

Iago.

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?

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.

lago.

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

(1) Courts of inquiry.

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 :-
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!

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, 2 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,.

(1) Conjectures. (2) Endless, unbounded

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,
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 :1 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, lago; I'll see, 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 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.

Iago.

And so she did.

Why, go to, then;

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,2

To seels her father's eyes up, close as oak,

(1) Which makes fair gifts fairer.'

(2) Appearance.

(3) An expression from falconry: to seel a hawk

is to sew up his eyelids.

VOL. VIII.

S

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.

lago.

Should you do so, my lord,

My speech should fall into such vile success

As my thoughts aim not at. Cassio's my worthy

friend :

My lord, I see you are mov'd.

Oth.

No, not much mov'd :

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,lago. 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,

(1) Conclusions.