Emil. [Within.] What ho! my lord, my lord! Oth.

Who's there?

Emil. [Within.] O, good my lord! I would speak a word with you.

Oth. Yes; 'Tis Emilia,

dead.

By and by. She's

'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death: The noise was high.. Ha! no more moving?

Still as the grave. Shall she come in? Were't

good?

I think she stirs again:— no.- What's the best?
If she come in, she'll sure speak to my wife:
My wife! my wife! what wife? - I have no wife:
O, insupportable, O, heavy hour!

Methinks, it should be now a huge eclipse

Of sun and moon, and that th' affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration.

Emil. [Within.] I do beseech you, I may speak with you.

O, good my lord!

Oth. I had forgot thee: O, come in! Emilia.

Soft!

By and by:

let me the curtains draw. Where art thou? What's the matter with thee now?

[Unlocks the Door.

Enter EMILIA.

Emil. O, good my lord! yonder's foul murder

done.

Oth. What! now?

Emil. But now, my lord.

Oth. It is the very error of the moon;

She comes more near the earth than she was wont, And makes men mad.

Emil. Cassio, my lord, has kill'd a young Venetian,

Call'd Roderigo.

Oth.

And Cassio kill'd?

Emil.

Roderigo kill'd!

No; Cassio is not kill'd.

Oth. Not Cassio kill'd? Then murder's out of

tune,

And sweet revenge grows harsh.
Des. O, falsely, falsely murder'd!
Emil. Alas! what cry is that?
Oth. That! what?

Emil. Out, and alas ! that was my lady's voice:
Help! help, ho! help!-O lady, speak again!
Sweet Desdemona! O, sweet mistress, speak !
Des. A guiltless death I die.

Emil.

This deed?

Des.

O! who hath done

Nobody; I myself; farewell:

Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell! [Dies.
Oth. Why, how should she be murder'd?
Emil.
Alas! who knows?
Oth. You heard her say herself, it was not I.
Emil. She said so; I must needs report the truth.
Oth. She's like a liar gone to burning hell:
"Twas I that kill'd her.

Emil.

O, the more angel she,

And you the blacker devil!

Oth. She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore.
Emil. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil.
Oth. She was false as water.

Emil.
Thou art rash as fire, to say
That she was false: O, she was heavenly true!
Oth. Cassio did tup her; ask thy husband else.
O! I were damn'd beneath all depth in hell,
But that I did proceed upon just grounds
To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all.
Emil. My husband?

Oth. Thy husband.

Emil. That she was false to wedlock?

Oth. Ay, with Cassio. Nay, had she been true, If Heaven would make me such another world Of one entire and perfect chrysolite,

I'd not have sold her for it.

Emil. My husband?

Oth.

8

Ay, 'twas he that told me first:

An honest man he is, and hates the slime

That sticks on filthy deeds.

My husband?

Emil.
Oth. What needs this iterance, woman?9

thy husband.

I say,

Emil. O mistress, villainy hath made mocks with

love!

My husband say that she was false?

Oth. He, woman; I say, thy husband: dost understand the word? My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago.

Emil. If he say so, may his pernicious soul Rot half a grain a day! he lies to th' heart: She was too fond of her most filthy bargain. Oth. Ha!

Emil. Do thy worst:

This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven,
Than thou wast worthy her.

Oth.

Peace! you were best. Emil. Thou hast not half the power to do me

harm,

As I have to be hurt. O gull! O dolt!

8 Thus both the quartos: the folio omits Nay.-In Othello's next speech, the folio reads, "'twas he that told me on her first."

H.

9 The quartos have iteration instead of iterance. In a former scene we have arrivance. The next two speeches are wanting in the quarto of 1622.

H.

As ignorant as dirt! thou hast done a deed, I care not for thy sword; I'll make thee known, Though I lost twenty lives.-Help! help, ho! help! The Moor has kill'd - Murder! murmistress! my

der!

Enter MONTANO, GRATIANO, and IAGO.

Mon. What is the matter? - How now, general ! Emil. O are you come, Iago? you have done

well,

That men must lay their murders on your neck.
Gra. What is the matter?

Emil. Disprove this villain, if thou be'st a man :
He says, thou told'st him that his wife was false.
I know thou didst not, thou'rt not such a villain.
Speak, for my heart is full.

Iago. I told him what I thought; and told no

more

Than what he found himself was apt and true. Emil. But did you ever tell him she was false? Iago. I did.

Emil. You told a lie; an odious, damned lie; Upon my soul, a lie; a wicked lie.—

She false with Cassio! — Did you say with Cassio? Iago. With Cassio, mistress. Go to, charm your tongue.10

Emil. I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak:

My mistress here lies murder'd in her bed."

All. O, heavens forefend!

10 To charm is to enchant, to lay or still as with a charm. Pliny informs us that favete linguis was the constant exclamation before any charm was applied. From this circumstance the phrase to charm a tongue, may have originated.

11 This line is wanting in the first quarto.

Emil. And your reports have set the murder on. Oth. Nay, stare noť, masters: it is true, indeed. Gra. "Tis a strange truth.

Mon. O, monstrous act !

Emil.

Villainy, villainy, villainy!

I think upon't, I think, I smell't:-O villainy! I thought so then: 12 - I'll kill myself for grief.— O villainy, villainy!

Iago. What are you mad? I charge you, get you home.

Emil. Good gentlemen, let me have leave to

speak :

'Tis proper I obey him, but not now.
Perchance, Iago, I will ne'er go home.
Oth. O! O! O!
Emil.

[Hanging over his Wife. Nay, lay thee down, and roar;

For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent,

That e'er did lift up eye.

Oth. [Rising.]

I scarce did know you, uncle: there lies your niece, Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopp'd.

I know this act shows horrible and grim.1

13

Gra. Poor Desdemona! I am glad thy father's

dead;

Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief
Shore his old thread in twain: did he live now,
This sight would make him do a desperate turn,
Yea, curse his better angel from his side,
And fall to reprobation.

12 That is, when she gave Desdemona's handkerchief to Iago: for even then Emilia appears to have suspected it was sought after for no honest purpose.

13 So the folio: both quartos have terrible instead of horrible. - At the end of the next speech, the folio has reprobance for reprobation, the reading of both quartos.

VOL. X.

47

H.