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, - By and by. — She's dead. '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 : 0, insupportable, 0, 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: 0, 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 Ve netian, Callid Roderigo. Oth. Roderigo kill'd! No; Cassio is not kill'd. tune, Des. O, falsely, falsely murder'd ! Emil. Out, and alas ! that was my lady's voice : Des. A guiltless death I die. O! who hath done This deed ? Des. Nobody; I myself; farewell : Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell! [Dies. Oth. Why, how should she be murder'd ? 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. 0, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil ! Oth. She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore. Thou art rash as fire, to say That she was false : 0, she was heavenly true ! Oth. Cassio did tup her; ask thy husband else. 0!. 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. Oth. Ay, with Cassio. Nay, had she been true,8 Emil. My husband ? Ay, 'twas he that told me first : My husband ? Oth. What needs this iterance, woman ? ' I say, thy husband. 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 : 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 bave 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, der! Enter MONTANO, GRATIANO, and Iago. Mon. What is the matter? - How now, general ! Emil. 0! 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." 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 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. Villainy, 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, lago, I will ne'er go home. Oth. O! O! O! [Hanging over his Wife. Emil. Nay, lay thee down, and roar ; For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent, That e'er did lift up eye. Oth. [Rising.] 0, she was foul ! 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.' 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. 13 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 |
