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ACT III
Sc. III

IAGO. Nay, but be wise: yet we see nothing done;
She
may be honest yet. Tell me but this :
Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief
Spotted with strawberries in your wife's hand?
Отн. I gave her such a one; 'twas my first gift.
OTH.
IAGO. I know not that: but such a handkerchief

(I am sure it was your wife's) did I to-day
See Cassio wipe his beard with.

If it be that—

Отн.
IAGO. If it be that, or any that was her's,

It speaks against her with the other proofs.
Отн. O, that the slave had forty thousand lives!
One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.
Now do I see 'tis true. Look here, Iago;
All my
fond love thus do I blow to Heaven :
'Tis gone.

Arise, black Vengeance, from the hollow Hell!

Yield up, O Love, thy crown and hearted throne

To tyrannous Hate!

fraught,

For 'tis of aspics' tongues!

IAGO.

OTн. O, blood, blood, blood!

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440

Swell, Bosom, with thy

Yet be content.

IAGO. Patience, I say; your mind perhaps may change.
Oтн. Never, Iago. Like to the Pontic Sea,

Whose icy current and compulsive course
Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on
To the Propontic and the Hellespont;
Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace,
Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love,
Till that a capable and wide revenge

Swallow them up. Now, by yond marble Heaven,
In the due reverence of a sacred vow

I here engage my words.

IAGO.

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[kneels.

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Witness, you ever-burning Lights above,
You Elements that clip us round about,
Witness that here Iago doth give up

The execution of his wit, hands, heart,

To wrong'd Othello's service! Let him command,

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Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance bounteous,
And will upon the instant put thee to 't:

Within these three days let me hear thee say

That Cassio's not alive.

IAGO. My friend is dead; 'tis done at your request :
But let her live.

Отн.

470

Damn her, lewd Minx! O, damn her! Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw,

To furnish me with some swift means of death

For the fair Devil. Now art thou my Lieutenant. IAGO. I am your own for ever.

[exeunt.

SCENE IV. The Same. Before the Castle.

Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown.

DES. Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?
CLO. I dare not say he lies any where.

DES. Why, Man?

CLO. He's a soldier; and for one to say a soldier lies, is stabbing.

DES. Go to: where lodges he?

CLO. To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where
I lie.

DES. Can any thing be made of this?

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CLO. I know not where he lodges; and for me to devise a lodging, and say he lies here or he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.

DES. Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report?
CLO. I will catechize the world for him; that is, make
questions, and by them answer.

DES. Seek him, bid him come hither: tell him I have
mov'd my Lord on his behalf, and hope all will be well.
CLO. To do this is within the compass of man's wit; and
therefore I will attempt the doing it.
[exit.
DES. Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia ?
EMIL. I know not, Madam.

1 i.e. obedience shall take the place of pity and mercy in me.

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ACT III DES. Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse
Full of crusadoes: and, but my noble Moor

Sc. IV

Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness
As jealous creatures are, it were enough

To put him to ill thinking.

EMIL.

Is he not jealous?

DES. Who, he? I think the Sun where he was born

Drew all such humours from him.

EMIL.

Look, where he comes.

Enter OTHELLO.

DES. I will not leave him now till Cassio

Be call'd to him. How is 't with you, my Lord ? 30

OTн. Well, my good Lady.

dissemble !

How do you, Desdemona ?
DES.

OTн. Give me your hand.
Lady.

[aside.] O, hardness to

Well, my good Lord.

This hand is moist, my

DES. It yet hath felt no age nor known no sorrow.
Отн. This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart :

Hot, hot, and moist! this hand of your's requires
A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,
Much castigation, exercise devout;
For here's a young and sweating Devil here,
That commonly rebels. 'Tis a good hand,
A frank one.

DES.

You may, indeed, say so;
For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart.

ОTH. A liberal hand: the hearts of old gave

hands;

But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.
DES. I cannot speak of this. Come now, your promise.
OTн. What promise, Chuck?

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DES. I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with

you.

Отн. I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me;

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DES. No, indeed, my Lord.

Отн. That is a fault. That handkerchief

Did an Egyptian to my mother give;

She was a charmer, and could almost read

The thoughts of people: she told her, while she kept it,

'Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but, if she lost it,

Or made a gift of it, my father's eye

Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies: she, dying, gave it me;

And bid me, when my fate would have me wive,
To give it her. I did so: and take heed on 't;
Make it a darling like your precious eye;
To lose 't or give 't away were such perdition
As nothing else could match.

DES.

Is 't possible? OTH. 'Tis true: there's magic in the web of it: A Sibyl, that had number'd in the World The Sun to course two hundred compasses,

In her prophetic fury sew'd the work ;

The worms were hallow'd that did breed the silk;
And it was dy'd in mummy which the skilful

Conserv'd of maidens' hearts.

DES.

Indeed! is 't true?

Отн. Most veritable; therefore look to 't well.

DES. Then would to God that I had never seen 't!

Отн. Ha! wherefore?

DES. Why do you speak so startingly and rash?

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OTH. Is 't lost? is 't gone? speak, is it out o' the way? 80

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DES. Why, so I can, Sir, but I will not now.

This is a trick to put me from my suit:

Pray you, let Cassio be receiv'd again.

Отн. Fetch me the handkerchief: my mind misgives.

ACT III
Sc. IV

ACT III DES. Come, come;

You'll never meet a more sufficient man.

Sc. IV

ОTн. The handkerchief!
DES.

I

pray, talk me of Cassio.

90

Отн. The handkerchief!

DES.

A man that all his time

Hath founded his good fortunes on your love,

Shar'd dangers with you—

Отн. The handkerchief!

DES. In sooth, you are to blame.

OTH. Away!

EMIL. Is not this man jealous?

DES. I ne'er saw this before.

Sure, there's some wonder in this handkerchief:

I am most unhappy in the loss of it.

EMIL. "Tis not a year or two shews us a man:

[exit.

They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
They eat us hungerly, and, when they are full,
They belch us. Look you, Cassio and my husband!

Enter CASSIO and IAGO.

100

IAGO. There is no other way; 'tis she must do't:
And, lo, the happiness! go, and importune her.
DES. How now, good Cassio! what's the news with you?
CAS. Madam, my former suit: I do beseech you
That by your virtuous means I may again

Exist, and be a member of his love
Whom I with all the office of my heart
Entirely honour: I would not be delay'd.

If my offence be of such mortal kind

That nor my service past, nor present sorrows,
Nor purpos'd merit in futurity,

Can ransom me into his love again,

But to know so must be my benefit;

So shall I clothe me in a forc'd content,

And shut myself up in some other course,
To Fortune's alms.

DES.

Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio!

My advocation is not now in tune;

My Lord is not my Lord; nor should I know him,

IIO

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