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

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,o nor to larger reach,
Than to suspicion.

Oth. I will not.
Iago.

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

—
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,

with you,

7

• To grosser issues,] Issues, for conclusions.

a will most rank,] Will, is for wilfulness. It is so used by Ascham. A rank will, is self-will overgrown and exuberant.

May fall to match you with her country forms,
And (hapily) repent.
Oth.

Farewell, farewell:
If more thou dost perceive, let me know more;
Set on thy wife to observe: Leave me, Iago.

lago. My lord, I take my leave. [Going
Oth. Why did I marry ? - This honest creature,

doubtless, Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Tago. My lord, I would, I might entreat your

honour
To scan this thing no further; leave it to time:
And though it be fit that Cassio have his place,
(For, sure, he fills it up with great ability,)
Yet, if you please to hold him

off a while,
You shall by that perceive him and his means:S
Note, if your lady strain his entertainment'
With any strong or vehement opportunity;
Much will be seen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought too busy in my fears,
(As worthy cause I have, to fear-I am,)
And hold her free, I do beseech your

honour. Oth. Fear not my government." lago. I once more take my leave. [Exit.

Oih. This fellow's of exceeding honesty,
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings: If I do prove her haggard,

2

3

8 You shall by that perceive him and his means :) You shall discover whether he thinks his best means, his most powerful interest, is by the solicitation of your lady.

strain his entertainment-] Press hard his re-admission to his pay and office. Entertainment was the military term for admission of soldiers.

| Fear not my government.] Do not distrust my ability to contain my passion.

with a learned spirit,] The construction is, He knows with a learned spirit all qualities of human dealings.

If I do prove her haggard,) A haggard hawk, is a wild hawk, a hawk unreclaimed, or irreclaimable.

2

Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings,
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind,
To prey at fortune. Haply, for I am black;
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have: Or, for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years ;-yet that's not much;-
She's gone; I am abus'd; and my relief
Must be-to loath her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
Ard live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,
For others’ uses. Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones;
Prerogativ’d are they less than the base;
'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death;
Even then this forked plague’ is fated to us,
When we do quicken. Desdemona comes:

Enter DeSDEMONA and EMILIA.
If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself !-
I'll not believe it.
Des.

How now, my dear Othello?
Your dinner, and the generous islanders
By you invited, do attend your presence.

Oth. I am to blame.

4 Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings,] Jesses are short straps of leather tied about the foot of a hawk, by which she is held on the fist. 5 I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind,

To prey at fortune.) The falconers always let fly the hawk against the wind; if she flies with the wind behind her, she seldom returns. If therefore a hawk was for any reason to be dismissed, she was let down the wind, and from that time shifted for herself, and preyed at fortune.

chamberers-] i. e. men of intrigue.

forked plague-) In allusion to a barbed or forked arrow, which, once infixed, cannot be extracted. But perhaps the forked plague is the cuckoid's horns.

6

7

Des. Why is your speech so faint? are you not

well? Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here. Des. Faith, that's with watching ; 'twill away

again:
Let me but bind it hard, within this hour
It will be well.
Oth.

Your napkin is too little;
[He puts the Handkerchief from him, and it

drops. Let it alone. Come, I'll go

in with

you. Des. I am very sorry that you are not well.

[Exeunt OTH. and Des. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor: My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it: but she so loves the token, (For he conjur'd her, she would ever keep it,) That she reserves it evermore about her, To kiss, and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out, And give it Iago: What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I; I nothing, but to please his fantasy.

8

Enter Iago.

lago. How now! what do you here alone? Emil. Do not you chide; I have a thing for you. lago. A thing for me?-it is a common thing. Emil. Ha! Iago. To have a foolish wife.

I'll have the work ta'en out,] That is, copied. Her first thoughts are, to have a copy made of it for her husband, and restore the original to Desdemona. But the sudden coming in of lago, in a suriy humour, makes her alter her resolution, to please him.

Emil. O, is that all? What will you give me

now For that same handkerchief? Iago.

What handkerchief? Emil. What handkerchief? Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona; That which so often you did bid me steal.

Iago. Hast stolen it from her?

Emil. No, faith; she let it drop by negligence; And, to the advantage, I, being here, took't up.' Look, here it is. Iago.

A good wench; give it me. Emil. What will you do with it, that you have

been so earnest To have me filch it? Iago.

Why, what's that to you?

[Snatching it. Emil. If it be not for some purpose of import, Give it me again: Poor lady! she'll run mad, When she shall lack it.

lago. Be not you known of t;' I have use for it. Go, leave me.

Exit EMILIA. I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, And let him find it: Trifles, light as air, Are, to the jealous, confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ. This may do something. The Moor already changes with my poison:Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons, Which, at the first, are scarce found to distaste; But, with a little act upon the blood, Burn like the mines of sulphur.—I did say so:

! — to the advantage, &c.] I being opportuncly here, took

it up:

Be not you known of't;] i. e. seem as if you knew nothing of the matter.