If haply you my father do suspect him, Had it pleased heaven To try me with a Miction ; had they rain'd All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head. Steep'd me in poverty to the very lips, 50 Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes, I should have found in some place of my soul A drop of patience : but, alas, to make me A fixed figure for the time of scorn To point his slow unmoving finger at ! Yet could I bear that too ; well, very well : But there, where I have garner'd up my heart, Where either I must live, or bear no life ; The fountain from the which my current runs, Or else dries up; to be discarded thence! 60 Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads To knot and gender in ! Turn thy complexion there, Patience, thou young and rose-lipp'd cheru bin,Ay, there, look grim as hell ! Des. I hope my noble lord esteems me honest. Oth. O, ay; as summer flies are in the shambles, That quicken even with blowing. 0 thou weed, Who art so lovely fair and smell’st so sweet That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er been born ! Des. Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed ? 70 Oth. Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, (mitted! Made to write whore' upon ? What comCommitted ! O thou public commoner ! I should make very forges of my cheeks, That would to cinders burn up modesty, Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed! Heaven stops the nose at it and the moon winks, The bawdy wind that kisses all it meets Is hush'd within the hollow mine of earth, And will not hear it. What committed ! 80 Impudent strumpet ! Des. By heaven, you do me wrong. Oth. Are you not a strumpet ? Des. No, as I am a Christian : Oth. What, not a whore ? No, as I shall be saved. I cry you mercy, then : I took you for that cunning whore of Venice That married with Othello. (Raising his voice] You, mistress, 90 That have the office opposite to Saint Peter, And keep the gate of hell! Re-enter EMILIA. You, you, ay, you ! We have done our course; there's money for your pains : I pray you, turn the key and keep our counsel. [Erit. Emil. Alas, what does this gentleman con ceive ? How do you, madam ? how do you, my good lady? Des. 'Faith, half asleep. Emil. Good madam, what's the matter with my lord ? Des. With who ? Emil. Why, with my lord, madam. 100 Des. Who is th y lord ? Emil. He that is yours, sweet lady. Des. I have none : do not talk to me, Emilia ; I cannot weep ; nor answer have I none, But what should go by water. Prithee, to night Lay on my bed my wedding sheets : rememAnd call thy husband hither. Emil. Here's a change indeed ! (Exit. Des. 'Tis meet I should be used so, very meet. How have I been behaved, that he might stick The small'st opinion on my least misuse ? Re-enter EMILIA with IAGO. Iago. What is your pleasure, madam ? How is't with you ? 110 Des. I cannot tell. Those that do teach ber ; young babes Do it with gentle means and easy tasks : What's the matter, lady ? Emil . Alas, lago, my lord hath so bewhored her. Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her, Des. Am I that name, lago ? What name, fair lady ? Des. Such as she says my lord did say I was. Emil. He call'd her whore : a beggar in his drink 120 Could not have laid such terms upon his callat. Iago. Why did he so ? such. Iago. Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day ! Emil. 'Hath she forsook so many noble matches, Her father and her country and her friends, To be call'd whore? would it not make one weep? Des. It is my wretched fortune. lago. Beshrew him for't! How comes this trick upon him ? Nay, heaven doth know. Emil. I will be hangd, if some eternal villain, 130 Some busy and insinuating rogue, Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, Have not devised this slander ; I'll be hang'd else. [possible. Iago. Fie, there is no such man ; it is imDes. If any such there be, heaven pardon him! Emil. A halter pardon him ! and hell gnaw his bones! Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company ? What place ? what time? what form ? what likelihood ? [knave, The Moor's abused by some most villanous Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow. 140 O heaven, that such companions thou’ldst un fold, Speak within door. Emil. O, fie upon them ! Some such squire he was That turn'd your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor. Iago. You are a fool ; go to. O good Iago, 150 I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel : If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love, Either in discourse of thought or actual deed, Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense, Delighted them in any other form ; Or that I do not yet, and ever did, And ever will-though he do shake me off To beggarly divorcement-love him dearly, Comfort fors wear me ! Unkindness may do much ; Ind his unkindness may defeat my life, 160 But never taint my love. I cannot say 'whore:' It does abhor me now I speak the word ; To do the act that might the addition earn Not the world's mass of vanity could make me. Iago. I pray you, be content ; 'tis but his humor : Des. If 'twere no other, 'Tis but so, I warrant. [Trumpets within. Hark, how these instruments summon to supThe messengers of Venice stay the meat ; 170 Go in, and weep not ; all things shall be well . [Exeunt Desd vona and Emilia, Enter RODERIGO, How yow, Roderigo ! Rod. I do not find that thou dealest justly with me. lago. What in the contrary ? Rod. Every day thou daffest me with some device, lago ; and rather, as it seems to me now, keepest from me all conveniency thau suppliest me with the least advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure it, nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already I have foolishly suffered. Iago. Will you hear me, Roderigo ? Rod. 'Faith, I have heard too much, for your words and performances are no kin together. Iago. You charge me most unjustly, Rod. With nonght but truth. I have wasted myself out of my means. The jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist: you have told me she hath received them and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquaintance, but I find none. lago. Well; go to ; very well. Rod. Very well! go to ! I cannot go to, man; nor 'tis not very well : nay, I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself fobbed in it Iago. Very well, Rod. I tell you 'tis not very well. I will make myself known to Desdemona : if she will return me my jewels, I will give over my suit and repent my unlawful solicitation ; if not, assure yourself I will seek satisfaction of you. Iago. You have said now, Rod. Ay, and said nothing but what I protest intendment of doing. Iago. Why, now I see there's mettle in thee, and even from this instant to build oc thee a better opinion than ever before. Givo me thy hand, Roderigo: thou hast taken against me a most just exception; but yet, I protest, I have dealt most directly in thy affair. Rod.' It hath not appeared. layo. I grant indeed it hath not appeared, and your suspicion is not without wit and judgment. But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever, I mean purpose, cour. age and valor, this night show it: if thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona, take me from this world with treachery and devise engines for my life. Rod. Well, what is it? is it within reason and compass ? Iago. Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice to depute Cassio in Othello's place. Rod. Is that true? why, then Othello and Desdemona return again to Venice. Iago. O, no ; he goes into Mauritania and takes away with him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be lingered here by some accident : wherein none can be so determinate as the removing of Cassio. Rod. How do you mean, removing of him? Iago. Why, by making him uncapable of Othello's place ; knocking out his brains. per ! stones Rod. And that you would have me to do? Will not go from my mind ; I have much to do, Iago. Ay, if you dare do yourself a profit But to go hang my head all at one side, and a right. He sups to-night with a harlotry, And sing it like poor Barbara. Prithée, disand thither will I go to him : he knows not patch. yet of his honorable fortune. If you will Emil. Shall I go fetch your night-gown? watch his going thence, which I will fashion: Des. No, unpin me here to fall out between twelve and one, you may This Lodovico is a proper man. take him at your pleasure : I will be near to Emil. A very bandsome inan. second your attempt, and he shall fall between Des. He speaks well. us. Come, stand not amazed at it, but go Emil. I know a lady in Venice would have along with me; I will show you such a neces- walked barefoot to Palestine for a touch of bisity in his death that you shall think yourself nether lip. 46, bound to put it on him. It is now high supper- Des. [Singing] The poor soul sat sighing by time, and the night grows to waste : about it. a sycamore tree, Rod. I will hear further reason for this. Sing all a green willow : lago. And you shall be satisfied. [Exeunt. Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow, willow, willow : SCENE III. Another room in the castle. The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans ; Enter OTHELLO, Lodovico, DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Attenda Sing willow, willow, willow ; Her salt tears fell from her, and sosten'd the Lod. I do beseech you, sir, trouble yourself no further. Lay by these :Oth. O, pardon me : 'twill do me good to [Singing] Sing willow, willow, willow; walk. Prithee, hie thee ; he'll come anou :Lod. Madam, good night ; I humbly thank [Singing] Sing all a green willow must be my your ladyship. garland. Des. Your honor is most welcome. Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,Oth. Will you walk, sir ? Nay, that's not next.-Hark! who is't that 0,-Desdemona, - knocks ? Des. My lord ? Emil. It's the wind. Oth. Get you to bed on the instant ; I will Des. [Singing] I call'd my love false love ; be returned forth with : dismiss your attendant but what said he then ? there : look it be done. Sing willow, willow, willow : Des. I will, my lord. 10 If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe (Eseunt Othello, Lodovico, and Attendants. Emil. How goes it now ? he looks gentler So, get thee gone ; good night. Mine eyes do than he did. Doth that bode weeping ? Des. He says he will return incontinent : Emil. 'Tis neither here nor there. He hath commanded me to go to bed, Des. I have leard it said so. O, these men, And bade me to dismiss you. these men ! 60 Emil. Dismiss me! Dost thou in conscience think,- tell me, EmiDes. It was his bidding : therefore, good lia, Emilia, That there be women do abuse their husbands Give me my nightly wearing, and adieu : In such gross kind ? We must not now displease him. Emil. There be some such, no question. Emil. I would you had never seen him ! Des. Wouldst thou do such a deed for all Des. So would not I: my love doth so ap the world? prove him, Emil. Why, would not you ? That even his stubbornness, his checks, his Des. No, by this heavenly light! frowns, 20 Emil. Nor I neither by this heavenly light; Prithee, unpin me,-have grace and favor in I might do't as well i' the dark. them. Des. Wouldst thou do such a deed for all Emil. I have laid those sheets you bade me the world ? on the bed. Emil. The world's a huge thing : it is a Des. All's one. Good faith, how foolish great price are our minds ! For a small vice, If I do die before thee, prithee, shroud me Des. In troth, I think thou wouldst not. 70 In one of those same sheets. Emil. In trot, I think I should ; and undo't Emil. Come, come, you talk. when I had done. Marry, I would not do such Des. My mother had a maid call’d Barbara: a thing for a joint-ring, nor for measures of She was in love, and he she loved proved mad lawn, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor And did forsake her : she had a song of 'wil- any petty exhibition ; but, for the whole low ;' world, -why, who would not make her hus. An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune, band a cuckold to make him a monarch? i And she died singing it: that song to-night should venture purgatory for't mer. [itch, |