Oth. Not Cassio killed? Then murder's out of

tune,

And sweet revenge grows harsh.

Des. O, falsely, falsely murdered!

Emil.

Oth. That! what?

Alas! what cry is that?

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

[Dies.

Nobody; I myself; farewell.

Commend me to my kind lord; O, farewell.
Oth. Why, how should she be murdered?
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 killed her.

Emil.

O, the more angel she,

And you the blacker devil!

Oth. She turned to folly, and she was a whore.
Emil. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil.
Oth. She was false as water.1

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.
OI were damned 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.

Nay, had she been true,

Ay, with Cassio.

If Heaven would make me such another world

11. e. as unstable, as deceitful. In Genesis, xlix. Jacob applies a similar term to Reuben.

Of one entire and perfect chrysolite,
I'd not have sold her for it.

Emil. My husband?

Oth.

Ay, 'twas he that told me first;

An honest man he is, and hates the slime

That sticks on filthy deeds.

Emil.

My husband?

Oth. What needs this iterance,2 woman? I

husband!-

say, thy

Emil. O mistress, villany hath made mocks with

love! 3

My husband say that she was false?

Oth.
He, woman.
I say, thy husband. Dost understand the word?
My friend, thy husband, honest, honest lago.

Emil. If he say so, may his pernicious soul
Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the 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!

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 killed my mistress. Murder! murder!

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.

1 The folio reads, that told me on her first.

2 The quarto reads iteration. The two next speeches are omitted in that copy.

3 Villany hath taken advantage to play upon the weakness of a violent passion.

Gra. What is the matter?

Emil. Disprove this, villain, if thou beest 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.1

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

speak;

My mistress here lies murdered in her bed.2

All. O Heavens forefend!

Emil. And your reports have set the murder on.
Oth. Nay, stare not, masters; it is true, indeed.
Gra. 'Tis a strange truth.

Mon. O monstrous act!

Emil. Villany, villany, villany!I think upon't, I think,—I smell't;—O villany! I thought so then; 3-I'll kill myself for grief.

O villany, villany!

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 killed the sweetest innocent,

That e'er did lift up eye.

1 To charm is to conjure, to enchant, to lay or still as with a charm.

2 This line, and the six following speeches, are wanting in the first quarto.

3 That is, at the instant when she gave Desdemona's handkerchief to Iago.

Oth.

O, she was foul!—[Rising.
There lies your niece,

I scarce did know you, uncle. There lies
Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopped.
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.1

Oth. 'Tis pitiful: but yet Iago knows

That she with Cassio hath the act of shame

2

A thousand times committed. Cassio confessed it;
And she did gratify his amorous works

With that recognizance and pledge of love
Which I first gave her. I saw it in his hand;
It was a handkerchief, an antique token
My father gave my mother.

Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers!
Iago.

Come, hold your peace.

Emil. Twill out, 'twill out;-I hold my peace,

sir? no;

No, I will speak as liberal3 as the air;

Let Heaven, and men, and devils, let them all,
All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
Iago. Be wise, and get you home.

Emil.

Gra.

I will not.

Your sword upon a woman?

Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou

speak'st of,

I found by fortune, and did give my husband;

1 The first and the second folio both read reprobance.

2 Dr. Johnson thinks that this and other passages in the play seem to suppose a longer space comprised in the action of this play than the

scene includes.

3 The folio reads

the quarto 1622 "liberal as the air." The text is formed out of the two copies. Liberal here means free.

For often, with a solemn earnestness,

(More than, indeed, belonged to such a trifle,) He begged of me to steal it.

Iago.

Villanous whore !

Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas; I found it, And I did give't my husband.

Iago.

Filth, thou liest.

Emil. By Heaven, I do not; I do not, gentlemen, O murderous coxcomb! what should such a fool

Do with so good a wife?

Oth.

[IAGO stabs EMILIA, then runs out. Are there no stones in heaven,

But what serve for the thunder?-Precious villain! Gra. The woman falls; sure, he has killed his wife. Emil. Ay, ay; O, lay me by my mistress' side! Gra. He's gone, but his wife's killed.

Mon. 'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this

weapon,

Which I have here recovered from the Moor.
Come, guard the door without; let him not pass,
But kill him rather. I'll after that same villain,
For 'tis a damned slave.

Oth.

[Exeunt MONTANO and GRATIANO. I am not valiant, neither, But every puny whipster gets my sword.-But why should honor outlive honesty? Let it go all.

Emil. What did thy song bode, lady?
Hark, canst thou hear me? I will play the swan,
And die in music:-Willow, willow, willow.-

Moor, she was chaste; she loved thee, cruel Moor;
So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true;
So speaking as I think, I die,-I die.

2

Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber;
It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook's temper;
O, here it is.-Uncle, I must come forth.

[Dies.

1 The meaning appears to be:-"Has not heaven one supernumerary bolt, to hurl directly at the head of this atrocious villain ?"

2 The particular name of the ice-brook may be determined from several passages in Martial. (See lib. i. ep. 50, lib. iv. ep. 55.) It was probably