Oth, Lo! I have a weapon : Abetter never did itself sustain Upon a soldier's thigh. I've seen the day, That with this little arm, and this good sword, I've made my way thro' more impediments, Than twenty times your stop. But, oh vain boast! Who can controul his fate? 'tis not so now. Be not afraid, tho' you do see me weaponed ; Here is my journey's end, here is my butt, The very sea-mark of my utmost sail. Do you go back dismayed ? 'tis a lost feur : Man but a rush (83) against Othello's breast, And he retires. Where should Othello go? Now- how dost thou look now? oh, ill-starred

wench! Pale as thy smock! When we shall meet at compt, This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl, Even like thy chastity. O cursed slave! Whip me, ye devils ! From the possession of this heavenly sight ; Blow me about in winds, roast me in sulphur, Wash me in steep-down gulphs of liquid fireOh Desdemona ! Desdemona! dead, dead ! oh!

oh!

W

(83) Man but a rush. Observe in the moon the appear. ance of rushes, in the streaks of light on Othello's breast.

Enter Lodovico, Cassio led in wounded, Mon

| TANO, and I ago prisoner, with Officers. Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate

man? Oth. That's he that was Othello: here I am. Lod. Where is that viper ? bring the villain forth.

(that's a fable. Oth. I look down towards his feet; (54) but If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee.

Othello wounds Iago. Lod. Wrench his sword from him. Iago. I bleed, Sir, but not killed.

Oth. I am not sorry neither: I'd have thee live; For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die.

Lod. Oh thou, Othello, that wast once so good,
Fallin in the practice of a cursed slave,—
What shall be said to thee?

Oth. Why, any thing;
An honourable murderer, if you will:
For nought I did in hate, but all in honour.

Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?

Oth. Ay.

(84) I look down towards his feet. There is, in fact, towards Iago's feet, the resemblance of a cloven foot, as of the devil: it is made up of the bonnet of Cassio, (or Talgol,) with a streak of light dividing it into two parts.

Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause.

Oth. I do believe it, and I ask your pardon : Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil, Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body? Iago. Demand me nothing ; what you know,

you know :
From this time forth I never will speak word.

Lod. What, not to pray?
rGa. Torments will ope your lips.
Oth. Well, thou dost best.

[fall’n,
Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath be-
Which, as I think, you know not; here's a letter,
Found in the pocket of the slain Rodorigo,
And here another; one of them imports
The death of Cassio to be undertook
By Rodorigo.

Oth. Oh villain !
Cas. Most heathenish and most gross.

Lod. Now here's another discontented paper
Found in his pocket too ; aud this, it seems,
Rodorigo meant t have sent this damned villain ;
But that, belike, Iago, in the interim
Came in and satisfied him.

Oth. Oh thou pernicious caitiff !
How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief
That was my wife's?

Cas. I found it in my chamber;
And he himself confess'd it but even now,

That there he dropp'd it for a special purpose, .. Which wrought to his desire.

Oth. Oh fool, fool, fool!

Cas. There is besides, in Rodorigo's letter,
How he upbraids lago that he made him
Brave me upon the watch ; whereon it came
That I was cast; and even now he'spake,
After long seeming dead, Iago hurt him,
Iago set him on.

Lod. You must forsake this room and go with
Your power and your command is taken off, [us:
And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave,
If there be any cunning cruelty,
That can torment him much, and hold him long,
It shall be his. You shall close prisoner rest,
Till that the nature of your fault be known
To the Venetian state. Come, bring him away.

Oth. Soft you ; a word or two before you go.
I've done the state some service, and they know't;
No more of that. I pray you in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you

speak
Of one that loved, not wisely, but too well;
Of one, not easily jealous, but being wrought,
Perplexed in the extreme; of one, whose hand,
Like the base Judian, threw a pearl away
VOL. III.

M

Richer than all his tribe ; of one, whose eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinal gum. Set you down this ;
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
Beat a Venetian, and traduced the state,
I took by the throat that circumcised dog,
And smote him thus.

[Stabs hinıself. Lod. Oh bloody period! Gra. All that is spoke is marred. Oth. I kiss'd thee, ere I killed thee.- No way but this,

[To Desdem. Killing myself, to die upon a kiss. [Dies.

Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no For he was great of heart.

[weapon, Lod. Oh Spartan dog!

[To lago. More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea! Look on the tragic loading of this bed; This is thy work. The object poisons sight, Let it be hid. Gratiano, keep the house, And seize upon the fortunes of the Moor, For they succeed to you. To you, lord governor, Remains the censure of this hellish villain: The time, the place, the torture, oh! inforce it Myself will straight abroad; and to the state This heavy act with heavy heart relate.

[Exeunt,