Page images
PDF
EPUB

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?

Gra. Torments will ope your lips.

Oth. Well, thou dost best.

[fall'n,

Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath beWhich, 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

[blocks in formation]

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.

Lod. Oh bloody period!

Gra. All that is spoke is marred.

[Stabs himself.

Oth. I kiss'd thee, ere I killed thee.-No way

but this,

Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.

[To Desdem.

[Dies.

Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no

For he was great of heart.

Lod. Oh Spartan dog!

[weapon,

[To Iago.

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.

THE

MERCHANT OF VENICE.

[blocks in formation]

LORENZO, in love with Jessica.

SHYLOCK, a Jew:

TUBAL, a Jew, his Friend.

LAUNCELOT GOBBO, a Clown, Servant to Shylock.

OLD GOBBO, Father to Launcelot.

SALERIO, a Messenger from Venice.

LEONARDO, Servant to Bassanio.

[blocks in formation]

Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Jailer, Servants, and other Attendants.

SCENE, partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont, the Seat of Portia, on the Continent.

« PreviousContinue »