Caf. I will ask him for my place again; he fhall tell me I am a drunkard !--had I as many mouths as Hydra, fuch an anfwer would ftop them all. To be now a fenfible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beat! Every inordinate cup is unblefs'd, and the ingredient is a devil.

Iago. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well us'd: exclaim no more against it. And, good Lieutenant, I think you think i love you. Caf. I have well approv'd it, sir

I drunk!

lago. You, or any man living, may be drunk at fome time, man I tell you what you fhall do. Our General's wife is now the General. I may fay fo in this refpect; for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and graces. Confe's yourself freely to her: importune her help, to put you in your place again. She is of fo free, fo kind, fo apt, fo bleffed a difpofition, The holds it a vice in her goodnefs not to do more than The is requested. This broken joint between you and her husband, intreat her to splinter. And, my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love fhall grow ftronger than it was before.

Caf. You advise me well

Iago. I proteft, in the fincerity of love, and honeft kindness.

Caf. I think it freely; and betimes in the morning I will befeech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me: I am defperate of my fortunes, if they check me here.

Jago. You are in the right. Good night, Lieutenant, I mult to the watch.

Caf Good night, honest Iago.

SCENE XIV.

[Exit Caffio.

Manet Lago.

Jago. And what's he then that fays I play the villain ?
When this advice is free 1 give, and honeft,
Likely to thinking, and indeed the courie
To win the Moor again. For 'tis molt cafy
Th' inclining Defdemona to fubdue

In any honeft fuit; fhe's fram'd as fruitful
As the free elements: and then for her

VOL. VIII.

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Το

To win the Moor, were't to renounce his baptifm, All feals and fymbols of redeemed fin;

His foul is fo infetter'd to her love,

That the may make, unmake, do what she lift,
Even as her appetite fhall play the god
With his weak funétion. Am I then a villain,
To counsel Caffio to this parallel * course,
Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!
When devils will their blackest fins put on,
They do fuggeft at firft with heav'nly fhews,
As I do now.---For while this honeft fool
Plies Defdemona to repair his fortune,
And the for him pleads ftrongly to the Moor;
I'll pour this peftilence † into his ear,
That the repeals him for her body's luft :
And by how much she strives to do him good,
She fhall undo her credit with the Moor.
So will I turn her virtue into pitch;

And out of her own goodness make the net,
That shall enmesh them all.

SCENE XV.

How now, Rodorigo! Enter Rodorigo.

Rod. I do follow here in the chace, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is almoft fpent; I have been to-night exceedingly well cudgelied; and I think the iffue will be, I fhall have fo much experience for my pains; and fo with no money at all, and a little more wit, return again to Venice. Iago. How poor are they that have not patience? What wound did ever heal but by degrees? Thou know'ft we work by wit, and not by witchcraft; And wit depends on dilatory time.

Does't not go well? Caffio hath beaten thee,
And thou by that fmall hurt haft cafhier'd Caffio,
Tho' other things grow fair against the fun,
Het fruits that bloffom firft will first be ripe :
Content thyfclf a while. In troth, 'tis rorning:
cafure and action make the hours feem fhort.

parole, for even: becaufe parallel lines run even and equidiftant. Agentame, or poifon.

A metaphor from taking lids in meshes.

Retire thee; go where thou art billeted:

Away, I fay; thou fhalt know more hereafter :
Nay, get thee gone.

Two things are to be done;

[Exit Rodorigo.

My wife must move for Callio to her mistress:
I'll fet her on: →→→→

Myfelf, the while, to draw the Moor apart,
And bring him jump, when he may Caflio find
Soliciting his wife, -ay, that's the way:
Dull not, Device, by coldness and delay.

[Exit

Caf

ACT III. SCENE I.

M

Before Othello's palace.

Enter Caffio, with Musicians.

Afters, play here, I will content your pains, Something that's brief; and bid, good morrow, General.

[Mufic plays; and enter Clown from the houfe. Clown. Why, mafters, have your inftruments been in Naples, that they fpeak i' th' nofe thus? Muf. How, Sir, how?

Clown. Are thefe, I pray you, wind-inftruments? Muf Ay, marry, are they, Sir.

Clown. Oh, thereby hangs a tail.

Muf. Whereby hangs a tale, Sir?

Clown. Marry, Sir, by many a wind-inftrument that I know. But, masters, here's money for you: and the General fo likes your mufic, that he defires you for love's fake to make no more noife with it.

Muf Well, Sir, we will not.

Clown. If you have any mufic that may not be heard to't again: but, as they fay, to hear mufic the General does not greatly care.

Muf. We have none fuch, Sir.

Clown. Then put up your pipes in your bag, and hie away. Go, vanith into air, away. [Exeunt Muficians. Gaf. Doft thou hear, mine honeft friend!

Clown. No, I hear not your honeft friend; I hear you.

Gaf. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets, there's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman that attends the General's wife be ftirring, tell her there's one Calfio intreats of her a little favour of fpecch. Wilt thou do this?

Clown. She is firring, Sir; if she will fir hither, I fall feem to notify unto her. [Exit Clown.

Caf. Do, my good friend.

To him, enter Iago.

In happy time, Iago.

Jago. You have not been a-bed then?

Caf. Why, no; the day had broke before we parted. I have made bold to fend in to your wife;

My fuit is, that the will to Defdemona
Procure me fome accefs.

Jago. I'll fend her prefently;

And I'll devife a mean to draw the Moor

Out of the way, that your converse and business
May be more free.

[Exit.

Caf. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew A Florentine more kind and honeft.

To him, enter Emilia.

Emil. Good morrow, good Lieutenant, I am forry For your displeafure; but all will fure be well. The General and his wife are talking of it:

And the fpeaks for you ftoutly. The Moor replies, That he you hurt is of great fame in Cyprus,

And great affinity; and that in wifdom

He might not but refufe you. But he protests he loves And needs no other fuitor, but his likings,

To bring you in again.

Caf. Yet I befeech you,

If you think fit, or that it may be done,
Give me advantage of fome brief difcourfe
With Desdemona alone.

Emil. Pray you, come in;

I will beftow you where you fhall have time

[you;

Ta

To speak your bofom freely.

Caf. I'm much bound to you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Enter Othello, Iago, and Gentlemen

Oth. Thefe letters give, Iago, to the pilot, And by him do my duties to the senate; That done, I will be walking on the works, Repair there to me.

Iago. My good Lord, I'll do't.

Oth. This fortification, Gentlemen, fhall we fee't Gen. We'll wait upon your Lordship.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. Changes to an apartment in the palace.

Enter Defdemona, Caffio, and Emilia.

Def. Be thou affur'd good Caffio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf.

Emil. Good Madam, do: I know it grieves my As if the caufe were his.

[hufband, Def. Oh, that's an honeft fellow; doubt not, Caffio, But I will have my Lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Molt bounteous Madam, Whatever fhall become of Michael Caffio,

He's never any thing but your true servant.

Def. I know't, I thank you; you do love my Lord, You've known him long; and, be you well affur'd, He fhall in frangeness Itand no farther off Than in a politic distance.

Caf. Ay, but, Lady,

That policy may either laft fo long,

Or feed upon fuch nice and waterih diet,
Or breed itself fo out of circumstances,
That I being abfent, and my place fupply'd,
My general will forget my love and fervice.
Def. Do not doubt that; before nilia here,
I give thee warrant of thy place. Affure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it

To the laft article. My Lord thall never reft;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed fhall feem a fchool, his board a fhrift;
I'll intermingle every thing he does

U 3

With