Emil. A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones! Why should he call her, whore? who keeps her com

pany?

What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?
The Moor's abus'd by some most villainous knave,
Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow :-
O, heaven, that such companions' thou'dst unfold;
And put in every honest hand a whip,

To lash the rascal naked through the world,
Even from the east to the west!

Speak within door.3

Iago. Emil. O, fye upon him! 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.

Des.

O, good Iago, What shall I do to win my lord again?

Good friend, go to him; for, by this light of heaven,
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 forswear me ! Unkindness may do much
And his unkindness may defeat my life,

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.

such companions-] Companion, in the time of Shakspeare, was used as a word of contempt, in the same sense as fellow is at this day.

8 Speak within door.] Do not clamour so as to be heard beyond the house.

9

the seamy side without,] That is, inside out.

Iago. I pray you, be content; 'tis but his humour; The business of the state does him offence,

And he does chide with you.

Des.

If 'twere no other,

[Trumpets.

Iago. It is but so, I warrant you.

Hark, how these instruments summon to supper!
And the great messengers of Venice stay:

Go in, and weep not: all things shall be well.

[Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA.

Enter RODERigo.

How now, Roderigo?

Rod. I do not find, that thou deal'st justly with me. Iago. What in the contrary?

Rod. Every day thou doff'st me with some device, Iago; and rather (as it seems to me now,) keep'st from me all conveniency, than 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 nought 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 has received them, and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquittance 1; but I find none.

Iago. Well; go to; very well.

Rod. Very well! go to! I cannot go to, man; nor 'tis not very well: By this hand, I say, it is very scurvy; and begin to find myself fobbed in it.

1

VOL. VIII.

and acquittance;] Acquittance is requital.

L L

It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
And fix most firm thy resolution.

Rod. Be near at hand; I may miscarry in't.

Iago. Here, at thy hand; be bold, and take thy sword.

[Retires to a little distance.

Rod. I have no great devotion to the deed;

And yet he has given me satisfying reasons:'Tis but a man gone: - forth, my sword; he dies. [Goes to his stand.

-

Iago. I have rubb'd this young quat almost to the

sense,

And he grows angry. 1 Now whether he kill Cassio,

Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,

Every way makes my gain: Live Roderigo,
He calls me to a restitution large

Of gold, and jewels, that I bobb'd from him, 2
As gifts to Desdemona ;

It must not be: if Cassio do remain,

He hath a daily beauty in his life,

That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor
May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril :
No, he must die: - But so, I hear him coming.

Enter CASSIO.

Rod. I know his gait, 'tis he;-Villain, thou diest. [Rushes from his post, and makes a pass at

CASSIO.

Cas. That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,

I have rubb'd this young quat almost to the sense,

And he grows angry.] This is a passage much controverted among the editors. A quat in the midland counties is a pimple, which by rubbing is made to smart, or is rubbed to sense. Roderigo is called a quat by the same mode of specch, as a low fellow is now termed in low language a scab. To rub to the sense, is to rub to the quick. JOHNSON.

2

that I bobb'd from him,] That I fool'd him out of. A bob formerly signified a mock, or jeer.

But that my coat is better than thou think'st;
I will make proof of thine.

Rod.

[Draws, and wounds RODERIGO. O, I am slain !

[IAGO rushes from his post, cuts CASSIO behind in the leg3, and exit.

Cas. I am maim'd for ever:

Help, ho! murder !

murder !

[Falls.

Enter OTHELLO, at a distance.

Oth. The voice of Cassio:
:- Iago keeps his word.
Rod. O, villain that I am!

Oth.

Hark! 'tis even so.
Cas. O, help! ho! light! a surgeon !

Oth. 'Tis he; -O brave Iago, honest, and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong!
Thou teachest me,
Minion, your dear lies dead,
apace Strumpet, I come :

And

fate hies your

Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are

blotted;

Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted. [Exit OTHELLO.

Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO, at 'a distance.

Cas. What, ho! no watch? no passage? murder ! murder!

Gra. 'Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful. Cas. O, help!

Lod.

Rod.

Hark!

O wretched villain!

3 in the leg,] Iago maims Cassio in the leg, in consequence of what he had just heard him say, from which he supposed that his body was defended by some secret armour.

4 Forth of my heart, &c.] Forth signifies both out and from.

no passage?] No passengers? nobody going by?

Jago. 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 I have said nothing, but what I protest intendment of doing.

Iago. Why, now I see there's mettle in thee; and even, from this instant, do build on thee a better opinion than ever before. Give 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.

Iago. I grant, indeed, it hath not appeared; and your suspicion is not without wit and judgment. But, Roderigo, if thou hast that within thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever, I mean, purpose, courage, and valour, this night show it: if thou the next night following enjoyest not Desdemona, take me from this world with treachery, and devise engines for my life. 2

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?

devise engines for my life, &c.] To devise engines, seems to

mean, to contrive racks, tortures, &c.