:

Iago. Here, stand behind this bulk straight will he come :

Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home.
Quick, quick; fear nothing: I'll be at thy elbow.
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 rubbed this young quat almost to

the sense,

And he grows angry. 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 bobbed from him,

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; 't is he:-villain, thou diest! [Rushes from his post, and makes a pass at CASSIO. Cas. That thrust had been mine enemy indeed, But that my coat is better than thou think'st:I will make proof of thine.

[Draws, and wounds RODERIGO.

Rod.

O, I am slain !

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

Cas. I am maimed 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! 't is 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, And your fate hies apace. Strumpet, I come : Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted:

Thy bed, lust-stained, 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! Lod. Two or three groan:-it is a heavy night. These may be counterfeits: let's think 't unsafe To come in to the cry, without more help. Rod. Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death. Enter IAGO, with a light.

Lod. Hark!

Gra. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.

Iago. Who's there? whose noise is this that cries on murder?

Iago.

O treacherous villains!

What are you there? come in, and give some help. [To LODOVICO and GRATIANO.

Rod. O, help me here!
Cas. That's one of them.
Iago.

O murderous slave! O villain !
[IAGO stabs RODERIGO.
Rod. O damned Iago! O inhuman dog!—
O! O! O!

Iago. Kill men i'the dark!-Where be these bloody thieves?—

How silent is this town!-Ho! murder! murder!
What may you be? are you of good or evil?
Lod. As you shall prove us, praise us.
Iago.
Signior Lodovico?

Alas! my friend and my dear countryman, Roderigo?-no-yes, sure:- -O heaven, Roderigo!

Gra. What, of Venice?

Iago. Even he, sir: did you know him?
Gra.
Know him? ay.

Iago. Signior Gratiano?-I cry you gentle pardon :

These bloody accidents must excuse my manners, That so neglected you.

Gra.

I am glad to see you.

Iago. How do you, Cassio?-O, a chair, a chair! Gra. Roderigo!

Iago. He, he; 'tis he.-O, that's well said: the chair.- [A chair brought in. Some good man bear him carefully from hence: I'll fetch the general's surgeon.-For you, mistress, [TO BIANCA.

Save you your labour.-He that lies slain here,

Emil. 'Las, what's the matter? what's the matter, husband?

Iago. Cassio hath here been set on in the dark, By Roderigo and fellows that are scaped: He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead.

Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio! Iago. This is the fruit of whoring.—Pr'y thee, Emilia,

Go know of Cassio where he supped to-nightWhat, do you shake at that?

Bian. He supped at my house; but I therefore shake not.

Will you go on, I pray!—[Aside.]—This is the night

That either makes me or foredoes me quite.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II-A Bedchamber. DESDEMONA in bed, asleep. A light burning.

Enter OTHELLO.

Oth. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul: Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!— It is the cause.-Yet I'll not shed her blood; Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster.

[Takes off his sword. Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men. Put out the light, and then-Put out the light!If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me :-but once put out thy light, Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat That can thy light relume. When I have plucked the rose,

I cannot give it vital growth again;

It needs must wither:-I'll smell it on the tree.

Des. Will you come to bed, my lord?

Oth. Have you prayed to-night, Desdemona?
Des.
Ay, my lord.

Oth. If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.

Des. Alas, my lord, what may you mean by that? Oth. Well, do it, and be brief: I will walk by. I would not kill thy unpreparéd spirit: No,-Heaven forefend!-I would not kill thy soul. Des. Talk you of killing?

Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;

For to deny each article with oath

Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception
That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.
Des. O, heaven have mercy on me!
Oth. I say, amen.
Des. And have you mercy too!-I never did
Offend you in my life: never loved Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
As I might love. I never gave him token.

Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in his

hand.

O perjured woman! thou dost stone my heart,
And mak'st me call what I intend to do
A murder, which I thought a sacrifice.
I saw the handkerchief.

Honest Iago hath ta'en order for 't.

Des. My fear interprets, then :—what, is he

dead?

Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge Had stomach for them all.

Des. Alas! he is betrayed, and I undone. Oth. Out, strumpet! Weep'st thou for him

to my face?

Oth. It is too late.

[He smothers her. Emil. [within]. My lord, my lord! What ho! my lord, my lord!

Oth. What noise is this?-Not dead! not yet quite dead!

I that am cruel, am yet merciful:

I would not have thee linger in thy pain.-
So, so.

Emil. [within]. What ho! my lord, my lord!
Oth.
Who's there?

Emil. [within]. O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you.

Oth. Yes:-'tis Emilia :-by-and-by.-- She's dead.

"T is like she comes to speak of Cassio's death: The noise was high.-Ha! no more moving! Still as the grave.-Shall she come in? were 't

good?

I think she stirs again: no.-What's the best?
If she come in, she 'll sure speak to my wife.
My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no

wife!

O, insupportable! O heavy hour! Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse

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. 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.

O, I were damned beneath all depth in hell,

This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven, Than thou wast worthy her.

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! mur-
der!

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. Gra. What is the matter?