SC. II

Othello, the Moor of Venice

lago.

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

Lod. O thou Othello, that wert once so good,
Fall’n in the practice of a damned slave,
What shall be said to thee?
Oth.

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

Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villany :
Did
you

and he consent in Cassio's death?
Oth. Ay.
Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause.
Oth. I do believe it, and I ask you pardon.

I pray, demand that demi-devil
Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?

Iago. Demand me nothing: what you know,

300

Will you,

you know:

a

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.
Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath be-

fallin,
Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter
Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo;
And here another : the one of them imports
The death of Cassio to be undertook
By Roderigo.

Oth. O villain !
Cas.

Most heathenish and most gross !
Lod. Now here's another discontented paper,
Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems,
Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain ;
But that belike Iago in the interim
Came in and satisfied him.

310

Your power

Oth.

O the pernicious caitiff!
How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief
That was my wife's ?
Cas.

I found it in my chamber : 320
And he himself confess'd but even now
That there he dropp'd it for a special purpose
Which wrought to his desire.
Oth.

O fool! fool ! fool!
Cas. There is besides in Roderigo's letter,
How he upbraids Iago, that he made him
Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came
That I was cast : and even but now he spake,
After long seeming dead, Iago hurt him,
Iago set him on.
Lod. You must forsake this room, and go with us : 330

and
your

command is taken off,
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 have d'ine 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,
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
350. Arabian trees, the acacia Arabica. L.

340

350

11

Their medicinal gum.

Set
you

down this;
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban'd Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog,
And smote him, thus.

[Stabs himself.
Lod. O bloody period !
Gra.

All that's spoke is marrd.
Oth. I kiss'd thee ere I kill'd thee: no way but

this; Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.

[Falls on the bed, and dies. Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no

weapon ; For he was great of heart. Lod.

[To Iago] O Spartan dog, 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 on you. To you, lord governor, Remains the censure of this hellish villain ; The time, the place, the torture : O, enforce it! Myself will straight aboard; and to the state This heavy act with heavy heart relate. (Exeunt.

[

360

370

END OF VOL. VIII

VOL. VIL

417

2 E