Re-enter EMILIA, with IAGO.

Iago. What is your pleasure, madam? How is it with

you?

Des. I cannot tell. Those, that do teach young babes, Do it with gentle means, and easy tasks:

He might have chid me so; for, in good faith,
I am a child to chiding.

Iago.

What's the matter, lady?

Emil. Alas, Iago, my lord has so bewhor'd her, Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her, As true hearts cannot bear.

Des. Am I that name, Iago?

Iago.

What name, fair lady?
Des. Such as, she says, my lord did say I was.
Emil. He call'd her, whore; a beggar, in his drink,
Could not have laid such terms upon his callet.9
Iago. Why did he so.

Des. I do not know; I am sure, I am none such.
Iago. Do not weep, do not weep; Alas the day!
Emil. Has she forsook so many noble matches,
Her father, and her country, and her friends,
To be call'd-whore? would it not make one weep?
Des. It is my wretched fortune.
Iago.

How comes this trick upon him?

Beshrew him for it!

Nay, heaven doth know.

Des.
Emil. I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain,
Some busy and insinuating rogue,

Some cogging cozening slave, to get some office,
Have not devis'd this slander; I'll be hang'd else.
Iago. Fye, there is no such man; it is impossible.
Des. If any such there be, heaven pardon him!

9 upon his callet.] Callet is a lewd woman; so called (says Dr. Grey) from the French calote, which was a sort of head-dress worn by country girls. This head-dress is mentioned by Ben Jonson in his Magnetick Lady:

"The wearing the callot, the politick hood."

The word is likewise found in Cocke Lorelles Bote, a satyre, bl. 1. printed by Wynkyn de Worde, no date:

"Yf he call her calat, she calleth hym knave agayne." On the books of the Stationers' Company is the following entry: Recevyd of Alexandre Lucye for his lycence for printinge of a boke intituled the orders of Calletts or drabbys." 1563.

Steevens.

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

What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?
The Moor 's abus'd by some most villainous knave,1
Some base notorious2 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!

Iago.

Speak within door.5 Emil. O, fy 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.

1

O good Iago,

some most villainous knave,] Thus the folio. The quarto, 1622, reads-some outrageous knave. Malone.

2

notorious - For gross, not in its proper meaning for known. Johnson.

3

such companions-] The same term of degradation has already occured and been explained in Julius Cæsar, Act IV, sc. iii, Vol. XIV. In King Henry IV. P. II, Vol. IX, p. 65, Dol Tearsheet also says to Pistol: "I scorn you, scurvy companion." Steevens.

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

So, in the Widow's Tears, by Chapman, 1612: "How now, base companion ?"

Again, in The Spanish Tragedy, 1605:

"And better 'tis, that buse companions die,

"Than by their life to hazard our good haps." Malone.

the rascal] Thus the quarto, 1622; folio rascals. Emilia first wishes that all base fellows were detected, and then that heaven would put a whip in every honest hand to punish in a signal manner that villainous knave, particularly in her thoughts, who had abused the too credulous Moor. Malone.

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

6

the seamy side without,] That is, inside out. Johnson. This idea has already occurred. In a former scene, Iago speaks of Roderigo as of one

"Whom love hath turned almost the wrong side outward." Steevens.

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:7-
If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love,
Either in discourse of thought, or actual deed;8
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.
Iago. I pray you, be content; 'tis but his humour;
The business of the state does him offence,

And he does chide with you.9

Des.

If 'twere no other, Iago. It is but so, I warrant you. [Trumpets. Hark, how these instruments summon to supper! And the great messengers of Venice stay:1

7 Here I kneel: &c.] The first quarto omits these words and the rest of the speech. Steevens.

Either in discourse of thought, or actual deed;] Thus the old copies. So, in Hamlet:

"O heaven! a beast that wants discourse of reason,
"Would have mourn'd longer."

The modern editors, following Mr. Pope, read-discourse, or thought. Malone.

Notwithstanding the instance given in favour of the old reading, I suspect, on the authority of the following note, that Mr. Pope's correction is defensible. Steevens.

The three ways of committing sin mentioned in the Catholick catechisms are-in thought, word, and deed. C.

The same words remain in our Liturgy. Steevens.

9 and he does chide with you.] This line is from the quarto, 1622. Steevens.

To chide with was the phraseology of the time. We have, I think, the same phrase in one of our poet's Sonnets. Malone. The same phrase indeed occurs in p. 266, but perhaps with a somewhat different construction:

"And chides with thinking." Steevens.

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

[Exeunt DEs. and EMIL.

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; 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.

lago. 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.

1 And the great messengers of Venice stay:] Thus the quarto. The folio poorly reads:

The messengers of Venice stay the meat.

Steevens.

2 and acquittance;] This is the reading of the original quarto, 1622. The folio reads-and acquaintance. Acquittance is requital. So, in King Henry V

"And shall forget the office of our hand
"Sooner than 'quittance of desert and merit."
Malone..

See also Hamlet Act V, sc. ii, Vol. XV.
See also Vol. IX, p. 15, n. 9. Steevens.

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.4

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?

Iago. Why, by making him uncapable of Othello's place; knocking out his brains.

Rod. And that you would have me do?

Iago. Ay; if you dare do yourself a profit, and a right.

3

your suspicion is not without wit and judgment.] Shakspeare knew well, that most men like to be flattered on account of those endowments in which they are most deficient. Hence Iago's compliment to this snipe on his sagacity and shrewdness. Malone.

4 take me from this world with treachery, and devise engines for my life &c.] To devise engines, seems to mean, to contrive racks, tortures, &c.

So, in King Lear:

5

66

Ritson.

like an engine, wrench'd my frame of nature."

Steevens.

there is especial commission -] Shakspeare probably wrote a special

Malone.