Oth. Enter OTHELLO, and Attendants. What is the matter here? Mon. I bleed still, I am hurt to the death;-he dies. Oth. Hold, for your lives. Iago. Hold, hold, lieutenant, sir, Montano,gentlemen, Have you forgot all sense of place and duty? Hold, hold! the general speaks to you; hold, for shame! Oth. Why, how now, ho! from whence ariseth this? Are we turn'd Turks; and to ourselves do that, For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl: Honest Iago, that look'st dead with grieving, even now, In quarter, and in terms: and then, but now, Cas. I pray you, pardon me, I cannot speak. That you unlace your reputation thus, Mon. Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger; Your officer, Iago, can inform you— While I spare speech, which something now offends me; Of all that I do know: nor know I aught Oth. Now, by heaven, My blood begins my safer guides to rule; Yet wild, the people's hearts brimful of fear, Mon. If partially affin'd3, or leagu'd in office, Iago. Touch me not so near: I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, There comes a fellow, crying out for help; 2 Convicted by proof. Darkened. To execute upon him: Sir, this gentleman More of this matter can I not report:— But men are men; the best sometimes forget:- From him that fled, some strange indignity, Oth. I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio:- Cassio, I love thee; But never more be officer of mine. Enter DESDEMONA, attended. Look, if my gentle love be not rais'd up ; Des. What's the matter, dear? Oth. All's well now, sweeting; Come away to bed. Sir, for your hurts, Myself will be your surgeon: Lead him off. [To MONTANO, who is led off. Iago, look with care about the town; And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted. Come, Desdemona; 'tis the soldier's life, To have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife. VOL. X. [Exeunt all but IAGO and CASSIO. CC Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant ? Iago. Marry, heaven forbid ! Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part, sir, of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation. Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that, than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: You are but now cast in his mood +, a punishment more in policy than in malice; even so as one would beat his offenceless dog, to affright an imperious lion: sue to him again, and he 's yours. Cas. I will rather sue to be despised, than to deceive so good a commander, with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow? - O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil! Iago. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you? Cas. I know not. Cas. I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. -O, that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, ' revel, pleasure, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! Iago. Why, but you are now well enough: How came you thus recovered? 4 Dismissed in his anger. s Talk idly. 1 Cas. It hath pleased the devil, drunkenness, to give place to the devil, wrath: one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself. Iago. Come, you are too severe a moraler: As the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good. Cas. I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me, I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! O strange! Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a devil. Tago. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used; exclaim no more against it. And, good lieutenant, I think, you think I love you. Cas. I have well approved it, sir.—I drunk! Iago. You, or any man living, may be drunk at some time, man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife is now the general; I may say so in this respect, for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and graces : - confess yourself freely to her; importune her; she 'll help to put you in your place again: she is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, that she holds it a vice in her goodness, not to do more than she is requested: This broken joint, between you and her husband, entreat her to splinter; and, my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before. Cas. You advise me well. Iago. I protest, in the sincerity of love, and honest kindness. 6 Bet or wager. |