Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen. Oth. Thefe letters give, lago, to the pilot, And by him do my duties to the Senate; That done, I will be walking on the works; Repair there to me.

Iago. My good Lord, I'll do't.

Oth. This fortification, gentlemen, fhall we fee't? Gent. We'll wait upon your Lordship. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA. Def. Be thou affured, good Caffio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf.

Emil. Good Madam, do: I know it grieves my As if the caufe were his. [huband, Def. Oh, that's an honest fellow; doubt not, But I will have my Lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Moft bounteous Madam,

Whatever fhall become of Michael Caffio,

[Caffio,

He is never any thing but your true fervant.

Def I know't, I thank you; you do love my
Lord,

You have known him long; and, be you well affured,
He fhall in ftrangeness ftand no further off
Than in a politic distance.

Caf. Ay, but, Lady,

That policy may either last so long,
Or feed upon fuch nice and waterih diet,
Or breed itself fo out of circumstances,
That I being abfent, and my place fupplied,
My General will forget my love and service.

Def. Do not doubt that; before Æmilia here, I give thee warrant of thy place. Affure thee,

If I do vow a friendfhip, I'll perform it

To the last article. My Lord thall never reft;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed fhall feem a fchool, his board a fhrift;
I'll intermingle every thing he does

With Caffio's fuit: therefore be merry, Caffio;
For thy folicitor fhall rather die,

Than give thy cause away.

Enter OTHELLO, and IAGO, at a distance.

Emil. Madam, here comes my Lord.
Caf. Madam, I'll take my leave.

Def. Why, ftay, and hear me speak.

Gaf. Madam, not now; I am very ill at ease, Unfit for mine own purposes.

Def. Well, do your discretion.

lago. Hah! I like not that.-----Oth. What doft thou fay?

[Exit Caffio.

Jago. Nothing, my Lord; or if---1 know not what. Oth. Was not that Caffio, parted from my wife? Iago. Caffio, my Lord? no, fure, I cannot think it, That he would fteal away fo guilty-like, Seeing you coming.

Oth. I believe 'twas he.

Def. How now, my Lord?

I have been talking with a fuitor here,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.
Oth. Who is't you mean?

Def. Why, your Lieutenant Caffio. Good my Lord,
If I have any grace, or power to move you,
His prefent reconciliation take.

For if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance, and not in cunning,
I have no judgment in an honeft face.

I pr'ythee call him back.

Oth. Went he hence now?

Def. Ay, footh, fo humbled,

That he hath left part of his grief with me,
To fuffer with him. Good love, call him back.
Oth. Not new, fweet Desdemona; some other time.
Def. But fhall't be fhortly?

Oth. The fooner, fweet, for you.
Def. Shall't be to-night at fupper?
Oth. Not to-night.

Def. To-morrow dinner then?
Oth. I fhall not dine at home;
I meet the Captains at the citadel.

Def. Why then to-morrow night, or Tuesday

morn,

Or Tuesday noon, or night, or Wednesday morn:
I pr'ythee name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days; in faith, he's penitent:
And yet his trefpafs, in our common reason,
(Save that, they fay, the wars must make examples
Out of their best), is not almost a fault

T' incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my foul,
What you would ask me, that I would deny,
Or stand so mutt'ring on? what? Michael Caffio !---
That came a-wooing with you, and many a time,
When I have spoke of you difpraifingly,

Hath ta'en your part, to have fo much to do
To bring him in? trust me, I could do much----
Oth. Pr'ythee, no more; let him come when he will,
I will deny thee nothing.

Def. Why, this is not a boon:

'Tis as I fhould entreat you wear your gloves, Or feed on nourishing meats, or keep you warm; Or fue to you, to do peculiar profit

To your own perfon. Nay, when I have fuit
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,

VOL. XII.

X

It fhall be full of poize and difficulty,
And fearful to be granted.

Oth. I will deny thee nothing.
Whereon I do beseech thee, grant me this,
To leave me but a little to myself.

Def. Shall I deny you? no: Farewel, my Lord. Oth. Farewel, my Desdemona, I'll come strait. Def. Emilia, come; be, as your fancies teach you. Whate'er you be, I am obedient. [Exeunt.

Manent OTHELLO and IAGO.

Oth. Excellent wench!-----Perdition catch my foul, (32)

But I do love thee; and when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again.

lago. My noble Lord,-----

Oth. What doft thou fay, Iago?

Iago. Did Michael Caffio, when you wooed my Know of your love?

(32) Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my foul,

[Lady,

But I do love thee, &c.] Though all the printed copies concur in this reading, I think it is very reasonably to be fufpected. Othello is exclaiming here with admiration and rapturous fondness; but wretch can fcarce be admitted to be used, unless in compaflion or contempt. I make no queftion but the Poet wrote;

Excellent wench!. -Perdition catch my foul, &c.

It is to be observed, that, in Shakespeare's time, wench, lafs, and girl were not ufed in that low and vulgar acceptation as they are at this time of day; but very frequently with dignity. To appeal to a few inftances:

-Oh ill-ftarred wench!

Pale as thy fmock!

Agrip. Royal wench!

She made great Cæfar lay his fword to bed, &c.

Othello.

Antony and Cleopatra.

Now boaft thee, Death, in thy poffeffion lyes

A lafs unparagoned

What, girl though gray

Ibid.

Do fomething mingle with our younger brown, &c. Ibid.

Oth. He did, from first to last; why dost thou ask? lago. But for a fatisfaction of my thought, No farther harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Iago. I did not think he'd been acquainted with it. Uth. Oh yes, and went between us very oft.

Iago. Indeed!

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed.

Is he not honest?

Iago. Honeft, my Lord?

Oth. Honeft? ay, honest.

Iago. My Lord, for aught I know.
Oth. What doft thou think?

lago. Think, my Lord !-----

Oth. Think, my Lord! why, by Heaven, thou echoelt me;

As if there were fome monfter in thy thought, Too hideous to be fhewn. Thou doft mean fome

thing;

I heard thee fay but now,
When Callio left my wife.

thou lik'dft not that,---What did'ft not like?

And when I told thee, he was of my counfel,

In my whole courfe of wooing; thou criedit, indeed?
And didst contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadft thut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit: if thou doft love me,
Shew me thy thought..

Iago. My Lord! you know I love you.
Oth. I think thou doft:

And for I know thou art full of love and honesty, -
And weighest thy words before thou givest them

breath,

Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more : For fuch things in a falfe difloyal knave

Are tricks of custom; but, in a man that's juft,