The town might fall in fright. He, fwift of foot,
Outran my purpofe; I returned, the rather
For that I heard the clink and fall of fwords,
And Caffio high in oath; which till to-night
I ne'er might fay before. When I came back,
For this was brief) I found them close together,
At blow and thruft; even as again they were
When you yourself did part them.

More of this matter cannot I report.

But men are men; the best sometimes forget;
Tho' Caffio did fome little wrong to him,
As men in rage ftrike thofe that with them beft,
Yet furely, Caffio, I believe, received
From him that fled fome ftrange indignity,
Which patience could not país.

Oth. I know, lago,

Thy honefty and love doth mince this matter,
Making it light to Caffio. Caffio, I love thee,
But never more be officer of mine.-

Enter DESDEMONA, attended.

Look, if my gentle love be not raised up:
I'll make thee an example.

Def. What's the matter?

Oth. All is well, Sweeting, come away to bed. Sir, for your hurts, myself will be your furgeon. Lead him off.

Iago, look with care about the town,

And filence thofe whom this vile brawl distracted. Come, Defdemona, 'tis the foldier's life,

To have their balmy flumbers waked with ftrife.

Manent IAGO and CASS 10.

Iago. What, are you hurt, Lieutenant ?

Caf. Paft all furgery.

[Exeunt.

H

Iago. Marry, Heaven forbid !

Caf. Reputation, reputation, reputation! oh, I have loft my reputation! I have left the immortal part of myfelf, and what remains is beftial. My reputation! Iago, my reputation---

Lago. As I am an honelt man, I had thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more enfe in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most falfe impofition; oft got without merit, and loft without deferving. You have loft no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself fuch a lofer. 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 fo as one would beat his offenceless dog, to fight an imperious lion. Sue to him again, and he's yours. ·

Gef. I will rather fue to be defpifed, than to deecive to good a commander with fo flight, fo drunken, and fo indifcreet an officer. Drunk, and speak? parrot, and fquabble? fwagger? fwear? and difcourfe fuflian with one's own fhadow? oh thou invincible spirit of wine! if thou haft no name to be known by, let us call thee devil.

Lugo. What was he that you followed with your fword? what had he done to you? Caf. I know not.

Jago. Is't poffible?

Caf. I remember a mafs of things, but nothing diftinctly a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. Oh, that men fhould put an enemy in their mouths, to fteal away their brains! that we fhould with joy, pleafance, revel, and applaufe, transform oufelves into beafts!

Iago. Why, but you are now well enough: how came you thus recovered?

Caf. It has pleafed the devil Drunkenness, to give place to the devil Wrath; one unperfetnefs Thews me another, to make me frankly defpife myfelf.

Iago. Come, you are too fevere a moraler. As the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily with this had not befallen: but fince it is as it is, mend it for your own good.

Caf. I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me, I am a drunkard!---had I as many mouths as Hydra, fuch an antwer would ftop them all. To be now a fenfible man, by and bye a fool, and prefently a beat! -Every inordinate cup is unbleiled, and the ingredient is a devil.

Iago. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well ufed: exclaim no more against it. And, good Lieutenant, I think you think I love you.

Caf. I have well approved it, Sir. I drunk!

Iago. You, or any man living, may be drunk at fome time, man. I tell you what you fhall do: our General's wife is now the General. I may fay fo in this refpect, for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark and denotement of her parts and graces (29). Confefs

(29) For that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and devotement of her parts and graces.] I remember it is faid of Antony, in the beginning of his tragedy, that he, who used to fix his eyes altogether on the dreadful ranges of war,

now bends, now turns, The office and devotion of their view Upon a ftrumpet's front.

This is finely expreffed; but I cannot perfuade myfelf that our Poet would ever have faid, any one devoted himfelf to the devotement of any thing. All the copies agree; but

yourfelf freely to her importune her help, to put you in your place again. She is of fo free, fo kind, fo apt, fo bleffed a difpofition, the holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than fhe is requefted. This broken joint, between you and her husband, intreat her to fplinter and my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love fhall grow ftrenger than it was before. Caf. You advise me well.

Iago. I proteft, in the fincerity of love, and honest kindness.

Caf. I think it freely; and betimes in the morn ing I will befeech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me: I am defperate of my fortunes, if they check me here.

Jago. You are in the right: good-night, Lieutenant, I muft to the watch.

Caf. Good-night, honeft lago.

Manet IAGO.

[Exit Caffio.

Jago. And what's he then that fays I play the villain?

When this advice is free I give, and honest,.
Likely to thinking, and, indeed, the courfe
To win the Moor again. For 'tis most easy
Th' inclining Defdemona to fubdue

In any honelt fuit; fhe's framed as fruitful
As the free elements. And then for her

To win the Moor, were't to renounce his baptism,
All feals and fymbols of redeemed fin,

the mistake certainly arofe from a fingle letter being turned upfide-down at prefs. I read;

to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and graces.

The three words are, indeed, in fome degree tautologi cal; but the practice is allowed, to add an energy to the thing it would exprefs.

His foul is fo enfettered to her love

That the may make, unmake, do what fhe lift,
Even as her appetite fhall play the god

With his weak function. Am I then a villain,
To counsel Caffio to this parallel course,
Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!
When devils will their blackeft fins put on,
They do fuggeft at firft with heavenly fhews,
As I do now. For while this honest fool
Plies Defdemona to repair his fortune,
And the for him pleads ftrongly to the Moor,
I'll pour this peftilence into his ear,

That the repeals him for her body's lust :
And by how much fhe ftrives to do him good,
She fhall undo her credit with the Moor.
So will I turn her virtue into pitch,

And out of her own goodness make the net
That fhall unmefh them all. How now, Rodorigo!

Enter RODORIGO.

Rod. I do follow here in the chace, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is almoft fpent; I have been to-night exceedingly well cudgelled; and I think, the illue will be, I fhall have fo much experience for my pains; and fo with no money at all, and a little more wit, return again to Venice.

Iago. How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? Thou knowest we work by wit, and not by witchAnd wit depends on dilatory Time.

[craft; Does't not go well? Caffio hath beaten thee, And thou by that finall hurt haft cafhiered Caffio. Tho' other things grow fair against the fun, Yet fruits that bloom first will first be ripe: Content thyfelf a while. In troth, 'tis morning: