These may be counterfeits; let's think't unsafe
To come in to the cry without more help.
ROD. No body come? then shall I bleed to
death.

LOD. Hark!

GRA. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.

Re-enter IAGO, with a light.

IAGO. Who's there? whose noise is this that

cries on murder? a LOD. We do not know. IAGO. Did not you hear a cry y? CAS. Here, here! for heaven's sake, help me! IAGO. What's the matter? GRA. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it. Lob. The same, indeed; a very valiant fellow. IAGO. What are you here that cry so grievously? CAS. Iago? O, I am spoil'd, undone by villains! Give me some help.

IAGO. O, me, lieutenant! what villains have done this?

CAS. I think that one of them is hereabout, And cannot make away.

IAGO.

O, treacherous villains!

BIAN. O, my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio! O, Cassio! Cassio! Cassio!

IAGO. O, notable strumpet !-Cassio, may you

suspect

Who they should be that have thus mangled you ? CAS. No.

GRA. I am sorry to find you thus: I have been to seek you.

IAGO. Lend me a garter:-so.-O, for a chair, To bear him easily hence!

BIAN. Alas, he faints!-O, Cassio! Cassio ! Cassio!

IAGO. Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash To be a party in this injury.

Patience awhile, good Cassio.-Come, come;
Lend me a light.-Know we this face or no?
Alas! my friend and my dear countryman,
Roderigo? no:-yes, sure; O, heaven!* Roderigo.
GRA. What, of Venice?

IAGO. Even he, sir: did you know him?
GRA.
Know him! ay.
IAGO. Signior Gratiano? I cry your gentle
pardon;

These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,
That so neglected you.
GRA.

I am glad to see you.

IAGO. How do you, Cassio ?-O, a chair, a chair! GRA. Roderigo !

IAGO. He, he, 't is he :-O, that's well said; -the chair :- [A chair brought in.

Some good man bear him carefully from hence; I'll fetch the general's surgeon.-For you, mistress, [TO BIANCA.

Save you your labour.-He that lies slain here, Cassio,

Was my dear friend: what malice was between you? CAS. None in the world; nor do I know the man. IAGO. [TO BIAN.] What, look you pale ?—O bear him out o' the air.

[CASSIO and ROD. are borne off. Stay you, good gentlemen.-Look you pale, mis

tress?

Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?—
Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon:-
Behold her well; I pray you look upon her;
Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.

Enter EMILIA.

EMIL. 'Las, what's the matter? what is the matter, husband?

IAGO. Cassio hath here been set on in the dark

(*) First folio, in place of O, heaven, has, Yes 'tis.

By Roderigo, and fellows that are scap'd: He's almost slain, and Roderigo* dead.

EMIL. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio!
IAGO. This is the fruits of whoring.-Pr'ythee,
Emilia,

Go know of Cassio where he supp'd to-night :-
What, do you shake at that?

BIAN. He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not.

IAGO. O, did he so? I charge you, go with me. EMIL. Fie,† fie upon thee, strumpet! BIAN. I am no strumpet; but of life as honest As that thus abuse me.

you

As I? foh!

Cassio

EMIL. fic upon thee! IAGO. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor dress'd.

Come, mistress, you must tell's another tale.Emilia, run you to the citadel,

And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd.— Will you go on afore?—This is the night

And love thee after.-One more, and that's the last:

So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,
But they are cruel tears: this sorrow's heavenly;
It strikes where it doth love.-She wakes.
DES. Who's there? Othello?
Отн.

Ay, Desdemona.
DES. Will you come to bed, my lord?
Отн. Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemon?
DES.
Ay, my lord.
Отн. If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconcil'd as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.

DES. Alack, my lord, what may you mean by

that?

Отн. Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by: I would not kill thy unprepared spirit; No,-heaven forfend !-I would not kill thy soul. DES. Talk you of killing?

Отн.

That either makes me or fordoes me quite.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

DES.

Have mercy on me !

Отн.

Ay, I do.

Then heaven

SCENE II.-A Bedchamber in the Castle: DESDEMONA in bed asleep. A light burning.

Enter OTHELLO.

ОTH. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul," Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!— It is the cause.-Yet I'll not shed her blood; Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. Yet she must die, else she 'll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light! If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me:-but once put out thy light, Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd thy rose,

I cannot give it vital growth again, It needs must wither:-I'll smell it§ on the tree.— [Kissing her.

O, balmy breath, that dost almost persuade Justice to break her sword!-One more,

more:

one

Amen, with all my heart! DES. If you say so,* I hope you will not kill me. Отн. Hum!

DES. And yet I fear you; for you are fatal

Yes,† presently; Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin; For to deny each article with oath

(*) First folio omits, 80. received."-STEEVENS.

(†) First folio omits, Yes.

b Put out the light, and then put out the light!] This regulation of the line, which certainly imparts to it a spirit and beauty we miss in the old punctuation, was suggested both by Upton and Warburton, and is now very generally adopted.

Огн. Aу. DES. Отн.

He will not say so.

No, his mouth is stopp'd;" Honest Iago hath ta'en order for 't.

DES. O, my fear interprets !-what, is he dead? Отн. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge

Had stomach for them all.

DES. Alas, he is betray'd, and I undone! Огн. Out, strumpet! weep'st thou for him to my face?

DES. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not! Отн. Down, strumpet!

DES. Kill me to-morrow; let me live to-night! Отн. Nay, if you strive,―

DES.

Отн.

There is no pause.

DES.

But half an hour!

Being done,

ОTH. That! what?

But while I say one prayer!

ОTH. It is too late. [Smothers her. EMIL. [Without.] My lord! my lord! what ho! lord! my my lord!

Отн. What noise is this?-Not dead? not yet quite dead?

I that am cruel am yet merciful;

I would not have thee linger in thy pain: :-
So, so.

EMIL. [Without.] What ho! my lord! my lord!
Отн.
Who's there?

EMIL. [Without.] O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you! [dead.Oтн. Yes:-'t is Emilia ;-by and by.-She's "T is like she comes to speak of Cassio's death; The noise was high.-Ha! no more moving? Still as the grave.-Shall she come in? were 't good?

I think she stirs again :-no.-What's best to do?
If she come in, she 'll sure speak to my wife:
My wife! my wife! what wife?--I have no wife!
O, insupportable! O, heavy hour!
Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse

Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Should* yawn at alteration.

EMIL. [Without.] I do beseech

speak with you,

O, good my lord!

you

that I

may

Отн. I had forgot thee:-O, come in, Emilia:Soft, by and by :-let me the curtains draw.— Where art thou?

[Unlocks the door.

Enter EMILIA.

What's the matter with thee now? EMIL. O, my good lord, yonder 's foul murder done!

*) First folio, Did.

ato folly,-] That is, to wantonness.

Alas, what cry is that?

ОTH. What needs this iterance, woman ? I say thy husband.

EMIL. O, mistress, villany hath made mocks with love!

My husband say that she was false?

Отн. He, woman; I say thy husband: dost understand the word? My friend, thy husband, honest-honest Iago.

EMIL. If he say so, may his pernicious soul Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart: She was too fond of her most filthy bargain. Отн. На!

EMIL. Do thy worst ;

This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven,
Than thou wast worthy her.

a- charm your tongue.] A familiar expression in the poet's day, meaning restrain, or put a spell upon your tongue. So in "Henry VI." Part III. Act V. Sc. 5,-"Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue." See also additional examples of the phrase in the Variorum ad l. ba strange truth.] " is one of the many words "Strange which have lost weight and emphasis since Shakespeare's time. With us, it imports no more than unusual, not customary, &c.; but when Desdemona spoke of the Moor's adventures as

stopp'd:

I know this act shows horrible and grim.

GRA. Poor Desdemon! I am glad thy father's dead:

Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief
Shore his old thread in twain: did he live now,
This sight would make him do a desperate turn,
Yea, curse his better angel from his side,
And fall to reprobation.d

OTH. 'Tis pitiful; but yet Iago knows,
That she with Cassio hath the act of shame
A thousand times committed; Cassio confess'd it:
And she did gratify his amorous works
With that recognizance and pledge of love
Which I first gave her; I saw it in his hand:
It was a handkerchief, an antique token
My father gave my mother.

"strange," she meant they were wonderful, incredible; and it is in this deeper sense of the word that Gratiano employs it here. c I thought so then ;-] "That is, at the instant when she gave Desdemona's handkerchief to Iago; for even then Emilia appears to have suspected it was sought after for no honest purpose, and therefore asks her husband

'What will you do with it?'" &c.-STEEVENS.

d And fall to reprobation.] So the quartos; the folio has,"And fail to reprobance."