Iago. Nay, but be wise: yet we see nothing done; She may be honest yet. Tell me but this,Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief, Spotted with strawberries, in your wife's hand? Oth. I gave her such a one; 'twas my first gift. Iago. I know not that: but such a handkerchief (I am sure it was your wife's,) did I to-day See Cassio wipe his beard with.

Oth. If't be that

Iago. If it be that, or any that was hers,
It speaks against her, with the other proofs.
Öth. Oh, that the slave had forty-thousand lives;
One is too poor, too weak for my revenge!-
Now do I see, 'tis time. Look here, Iago:
All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven:
"Tis gone.

Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell!-
Yield up, O love, thy crown and hearted throne,
To tyrannous hate!-Swell, bosom, with thy fraught;
For 'tis of aspics' tongues!

Iago. 'Pray, be content.

Oth. O, blood, Iago, blood!

Iago. Patience, I say; your mind, perhaps, may

change.

Oth. Never, Iago :

By yond' marble heaven,

In the due reverence of a sacred vow,

I here engage my words.

Iago. Do not rise yet.

[He kneels.

[IAGO kneels.

Witness, you ever-burning lights above,-
You elements, that clip us round about,
Witness, that here Iago doth give up
The execution of his wit, hand, heart,

To wrong'd Othello's service !-Let him command,
And to obey shall be in me remorse,

What bloody work soe'er.

Oth. I greet thy love,

Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance bounteous,

And will upon the instant put thee to't:
Within these three days, let me hear thee say,
That Cassio's not alive.

Iago. My friend is dead;

'Tis done at your request: But let her live.

Oth. Damn her, lewd minx !-O, damn her!—
Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw,
To furnish me with some swift means of death
For the fair devil.-Now art thou my lieutenant.
Iago. I am your own for ever.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Cyprus.

Another Apartment in the Castle.

DESDEMONA and EMILIA, discovered.

Des. Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia?

Emil. I know not, madam.

Des. Believe me,

And, but my noble Moor

Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness

As jealous creatures are, it were enough

To put him to ill thinking.

Emil. Is he not jealous?

Des. Who, he? I think the sun, where he was born,

Drew all such humours from him.

Emil. Look where he comes.

Des. I will not leave him now, till Cassio be Call'd to him. :

Enter OTHELLO.

-How is it with you, my lord?

Oth. Well, my good lady:-[Aside.] O, hardness to dissemble !

How do you, Desdemona ?
Des. Well, my good lord.

Oth. Give me your hand,―This hand is moist, my lady.

Des. It yet hath felt no age, nor known no sorrow.
Oth. This argues fruitfulness, and liberal heart.-
Hot, hot, and moist:-This hand of yours requires
A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,
Much castigation, exercise devout;

For here's a young and sweating devil here,
That commonly rebels.-'Tis a good hand,
A frank one.

Des. You may, indeed, say so;

For 'twas that hand, that gave away my heart. Oth. A liberal hand: the hands, of old, gave hearts;

But our new heraldry is-hands, not hearts.

Des. I cannot speak of this.-Come now, your promise.

Oth. What promise, chuck?

Des. I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with

you.

Oth. I have a salt and sullen rheum offends me;

Lend me thy handkerchief.

Des. Here, my lord.

Oth. That which I gave you.

Des. I have it not about me.

Oth. Not?

Des. No, indeed, my lord...

Oth. That is a fault: That handkerchief

Did an Egyptian to my mother give;

She was a charmer, and could almost read

The thoughts of people: she told her, while she kept it,

Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but, if she lost it,

Or made a gift of it, my father's eye

Should hold her loathly, and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies: She dying, gave it me;

And bade me, when my fate would have me wive,
To give it her :-I did so :—and take heed on't,
Make it a darling, like your precious eye;

To lose or give't away, were such perdition,
As nothing else could match.

Des. Is it possible?

Oth. 'Tis true; there's magic in the web of it :
A Sibyl, that had number'd in the world
The sun to make two hundred compasses,

In her prophetic fury sew'd the work :

The worms were hallow'd, that did breed the silk ;
And it was dy'd in mummy, which the skilful
Conserv'd of maidens' hearts.

Des. Indeed! is it true?

Oth. Most veritable: therefore look to't well. Des. Then 'would to Heaven, that I had never seen it!

Oth. Ha! wherefore?

Des. Why do you speak so startingly and rash? Oth. Is't lost? is't gone? speak, is it out o'the way? Des. Heaven bless us!

Oth. Say you?

Des. It is not lost: But what, an' if it were?

Oth. Ha!

Des. I say, it is not lost.

Oth. Fetch't, let me see it.

Des. Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now:-

This is a trick to put me from my suit:

I pray, let Cassio be receiv'd again.

G

Oth. Fetch me that handkerchief:-my mind mis

gives.

Des. Come, come;

You'll never meet a more sufficient man.

Oth. The handkerchief,

Des. A man that, all his time,

Hath founded his good fortunes on your love;
Shar'd dangers with you ;-

Oth. The handkerchief,

Des. In sooth, you are to blame.

Oth. Away!

Emil. Is not this man jealous?

Des. I ne'er saw this before.

Sure, there's some wonder in this handkerchief:

I am most unhappy in the loss of it.

[Exit.

Emil. 'Tis not a year or two shows us a man.Look you! Cassio, and my husband.

Enter IAGO and CASSIO.

Iago. There is no other way; 'tis she must do't:And, lo, the happiness!-go, and importune her. Des. How now, good Cassio? what's the news with you?

Cas. Madam, my former suit.

Des. Alas! thrice-gentle Cassio,

My advocation is not now in tune;

My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him,
Were he in favour, as in humour, alter'd.

You must a while be patient :

What I can do, I will; and more I will,

Than for myself I dare: let that suffice you.
Iago. Is my lord angry?

Emil. He went hence but now,

And, certainly, in strange unquietness.

Iago. Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon, When it hath blown his ranks into the air,-