To your own person. Nay, when I have suit.
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It shall be full of poise and difficulty,
And fearful to be granted. (57)

Oth. I will deny thee nothing.

Whereon I do beseech thee, grant me this,
To leave me but a little to myself.

Des. Shall I deny you? no: Farewel, my lord. Oth. Farewel, my Desdemona, I'll come strait. Des. Æmilia, 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

soul,

But I do love thee; and when I love thee not,

Chaos is come again.

Iago. My noble lord,———

Oth. What dost thou say, Iago?

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

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

(57) Fearful. The frequent mention in the plays of fear, fright, shaking, trembling, and the like, have relation to the wavering libations of the moon: this interpretation is applicable to the long tirades upon fear in Hudibras.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

[her.

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

Iago. Indeed!

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed.

Is he not honest?

Iago. Honest, my lord?

Oth. Honest? ay, honest.

Discernest thou

[aught in that?

Iago. My lord, for aught I know.

Oth. What dost thou think?

Iago. Think, my lord!-

[echoest me;

Oth. Think, my lord? why, by Heaven, thou As if there were some monster in thy thought, Too hideous to be shewn. Thou dost mean some

thing;

I heard thee say but now,
When Cassio left my wife.

thou lik' dst not that,—

What did'st not like?

And when I told thee, he was of my counsel,
In my whole course of wooing; thou criedst, indeed!
And didst contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit: if thou dost love me,
Shew me thy thought.

Iago. My lord, you know I love you.

Oth. I think thou dost :

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

Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more For such things in a false disloyal knave

Are tricks of custom; but, in a man that's just, They're cold dilations working from the heart, That passion cannot rule.

Iago. For Michael Cassio,

I dare be sworn, I think, that he is honest.
Oth. I think so too.

Iago. Men should be what they seem.

Or those that be not, would they might seem none Oth. Certain, men should be what they seem. Iago. Why, then, I think Cassio's an honest man. Oth. Nay, yet there's more in this ;

1 praythee s peak to me as to thy thinkings. As thou dost ruminate and give thy worst of The worst of words.

Iago. Good my lord,

Tho' I am bound to every act of duty,

[thoughts

I am not bound to that all slaves are free to; [false;
Utter my thoughts!-Why, say, they're vile and
As where's that palace, whereinto foul things
Sometimes intrude not? who has a breast so pure,
But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets and law-days, and in sessions sit
With meditations lawful?

Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago, If thou but think'st him wronged, and mak'st A stranger to thy thoughts.

[his ear

Iago. I do beseech you,

Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess(As, I confess, it is my nature's plague

To spy

into abuse; and oft my jealousy

Shapes faults that are not ;) I entreat you then,
From one that so imperfectly conceits,

Your wisdom would not build yourself a trouble
Out of my scattering and unsure observance :
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honesty, and wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

Oth. What dost thou mean?

Iago. Good name in man and woman, dear my Is the immediate jewel of their souls. [lord, Who steals my purse, steals trash, 'tis something, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his; and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that, which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. I'll know thy thoughts

Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your

hand;

Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody.

Oth. Ha!

Iago. Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy ;
It is a green-eyed monster, which doth make

The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in

bliss, (58)

Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;
But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er,
Who doats, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly
Oth. Oh misery!

[loves!

Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich But riches endless, is as poor as winter, [enough; To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

Good Heaven! the souls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Oth. Why? why is this?

Think'st thou I'd make a life of jealousy?
To follow still the changes of the moon

With fresh suspicions? No; to be once in doubt,
Is once to be resolved. Exchange me for a goat,(59)
When I shall turn the business of my soul
To such exsufflicate and blown surmises,
Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous,
To say, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,

(58) Observe the resemblance of horns on the head of Othello's prototype, such as are introduced in his figure, 98, ante.

(59) Exchange me for a goat. If the south side of the moon be placed uppermost, in which case Othello will be upside down, the shadows which constitute his person will be found to resemble a goat, with its face to the right, as drawn in figure 103. The goat, so designated, has the