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CHAPTER XXI.

OTHELLO AND IAGO.

Iago. My noble Lord

Oth. What dost thou say, Iago?

Iago. Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my Lady, Know of your love?

Oth. He did, from first to last: why dost thou ask? Iago. But for a satisfaction of my thought;

No farther harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

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

lago. Indeed!

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed. Discern'st thou aught in that? Is he not honest?

Iago. Honest, my Lord?

Oth.

Honest! ay, honest.

Iago. My Lord, for aught I know.

Oth. What dost thou think?

Iago. Think, my Lord!

Oth. Think, my Lord! Why, by Heav'n! thou echo'st

me,

As if there were some monster in thy thought

Too hideous to be shown.
I heard thee say but now,
When Cassio left my wife.

Thou dost mean something. "thou lik'st not that,"

What didst 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,
Show me thy thought.

Iago. My Lord, you know I love you.

Oth. I think thou dost :

And, for I know thou'rt full of love and honesty,

And weigh'st thy words before thou giv'st them breath, 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 knaves.
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;

I

pray thee speak to me as to thy thinkings;

As thou dost ruminate; and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words.

Iago. Good my Lord, pardon me;

Though I am bound to ev'ry act of duty,

I am not bound to that all slaves are free to.

Utter my thoughts !-Why, say they're vile and false;
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 meditation lawful?

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

Iago. I do beseech you,

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

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spy into abuse; and oft my jealousy

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

Your wisdom would not build yourself a trouble
Out of my scatter'd 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 or woman,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

dear

my

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—

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Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor shall not, while 'tis in my custody.

Oth. Ha!

Iago. O beware, my Lord, of jealousy!
It is a green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;
But O, what damned minutes tells he o'er

Who doats, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves!
Oth. O misery!

Iago. Poor and content is rich, and rich enough; But riches endless is as poor as winter

To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

Good Heav'n! 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?-'Tis not to make me jealous
To say, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,
Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well:
Where virtue is, these make more virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear, or doubt of her revolt,
For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago,
I'll see, before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
Away at once with love or jealousy.

Iago. I'm glad of this: for now I shall have reason To show the love and duty that I bear you With franker spirit. Therefore, as I'm bound, Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof. Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; Wear your eye thus: not jealous, nor secure! I would not have your free and noble nature Out of self-bounty be abus'd; look to't. I know our country disposition well;

In Venice they do let Heav'n see the pranks
They dare not show their husbands.

Öth. Dost thou say so?

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when she seem'd to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them most.

Oth. And so she did.

Iago. Go to then;

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,
To seal her father's eyes up, close as oak-

He thought 'twas witchcraft-But I'm much to blame-
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon,
For too much loving you.

Oth. I am bound to you for ever.
Iago. I see this hath a little dash'd
Oth. Not a jot; not a jot.

Iago. Trust me, I fear it has :

I hope you will consider what is spoke

your spirits.

Comes from my love. But I do see you're mov’d—

I am to pray you, not to strain my speech

To grosser issues, nor to larger reach,

Than to suspicion.

Oth. I will not.

Iago. Should you do so, my Lord,

My speech would fall into such vile success,
Which my thoughts aim not at.

My Lord, I see you're mov'd

Oth. No, not much mov'd

Cassio's my worthy friend.

I do not think but Desdemona's honest.

Iago. Long live she so! and long live you to think so! Oth. And yet, how Nature's erring from itself

Iago. Ay, there's the point!-as (to be bold with you) Not to affect many proposed matches

Of her own clime, complexion, and degree,

Whereto we see in all things Nature tends:
Foh! one may smell, in such, a will most rank,
Foul disproportions, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me, I do not in position
Distinctly speak of her; though I may fear
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country-forms,
And haply, so repent.

Oth. Farewell, farewell;

If more thou dost perceive, let me know more.
Set on thy wife t'observe. Leave me, Iago.
Iago. My Lord, I take my leave.

Oth. Why did I marry?

This honest creature, doubtless,

Sees, and knows more, much more, than he unfolds.

Iago. My Lord, I would I might entreat your Honour, To scan this thing no farther; leave it to time: Although 'tis fit that Cassio have his place, For, sure, he fills it up with great ability; Yet if you please to hold him off a while, You shall by that perceive him and his means; Note if your lady strain his entertainment With any strong or vehement importunity : Much will be seen in that. In the mean time, Let me be thought too busy in my fears, (As worthy cause I have to fear I am,) And hold her free, I do beseech your Oth. Fear not my government. Iago. I once more take my leave.

Honour.

SHAKSPEARE.

CHAPTER XXII.

HAMLET'S SOLILOQUY ON HIS MOTHER'S MARRIAGE.

On that this too, too solid flesh would melt,

Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!

Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!

Fie on't! oh fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,

That grows to seed; things rank, and gross in nature,
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead; nay, not so much; not two ;-
So excellent a king, that was, to this,

Hyperion to a satyr: so loving to my mother,
That he permitted not the winds of Heav'n
Visit her face too roughly. Heav'n and earth!

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