Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO, carried in a Chair, and Officers, with IAGO, prisoner.

Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man?

Oth. That's he, that was Othello; here I am. Lod. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth. Oth. I look down towards his feet; - but that's a fable:

If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee.

[OTHELLO Wounds IAGO.

Lod. Wrench his sword from him.

Iago. I bleed, sir; but not kill'd. Oth. I am not sorry neither; I'd have thee live ; For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die.

Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good,
Fall'n in the practice of a cursed slave,
What shall be said to thee?

Oth.

Why, any thing:
An honourable murderer, if you will;

For nought I did in hate, but all in honour.
Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy :
Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?
Oth. Ay.

Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause.
Oth. I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
Will you, I pray you, demand that demi-devil,
Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body?
Iago. Demand me nothing: What you know,
you know:

From this time forth I never will speak word.
Lod. What? not to pray?

Gra.

Torments will ope your lips.

Oth. Well, thou dost best.

Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n, Which, as I think, you know not: Here is a letter, Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo;

8

To see if his feet be cloven. 9 By the stratagem.

And here, another: the one of them imports
The death of Cassio to be undertook

By Roderigo.

Oth. O villain !

Cas.

Most heathenish, and most gross!

Lod. Now here 's another discontented paper, Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems, Roderigo meant to have sent this worst of villains But that, belike, Iago in the interim

Came in and satisfied him.

Oth.

How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief
That was my wife's?

Cas.

O the pernicious caitiff!

I found it in my chamber:

And he himself confess'd, but even now,
That there he dropp'd it, for a special purpose,
Which wrought to his desire.

Oth.

O fool! fool! fool!
Cas. There is, besides, in Roderigo's letter, -
How he upbraids Iago, that he made him
Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came
That I was cast: And even but now he spake,
After long seeming dead, — Iago hurt him,
Iago set him on.

with us;

Lod. You must forsake this room, and go
Your power and your command is taken off,
And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave,-
If there be any cunning cruelty,

That can torment him much, and hold him long,
It shall be his: You shall close prisoner rest,
Till that the nature of your fault be known
To the Venetian state:- Come, bring him away.

Oth. Soft you; a word or two, before you go.
I have done the state some service, and they know

it;

No more of that: I pray you, in

your letters, When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,

Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,

Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak

Of one, that lov'd not wisely, but too well;
Of one, not easily jealous, but, being wrought,
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one, whose hand,
Like the base Júdean, threw a pearl away,

Richer than all his tribe; of one, whose subdu'd

eyes,

Albeit unused to the melting mood,

Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicínal
gum: Set you down this:
And say, besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban'd Turk
Beat a Venetian, and traduc'd the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog,
And smote him L .thus.

Lod. O bloody period!
Gra.

[Stabs himself.

All, that 's spoke, is marr❜d. Oth. I kiss'd thee, ere I kill'd thee; - No way [Falling upon DESDEMONA. [Dies.

but this,

Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.

Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no

weapon;

For he was great of heart.

Lod.

O Spartan dog,
More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea!

Look on the tragick loading of this bed; [To IAGO.
This is thy work: the object poisons sight;-
Let it be hid. Gratiano, keep the house,

And seize upon the fortunes of the Moor,
For they succeed to you. To you, lord governor,
Remains the censure of this hellish villain;
The time, the place, the torture,

O enforce it!

Myself will straight aboard; and, to the state,
This heavy act with heavy heart relate.

[Exeunt.

Printed by A. Strahan, Printers-Street, London.

THE END.