Does challenge much respect.—Come, Desdemona, Once more well met at Cyprus. lago now commences his plots against the Moor: his first movement is to put Othello

“into a jealousy so strong

That judgment cannot cure, and Cassio is the instrument he selects for his purpose. Under the plea of “carousing " to the health of the General and his fair wife, he leads Cassio into a drunken brawl, while the Lieutenant is on guard at the Castle. Othello enters to learn the cause of the dis. turbance.

OTHELLO, IAGO, CASSIO, MONTANO, and Attendanta.
Oth. What is the matter here?
Mon. I bleed still, I am hurt to the death ;—he dies
Oth. Hold, for your lives.

Iago. Hold, hold, lieutenant, -sir, Montano,-gentlemen,
Have you forgot all sense of place and duty ?
Hold, hold! the general speaks to you; hold, for shame!

Oth. Why, how now, ho! from whence ariseth this?
Are we turn'd Turks; and to ourselves do that,
Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites ?
For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl:
He that stirs next to carve for his own rage,
Holds his soul light; he dies upon his motion.
Silence that dreadful bell, it frights the isle
From her propriety:-What is the matter, masters ?
Honest Iago, that look'st dead with grieving,
Speak, who began this ? on thy love, I charge thee.

Iago. I do not know ;-friends all but now, even now :
And then, but now,
(As if some planet had unwitted men,)
Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast,
In opposition bloody. I cannot speak
Any beginning to this peevish odds ;
And’would in action glorious I had lost
These legs, that brought me to a part of it!

Oth. How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot ?
Cas. I pray you, pardon me, I cannot speak.

Oth. Worthy Montano, you were wont be civil;
The gravity and stillness of your youth
The world hath noted, and your name is great
In mouths of wisest censure; What's the matter,
That
you unlace

your reputation thus, And spend your rich opinion, for the name Of a night-brawler ? give me answer to it.

Mon. Worthy Othello, I anı hurt to danger;
Your officer, Iago, can inform you-
While I spare speech, which something now offends me :-
Of all that I do know : nor know I aught

By me that's said or done amiss this night;
Unless self-charity be sometime a vice;
And to defend ourselves it be a sin,
When violence assails us.
Oth.

Now, by heave..,
My blood begins my safer guides to rule ;
And passion, having my best judgment collied,
Assays to lead the way: If I once stir,
Or do but lift this arm, the best of you
Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know
How this foul rout began, who set it on :
And he that is approv'd in this offence,
Shall lose me.- _-What! in a town of war,
Yet wild, the people's hearts brimful of fear,
To manage private and domestic quarrel,
In night, and on the court and guard of safety!
'Tis monstrous.—Iago, who began it?

Mon. If partially affin’d, or leagu'd in office,
Thou dost deliver more or less than truth,
Thou art no soldier.
Ingo.

Touch me not so near :
I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth
Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio;
Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth
Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, general.
Montano and myself being in speech,
There comes a fellow, crying out for help;
And Cassio following him with determin'd sword,
To execute upon him : Sir, this gentleman
Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause ;
Myself the crying fellow did pursue,
Lest, by his clamor, (as it so fell out)
The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Outran my purpose ; and I return’d the rather
For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
And Cassio high in oath; which, till to-night,
I ne'er might say before: When I came back,
(For this was brief,) I found them close together,
Àt blow, and thrust; even as again they were,
When you yourself did part them.
More of this matter can I not report :-
But men are men: the best sometimes forget :-
Though Cassio did some little wrong to him,-
As men in rage strike those that wish them beston
Yet, surely Cassio, I believe, receiv'd,
From him that fled, some strange indignity,
Which patience cou d not pass.
Oth.

I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter,

Making it .ight to Cassio :-Cassio, I love thes,
But never more be officer of mine.

[Exit.
Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant ?
Cas. Ay, past all surgery:
Iago. Marry, heaven forbid !

Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! 0, I have .ost my repu. tation! I have lost the immortal part.—My reputation, Iago, my reputation.

Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that, than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again : sue to him again, and he is yours.

Cas. I will rather sue to be despised, than to deceive so good a commander, with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hadst no name to be known by, let us call thee-devil !

Iago. What was he that you follow'd with your sword ? What had he done to you?

Cas. I know not.
Iago. Is it possible ?

Cas. I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore.-0, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains ! that we should, with joy, revel, pleasure, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts !

Iago. Why, but you are now well enough: How came you thus recovered ?

Cas. It hath pleased the demon drunkenness, to give place to the demon wrath : one unperfectness shows me another to make me frankly despise myself.

Iago. I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good.

Cas. I will ask him for my place again ; he shall tell me, I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! O strange !-Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a demon.

Iago. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used; exclaim no more against it. And, good lieutenant, I think, you think I love you.

Cas. I have well approved it, sir.-I drunk ! Iago. You, or any man living, may be drunk at some time, man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife is now the general ;-1 may say so in this respect, for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and graces :—confess yourself freely to he:"; importune her; she'll help to put you in your place again: she is of so free, so kind, 30 apt, so blessed a disposition, that she holds it a vice in her good 168s, not to do more than she is requested.

Cas. You advise me well.
Iago. I protest, in the sincerity of love, and honest kindness.

I Cas. I think it freely; and, betimes in the morning, I will beseech ha virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me: I am desperate of my for vines, if they check me here.

Iago. You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant; I must to the watch. Cas. Good night, honest Iago.

[Exit CASSIO

ACT III.

Lago having effected the disgrace of Cassio, urges him to apply to Desdemona, to seek through her entreaties a reconciliation with Othello. Cassio believing that lage " advises well," beseeches Desdemona to interfere in his behalf with her husband : she promises him her aid.

lago artfully uses the kindness of Desdemona, as a means to excite the jealousy al Othello.

Enter DESDEMONA, Cassio, and EMILIA.
Des. Be thou assur’d, good Cassio, I will do
All my abilities in thy behalf.
Emil. Good madam, do; I know, it grieves my husband,

I
As if the case were his.

Des. O, that's an honest fellow. Do not doubt, Cassio,
But I will have my lord and you again
As friendly as you were.
Cas.

Bounteous madam,
Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio,
He's never any thing but your true servant.

Des. O, sir, I thank you : You do love my lord :
You have known him long; and be you well assur’d,
He shall in strangeness stand no further off
Than in a politic distance.
Cas.

Ay, but, lady,
That policy may either last so long,
Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,
Or breed itself so out of circumstance,
That, I being absent, and my place supplied,
My general will forget my love and service.

Des. Do not doubt that: before Emilia here,
I give thee warrant of thy place; assure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it
To the last article: my lord shall never rest;
I'll intermingle every thing he does
With Cassio's suit : Therefore be merry, Cassio ;
For thy solicitor shall rather die,
Than give thy cause away.

a

Enter OTHELLO and Iago, at a distance. Emil.

Madam, here comes
My lord.

Cas. Madam, I'll take my leave.
Des.

Why, stay,
And hear me speak.

Cas. Madam, not now ; I am very ill at ease,
Unfit for mine own purposes.
Des.

Well, well,
Do
your
discretion.

[Exit Cassio Iago.

Ha! I like not that.
Oth. What dost thou say?
Iago. Nothing, my lord: or if-I know not what.
Oih. Was not that Cassio, parted from my wife?
Iago. Cassio, my lord ? No, sure, I cannot think it,
That he would steal away so guilty-like,
Seeing you coming

Oth. I do believe 'twas he.

Des. How now, my lord ?
I have been talking with a suitor here,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.

Oth. Who is't you mean?
Des. Why, your lieutenant Cassio. Good my

lord
If I have any grace, or power to move you,
His present reconciliation take;
For, if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance, and not in cunning,
I have no judgment in an honest face:
I pr’ythee, call him back.
Oth.

Went he hence now?
Des. Ay, sooth; so hnmbled,
That he hath left part of his grief with me;
I suffer with him. Good love, call him back.

Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time.
Des. But shall't be shortly ?
Oth.

The sooner, sweet, for you
Des. Shall’t be to-night at supper ?
Oth.

No, not to-night.
Des. To-morrow dinner then ?
Oth.

I shall not dine at home;
I meet the captains at the citadel.

Des. Why then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday morn;
Or Tuesday noon, night; or Wednesday morn ;-
I

pray thee, name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days: in faith, he's penitent.
When shall he come ?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my soul,
What
you

could ask me, that I should deny,