This is a trick, to put me from my suit;

Pray you, let Cassio be receiv'd again.

ОTH. Fetch me the handkerchief: my mind misgives.

DES. Come, come;

You'll never meet a more sufficient man.

Oтн. The handkerchief,

DES.

OTH. The handkerchief,—

DES.

I pray, talk me of Cassio.

A man that, all his time,

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

Отн.
DES. In sooth, you are to blame.

ОTH. Away!

EMIL.

The handkerchief,

[Exit OTHELLO.

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.

EMIL. "T is not a year or two shows us a man:
They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
They eat us hungerly, and when they are full
They belch us.

Look you! Cassio, and my husband.

Enter IAGO and CASSIO.

IAGO. There is no other way; 't is 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: I do beseech you,

That, by your virtuous means, I may again

Exist, and be a member of his love,

Whom I, with all the office of my heart,
Entirely honour; I would not be delay'd:
If my offence be of such mortal kind,
That nor my service past, nor present sorrows,
Nor purpos'd merit in futurity,

Can ransom me into his love again,

But to know so must be my benefit;
So shall I clothe me in a forc'd content,
And shut myself up in some other course,
To fortune's alms.

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.

So help me every spirit sanctified,

As I have spoken for you all my best,

And stood within the blank of his displeasure,
For my free speech! 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

EMIL.

And, certainly, in strange unquietness.

IAGO. Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon,
When it hath blown his ranks into the air;
And, like the devil, from his very arm
Puff'd his own brother;-And can he be angry?
Something of moment, then: I will go meet him;
There's matter in 't indeed, if he be angry.

DES. I prithee, do so.-Something, sure, of state,
[Exit IAGO.

Either from Venice; or some unhatch'd practice
Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him,
Hath puddled his clear spirit: and, in such cases,
Men's natures wrangle with inferior things,
Though great ones are their object. 'T is even so ;
For let our finger ache, and it indues

Our other healthful members ev'n to a sense
Of pain: Nay, we must think men are not gods;
Nor of them look for such observancy

As fits the bridal.-Beshrew me much, Emilia,
I was (unhandsome warrior as I am)

Arraigning his unkindness with my soul;
But now I find I had suborn'd the witness,

And he 's indicted falsely.

EMIL. Pray heaven it be state matters, as you think;

And no conception, nor no jealous toy,

Concerning you.

DES. Alas, the day! I never gave him cause.

EMIL. But jealous souls will not be answer'd so;

They are not ever jealous for the cause,

But jealous for they 're jealous: It is a monster,
Begot upon itself, born on itself.

DES. Heaven keep the monster from Othello's mind!
EMIL. Lady, amen.

DES. I will go seek him.-Cassio, walk hereabout:

If I do find him fit, I'll move your suit,

And seek to effect it to my uttermost.
CAS. I humbly thank your ladyship.

[Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA.

Enter BIANCA.

BIAN. Save you, friend Cassio!

CAS.
How is it with you, my most fair Bianca?
Indeed, sweet love, I was coming to your house.
BIAN. And I was going to your lodging, Cassio.
What! keep a week away? seven days and nights ?
Eight score eight hours? and lovers' absent hours,
More tedious than the dial eight score times?
O weary reckoning!

What make you from home?

I have this while with leaden thoughts been press'd;
But I shall, in a more continuate time,

Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,

Take me this work out.

BIAN.

[Giving her DESDEMONA's handkerchief.

O, Cassio, whence came this?

This is some token from a newer friend.
To the felt absence now I feel a cause.

Is 't come to this? Well, well.

CAS.

Throw your vile guesses in the

From whence you have them.

Go to, woman!

devil's teeth,

You are jealous now

Why, whose is it?

That this is from some mistress, some remembrance:
No, in good troth, Bianca.

BIAN.

CAS. I know not, neither: I found it in my chamber. I like the work well: ere it be demanded,

(As like enough it will,) I'd have it copied :

Take it, and do 't; and leave me for this time.
BIAN. Leave you! wherefore?

CAS. I do attend here on the general;
And think it no addition, nor my wish,
To have him see me woman'd.

BIAN.

Why, I pray you?

CAS. Not that I love you not.
BIAN.

But that you do not love me.

I pray you, bring me on the way a little;

And say, if I shall see you soon at night.

CAS. "T is but a little way that I can bring you,

For I attend here: but I'll see you soon.

BIAN. 'T is very good: I must be circumstanc'd. [Exeunt.

IAGO. Or to be naked with her friend in bed,

An hour, or more, not meaning any harm?

OTH. Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm?

It is hypocrisy against the devil :

They that mean virtuously, and yet do so,

The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven.
IAGO. If they do nothing, 't is a venial slip:

But if I give my wife a handkerchief,—

ОTH. What then?

IAGO. Why then, 't is hers, my lord; and, being her She may, I think, bestow 't on any man.

OTH. She is protectress of her honour too;

May she give that?

IAGO. Her honour is an essence that 's not seen; They have it very oft that have it not :

But, for the handkerchief,

Отн. By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot it :— Thou said'st,-O, it comes o'er my memory,

As doth the raven o'er the infectious house,

Boding to all,-he had my handkerchief.

IAGO. Ay, what of that?

Отн.

That's not so good, now.

IAGO. What, if I had said I had seen him do you wrong? Or heard him say, (as knaves be such abroad, Who, having by their own importunate suit, Or voluntary dotage of some mistress, Convinced or supplied them, cannot choose But they must blab,)—

Отн.

Hath he said any thing?

IAGO. He hath, my lord; but be you well assur'd, No more than he 'll unswear.

Отн.

What hath he said?

IAGO. Why, that he did,-I know not what he did.
ОTH. What? what?

IAGO.

With her ;- -on her ;—what you will. OTH. Lie with her! lie on her!-We say, lie on her, when they belie her: Lie with her! that's fulsome.—Handkerchief, confessions, - handkerchief. To confess, and be hanged for his labour.-First, to be hanged, and then to confess I tremble at it. Nature would not invest herself in such shadowing passion, without some instruction. It is not words that shake me thus :-Pish !-Noses, ears, and lips-Is 't possible?-Confess !-Handkerchief!-O devil! [Falls, in a trance.

IAGO. Work on,

My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught;
And many worthy and chaste dames, even thus,
All guiltless meet reproach.—What, ho! my lord!