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

Oth. I'll know thy thoughts

Jago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor thall not, whilft 'tis in my custody.

Oth. Ha!

Lago. Oh, beware, my Lord, of jealousy ;: It is a green-eyed monster, which doth make The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in blifs, Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er,

Who doats, yet doubts; fufpects, yet strongly loves!: Oth. Oh mifery!

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

To him that ever fears he. fhall be poor.
Good Heaven! the fouls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Oth. Why? why is this?

Think't thou I'd make a life of jealousy?

To follow still the changes of the moon

With fresh fufpicions? No; to be once in doubt,.
Is once to be refolved. Exchange me for a goat,,
When I fhall turn the business of my foul.
To fuch exfufflicate and blown furmifes,

Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous;
To fay, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,
Is free of fpeech, fings, plays, and dances well;
Where virtue is, thefe are most virtuous.

Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The fmallest fear or doubt of her revolt;
For fhe had eyes, and chofe me. No, Iago,
I'll fee before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
Away at once with love or jealousy.

Jago. I'm glad of this; for now I fhall have reafon

To fhew the love and duty that I bear you
With franker fpirit. Therefore, as I'm bound,
Receive it from me. I speak not yet, of proof:
Look to your wife, obferve her well with Caffio;
Wear your eye thus; not jealous, nor fecure;
I would not have your free and noble nature
Qut of felf-bounty be abused: look to't.
I know our country difpofition well;

In Venice they do let heaven fee the pranks
They dare not fhew their husbands; their best
confcience

Is not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown.
Oth. Doft thou say so?

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when the feemed to thake, and fear your looks, She loved them moft.

Oth. And fo fhe did. lago. Go to then;

She, that, fo young, could give out fuch a feeming To feal her father's eyes up, close as oak----

He thought 'twas witchcraft-but I'm much to I humbly do befeech you of your pardon, [blame: For too much loving you.

Oth. I'm bound to you

for ever.

Iago. I fee this hath a little dafhed your fpirits. Ch. Not a jot, not a jot,

lago. Trust me, I fear it has:

I hope you will confider, what is spoke

Comes from my love. But, I do fee, you're moved

I am to pray you, not to strain my speech

To grofler iffues, nor to larger reach,

Than to fufpicion.

Fth. I will not..

Lago. Should you do fo, my Lord, (35)

(35) Should you do fo, my Lord,

My fpeech would fall into fuch vile excels,

Which my thoughts aim net at.] This is Mr Pope's reading,

My fpeech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs,
Which my thoughts aim not · at.
worthy friend.

My Lord, I fee you're moved.

Oth. No, not much moved.

Caffio's my

I do not think but Defdemona's honest..

Iago. Long live the fo! and long live you to

think fo!

Oth. And yet how Nature erring from itselfIage. Ay, there's the point;-as (to be bold with Not to affect many propofed matches

[you),.

Of her own clime, complexion and degree,
Whereto we fee in all things Nature tends:
Foh! one may smell, in fuch, a will most rank,
Foul disproportions, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me, I do not in pofition
Distinctly speak of her; tho' may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country forms,
And, haply, fo repent.

Oth. Farewel, farewel;

If more thou doll perceive, let me know more;
Set on thy wife t' obferve. Leave me, lago,
Iago. My Lord, i take my leave.

Oth. Why did I marry?

This honeft creature, doubtless,.

[Going

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Jago. My Lord, I would 1.might entreat your

Honour

For,

and I am afraid, as erroneous as it irunauthorized fuppofe Othello were to believe all that lago told him on fufpicion, how would lago's fpeech fall into the worfe exccfs thereupon? All the old copies that I have seen, read fuccs; and this is certainly the Author's meaning. "If you should believe all I have faid, my fpeech would. fucceed worse, have more vile confequences in your refentment against your wife, than I had any aim, or purpofe, to excite."

To fcan this thing no farther; leave it to time:
Altho' 'tis fit that Caffio have his place,
For, fare, he fills it up with great ability;
Yet if you please to hold him off awhile,
You fhall by that perceive him, and his means;
Note, if your lady ftrain his entertainment
With any strong or vehement importunity;
Much will be feen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought toe bufy 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.

Manet OTHELLO.

Honour."

[Exit.

Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honefty,
And knows all qualities, with a learned fpirit,
Of human dealings. If I prove her haggard,.
Tho' that her jetles were my dear heart-itrings,
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune. Haply, for I'm black,
And have not those soft parts of converfation
That chamberers have; or, for I am declined
Into the vale of years, yet that's not much-
She's gone, I am abused, and my relief
Must be to loath her. Oh the curfe of marriage!
That we can call thefe delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,
For others' ufe. Yet 'tis the plague of great ones:
Prerogativ'd are they lefs than the bafe;
'Tis deftiny unfhunnable, like death.

Even then, this forked plague is fated to us,
When we do quicken. Defdemona comes!

Enter DESDE MONA and EMILIA.

If fhe be falfe, oh, then Heaven mocks itself:
I'll not believe it.

Def. How now, my dear Othello?
Your dinner, and the generous iflanders,
By you invited, do attend your presence.
Oth. I am to blame.

Def. Why do you, speak so faintly? Are you not well?

Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here.. Def. Why, that's with watching, 'twill away again;

Let me but bind it hard, within this hour

It will be well.

Oth. Your napkin is too little ¿

[She drops her handkerchief.

Let it alone: come, I'll go in with you.
Def. I am very forry that you are not well.

Manet EMILIA..

[Exeunt.

Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin;
This was her first remembrance from the Moor.
My wayward husband hath a hundred times
Woo'd me to steal it. But fhe fo loves the token,
(For he conjured her the fhould ever keep it)
That the referves it ever more about her,

To kifs and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,
And give't lago; what he'll do with it,
Heaven knows, not I;

I nothing, but to please his fantasy.

Enter IAGO.

Argo. How now? what do you here alone? Amil. Do not you chide; I have a thing for you.