devise a lodging, and say, he lies here, or' he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.

Des. Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report?

Clo. I will catechize the world for him; that is, make questions, and by them answer.

Des. Seek him; bid him come hither: tell him, I have moved my lord in his behalf, and hope, all will be well.

Clo. To do this is within the compass of man's wit; and therefore I will attempt the doing it. [Exit. Des. Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia? Emil. I know not, madam.

Des. Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse Full of cruzadoes; and but my noble Moor

Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness

As jealous creatures are, it were enough

To put him to ill thinking.

Emil.

Is he not jealous?

Des. Who? he! I think the sun, where he was

born,

Drew all such humours from him.

Emil.

Look, where he comes.

Enter OTHELLO.

Des. I will not leave him now, till Cassio

Be call'd to him.-How is't with you, my lord? Oth. Well, my good lady.-[Aside.] O, hardness to dissemble!

How do you, Desdemona?

Des.

Well, my good lord.

Oth. Give me your hand. This hand is moist, my

lady.

7 he lies here, or] These words are only in the folio: there are other smaller variations in this part of the scene.

8 - cruzadoes;] A Portuguese coin, so called from the cross stamped upon it. Our text of the preceding line is that of the folio: the quartos have it, "Believe me, I had rather lose my purse."

Des. It yet has felt no age', nor known no sorrow. Oth. This argues fruitfulness, and liberal heart. Hot, hot and moist: this hand of yours requires A sequester from liberty, fasting and praying', Much castigation, exercise devout; For here's a young and sweating devil here, That commonly rebels. "Tis a good hand; A frank one.

Des.

You may, indeed, say so;
For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart.

Oth. A liberal hand: the hearts of old gave hands, But our new heraldry is-hands, not hearts.

Des. I cannot speak of this. Come now, your pro

mise.

Oth. What promise, chuck?

Des. I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you. Oth. I have a salt and sullen rheum2 offends me. Lend me thy handkerchief.

Des.

Oth. That which I gave you.

Here, my lord.

Did an Egyptian to my mother give;

She was a charmers, and could almost read

The thoughts of people: she told her, while she kept. it,

"Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but if she lost it1,

9 It YET has felt no age,] The folio omits "yet" to the injury of the line.

folio prayer.

2

Our reading is that of the two quartos: the

and SULLEN rheum] "Sullen" is the epithet in both the quartos: the

folio changes it to sorry.

3 She was a charmer,] i. e. an enchantress or compounder of charms, a word

in frequent use in Shakespeare's age.

but if she lost it,] In the quarto, 1622, between p. 56, and p. 57, (for

Or made a gift of it, my father's eye

Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me;

And bid me, when my fate would have me wive3,

To give it her. I did so; and take heed on't :
Make it a darling like your precious eye;
To lose or give't away, were such perdition,
As nothing else could match.

Des.

Is't possible?

Oth. 'Tis true: there's magic in the web of it.
A sibyl, that had number'd in the world

The sun to course two hundred compasses,
In her prophetic fury sew'd the work;

The worms were hallow'd that did breed the silk,
And it was died in mummy, which the skilful
Conserv'd of maidens' hearts".

Des.

Indeed! is't true?

Oth. Most veritable; therefore look to't well.

Des. Then, would to heaven that I had never seen it!

Oth. Ha! wherefore?

Des. Why do you speak so startingly and rash?

Oth. Is't lost? is't gone? speak, is it out o' the way?

Des. It is not lost; but what an if it were?

Oth. How?

Des. I say, it is not lost.

Oth.

Fetch't, let me see't.

both it and the quarto, 1630, are paged, a rather unusual circumstance,) this line is accidentally repeated.

5

would have me wive,] The folio, only, has wir'd for "wive:" lower down it has "to lose 't." Two lines above for "loathed" of the folio and quarto, 1630, the quarto, 1622, has loathly.

6 The sun to COURSE] The word in the folio and quarto, 1630: the quarto 1622, "The sun to make."

7 Conserv'd of maidens' hearts.] The quarto, 1622, alone, “with the skilful conserves of maidens' hearts."

Des. Why, so I can, sirs; but I will not now. This is a trick, to put me from my suit:

Oth. Fetch me that handkerchief: my mind mis

gives.

Des. Come, come;

You'll never meet a more sufficient man.

Oth. 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 ;

Oth. The handkerchief,

Des. In sooth, you are to blame.

Oth. Away!!

Emil. Is not this man jealous?

Des. I ne'er saw this before.

[Exit OTHELLO.

Sure, there's some wonder in this handkerchief:
I am most unhappy in the loss of it.

Emil. 'Tis 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.

Enter IAGO and CASSIO.

Look you! Cassio, and my husband.

Iago. There is no other way; 'tis 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,

8 Why, so I can, SIR;] The folio alone omits "sir." In Othello's next speech, the folio has the for "that" of the two quartos.

The handkerchief,-] This iteration by Othello, and "I pray, talk me of Cassio," preceding it, are only in the quarto, 1622.

Away!] In the quarto, 1622, Othello makes his exit with "Zounds!" to which probably the Master of the Revels objected, as well as to " In faith" in the preceding line, which is altered in the folio to "In sooth." The quarto, 1630, agrees with the folio in these respects.

That by your virtuous means I may again
Exist, and be a member of his love,
Whom I, with all the office of my heart2,
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 alms3.

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 lord angry?

Emil.

He went hence but now;

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 angry1?

2

with all the OFFICE of my heart,] In the quarto, 1622, only, "with all the duty of my heart."

3 And shut myself up in some other course,

To fortune's alms.] So the folio and quarto, 1630: the quarto, 1622, has shoot for "shut." Possibly there is some corruption, and that we ought to read, "And set myself upon some other course,

To fortune's alms."

As, however, a meaning can, without much difficulty, be extracted from the old text, we do not vary from it.

4

and can he be angry?] The folio, "and is he angry?" inconsistently