Iago. Nothing, my Lord; or if-I know not what. Oth. Was not that Caffio, parted from my wife? Iago. Caffio, my Lord? no, fure, I cannot think it, That he would fteal away fo guilty-like, Seeing you coming.

Oth. I believe, 'twas he.

Def. How now, my Lord?

I have been talking with a fuitor here,
A man that languishes in your difpleasure.
Oth. Who is't you mean?

Def. Why, your lieutenant Caffio. Good my Lord, If I have any grace, or power to move you,

* His prefent 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 honeft face.
I pr'ythee, call him back.

Oth. Went he hence now?
Def. I'footh, fo humbled,

That he hath left part of his grief with me,
To fuffer with him. Good love, call him back.
Oth. Not now, fweet Desdemona; fome other time.
Def. But fhall't be shortly?

Oth. The fooner, Sweet, for you.
Def. Shall't be to-night at fupper?
Oth. Not to night.

Def. To-morrow dinner then?
Oth. I fhall not dine at home.

I meet the Captains at the citadel.

Def. Why then to-morrow night, or Tuesday morn,

Or Tuesday noon, or night, or Wednesday morn,
I pr'ythee, name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days; in faith, he's penitent,
And yet his trefpafs, in our common reason,
Save that, they fay, the wars must make examples
Out of their beft, is not almoft a fault

4

T'incur a private check.

When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my foul,

What you should ask me, that I would deny,
Or ftand fo mummering on? What? Michael Caffio!
That came a wooing with you, and many a time,
When I have fpoke of you difpraifingly,

Hath ta'en your part, to have so much to do
To bring him in? Truft me, I could do much-
Oth. Pr'ythee, no more. Let him come when he
will,

I will deny thee nothing.

Def. Why, this is not a boon.

'Tis as I fhould entreat you wear your gloves,
Or feed on nourishing meats, or keep you warm;
Or fue to you, to do peculiar profit

To your own perfon. Nay, when I have fuit,
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It fhall be full of poife and difficulty,

And fearful to be granted:

Ob. I will deny thee nothing;

Whereon I do befeech thee, grant me this,
To leave me but a little to myself.

Def. Shall I deny you? No. Farewel, my Lord,
Oth. Farewel, my Defdemona; I'll come ftraight.
Def. Emilia, come. Be as your fancies teach you:
Whate'er you be, I am obedient.
[Exeunt.

4

-the wars must make ex

amples Out of their beft,] The Severity of military difcipline

muft not spare the best men of the army, when their punishment may afford a wholesome example.

SCENE

SCENE V.

Manent Othello, and Iago.

Oib. Excellent Wretch!Perdition catch my foul,

But I do love thee; and when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again.

Iago. My noble Lord,

Oth. What doft thou fay, Iago?

Jago. Did Michael Caffio, when you woo'd my lady,

Oth. He did, from first to laft. Why doft thou ask?

Cc 4

Iago. But for a fatisfaction of my thought, No farther harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Iago. I did not think, he had been acquainted with

it.

Oth. Oh, yes, and went between us very oft.
Iago. Indeed!

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed. Difcern'ft thou aught in that?

Is he not honeft?

Iago. Honest, my Lord?

Oth. Honeft? ay, honest.

Iago. My Lord, for aught I know..
Oth. What doft thou think?

Iago. Think, my Lord!-

Oth. Think, my Lord! why doft thou echo

me;

As if there were fome monster in thy thought,
Too hideous to be fhewn? Thou doft mean fome-

thing:

I heard thee fay but now, thou lik'dft not that,-
When Caffio left my wife. What did❜ft not like?
And when I told thee, he was of my counfel,
In my whole courfe of wooing, thou cry'dft, indeed?
And didft contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadft fhut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit. If thou doft love me,
Shew me thy thought.

Iago. My Lord, you know, I love you.
Oth. I think, thou doft:

And for I know, thou art full of love and honesty,
And weigh'ft thy words before thou giv'ft them

breath,

Therefore these ftops of thine fright me the more. For fuch things, in a falfe difloyal knave,

Are tricks of custom; but, in a man that's juft,

They're

They're close dilations working from the heart, That paffion cannot rule.

Iago. For Michael Caffio,

I dare be sworn, I think, that he is honeft.

Oth. I think so too.

lage. Men fhould be what they feem;

* Or, those that be not, 'would they might feem none! Oth. Certain, men should be what they seem.

Iago. Why, then, I think, Caffio's an honeft man.
Oth. Nay, yet there's more in this;

I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings,
As thou doft ruminate; and give thy worst of
thoughts

The worst of words.

Iago. Good my Lord, pardon me. Though I am bound to every act of duty, I am not bound to that, all slaves are free to. Utter my thoughts!Why, fay, they're vile and

false;

tions, except that the earlier quarto has clofe denotements; which was the authour's first expreffion, afterwards changed by him, not to cold dilation, for cald is read in no ancient copy nor, I believe, to clofe dilations, butto close delations; to occult and fecret accufations, working involuntarily from the heart, which tho refolved to conceal the fault, cannot rule its paffion of resentment.

Or, thofe that be not, 'would they might feem NONE!] There is no fenfe in this reading. I fuppofe Shakespear wrote,

KNAVES.

would they might feem WARB. I believe the meaning is, would they might no longer feem, or bear the fhape of men. As