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Some good man bear him carefully from hence
I'll fetch the General's furgeon. For you, mistress,
[To Bianca.
Save you your labour. He that lies flain here, Caffio,
Was my dear friend. What malice was between you?
Caf. None in the world; nor do I know the man.
Iago. [To Bian.] What, look you pale?—Oh, bear
him out o' th' air.

Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, miftrefs?
Do you perceive the gaftness of her eye?
Nay, if you ftare, we fhall hear more anon.
Behold her well, I pray you, look upon her;
Do you fee, gentlemen? Nay, guiltinefs
Will fpeak, though tongues were out of use.

SCENE V.

Enter Emilia.

Emil. Alas, what is the matter?
What is the matter, hufband?

Iago. Caffio hath there been fet on in the dark
By Roderigo, and fellows that are 'scap'd:
He's almoft flain, and Roderigo dead.

Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Caffia!
Iago. This is the fruit of whoring-Pray, Emilia,
Go know of Caffio where he fupt to-night.
What, do you shake at that?

Bian. He fupt at my house, but I therefore shake

not.

Iago. Oh, did he fo? I charge you go with me.
Emil. Oh fy upon thee, ftrumpet!

Bian. I am no ftrumpet, but of life as honest

As you that thus abuse me.

Emil. As I? fy upon thee!

Iago. Kind gentlemen, let's fee poor Caffio dreft.

Come, miftrefs, you must tell's another tale.

Emilia,

Emilia, run you to the citadel,
And tell my Lord and lady what hath happ'd.
Will you go on.afore?This is the night,
That either makes me, or foredoes me quite.

[Exeunt, Iago following.

SCENE VI.

A Bed-chamber: Defdemona is difcovered afleep in ber bed.

Oth. 3

Enter Othello, with a Light and a Sword.

Tis the cause, it is the cause, my foul;

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Let me not name it to you, you chatte Stars! It is the cause. Yet I'll not thed her Blood, Nor fear that whiter skin of hers than fnow, And smooth as monumental alabafter.

[Lays down the fword.

Yet fhe muft die; elfe fhe'll betray more men.
4 Put out the light, and, then-Put out the light?
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,
I can again thy former light reftore,

3 It is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul;

Let me not name it- -] The abruptnefs of this foliloquy makes it obfcure, The meaning I think is this. I am here, fays Othello in his mind, overwhelmed with horror. What is the reaJon of this perturbation? Is it want of refolution to do juftice? Is it the dread of shedding blood? No; it is not the action that frocks me, but it is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul; let me not name it to you, ye chafte ftars! it is the fluff,

Should

4 Put out the light, and then

put out the light.] This, I conceive, to have been the poet's meaning. Othello, ftruck in part with remorfe at the murder he's going to do, thinks it best to do it in the dark; this compunction of nature, in the hurry and perturbation of thought, and thofe remains of tenderness fill combating in his bofom, trikes him into an inftant reflexion, that if he puts out the light he can rekindle it; but if he once puts out the light of her life, that will be extinguifh'd for ever. Gg 4 While

Should I repent: but once put out thy light,
Thou cunning'ft pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Fromethean heat,
That can thy light re-lumine.
When I have pluck'd thy rofe,

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[Sets down the taper.

I cannot give it vital growth again;

It needs muft wither.I'll fmell it on the tree;

[Kifling ber. Oh balmy breath, that doft almost perfuade Juftice to break her fword?-One more; one more. Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, And love thee after-One more; that's the last. So fweet, was ne'er fo fatal! I must weep, But they are cruel tears. 5 This forrow's heavenly It ftrikes, where it doth love. She wakesDef. Who's there? Othello?

Oth. Ay, Desdemona.

Def. Will you come to bed, my Lord?
Otb. Have you pray'd to night, Desdemona?
Def. Ay, my Lord.

Oib. If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconcil'd as yet to heaven, and grace,

While he is bufied in this contemplation, he throws his eyes towards her; and then, footh'd with her beauteous appearance, fets down the light, to go and kifs her. Upon this, Defdemona wakes; and they continue in difcourfe together till he ftifies her. THEOB.

Put out the light, and thenPut out the light? So it fhould be printed. The meaning is, I will put out the light, and then proceed to the execution of my purpose. But the expreffion of putting out the light, bringing to mind the effects of the extinction of the light of life,

he breaks fhort, and questions himself about the effects of this metaphorical extinction, introduced by a repetition of his first words, as much as to fay. But hold, let me first weigh the reflexions which this expreffion fo naturally excites. WARE.

5-This Scrrow's heavenly ;] This tenderness, with which I lament the punishment which juftice compels me to inflict, is a holy paffion.

I wish these two lines could be honeftly ejected. It is the fate of Shakespeare to counteract his own pathos.

Solicit

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Solicit for it straight.

Def. Alack, my Lord,

What may you mean by that?

Oth. Well, do it, and be brief. I will walk by,
I would not kill thy unprepared fpirit,

No, heavens forefend! I would not kill thy foul.
Def. Talk you of killing?

Oth. Ay, I do.

Def. Then heaven have mercy on me!
Oth. Amen, with all my heart.

Def. If you fay fo, I hope you will not kill me.
Oth. Hum.

Def. And yet I fear you; for you're fatal then,
When your eyes rowl fo. Why I fhould fear, I know

not,

Since guilt I know not; yet, I feel, I fear.

Oth. Think on thy fins.

Def. They're Loves I bear to you.

Oth. Ay, and for that thou dy'st.

Def. That death's unnatural, that kills for loving,

Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip?

Some bloody passion shakes your very frame;
These are portents, but yet I hope, I hope,

They do not point on me.

Oth. Peace, and be still.

Def. I will fo. What's the matter?

Oth. That handkerchief.

Which I fo lov'd, and gave thee, thou gav't Caffio.
Def. No, by my life and foul. Send for the man,
And ask him.

Oth. Sweet Soul, take heed, take heed of perjury;
Thou art on thy death-bed.

Def. Ay, but not yet to die.

Oth. Prefently;

Therefore confefs thee freely of thy fin;

For to deny each article with oath,

Cannot remove, nor choak the ftrong conception.

That

That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.
Def. Oh, heaven have mercy on me!
Oth. I fay, amen.

Def. And have you mercy too!-I never did
Offend you in my life; never lov'd Caffio,
But with fuch general warranty of heaven,
As I might love. I never gave him token.

Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in's hand.
Oh perjur'd woman! thou doft ftone my heart,
And mak'ft me call, what I intend to do,

A murder, which I thought a facrifice. I saw the handkerchief.

Def. He found it then;

I never gave it him. Send for him hither,
Let him confefs a truth.

Oth. He hath confeft.

Def. What, my Lord?

Oth. That he hath-us'd thee

Def. How? unlawfully?

Oth. Ay.

Def. He will not say so.

Oth. No, his mouth is stopp'd.

Honeft Iago hath ta'en order for 't.

Def. My fear interprets then. What, is he dead? Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge Had ftomach for them all.

Def. Alas, he is betray'd, and I undone.

6 A muraer, which I thought a facrifice] This line is difficult. Thou haft harden'd my heart, and makeft me kill thee with the rage of a murderer, when I thought to have facrificed thee to jullice with the calmness of a prieft ftriking a victim.

It must not be omitted, that one of the elder quarto's reads, thou do fune thy heart; which I

The

fufpect to be genuine,
meaning then will be, thou forceft
me to difmifs thee from the world
in the ftate of the murdered with-
out preparation for death, when
I intended that thy punishment
fhould have been a fucrifice at-
toning for thy crime.

I am glad that I have ended
my revifal of this dreadful scene,
It is not to be endured.
Qtb.

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