Lod.Madam,good night; I humbly thank your ladyship. Oth. Will you walk, sir ?-0,-Desdemona,- Oth. Get you to bed on the instant; I will be returned forth with dismiss your attendant there; look,it be done. Des. I will, my lord. [Exe. OтH. LOD. and Attend. Emil. How goes it now? he looks gentler than he did. Des. He says, he will return incontinent; He hath commanded me to go to bed, And bade me to dismiss you. Emil. Dismiss me ! Des. It was his bidding; therefore, good Emilia, Give me my nightly wearing, and adieu : We must not now displease him. Emil. I would, you had never seen him! Des. So would not I; my love doth so approve him, That even his stubbornness, his checks, and frowns,Pr'ythee, unpin me,-have grace and favour in them. Emil. I have laid those sheets you bade me on the bed. Des. All's one.-Good father! how foolish are our minds! -If I do die before thee, pr'ythee, shroud me In one of those same sheets. Emil. Come, come, you talk. Des. My mother had a maid call'd-Barbara ; Des. No, unpin me here. This Lodovico is a proper man. Des. And he speaks well. Emil. I know a lady in Venice, who would have walked barefoot to Palestine, for a touch of his nether lip. [7] I have much ado to do any thing but hang my head. We might read, Not to go hang my head.This is perhaps the only insertion made in the latter editions which has improved the play. The rest seem to have been added for the sake of amplification, or of ornament. When the imagination had subsided, and the mind was no longer agitated by the horror of the ac tion, it became at leisure to look round for specious additions. This addition is natural, Desdemona can at first hardly forbear to sing the song; she endeavours to change her train of thoughts, but her imagination at last prevails, and she sings it. JOHNSON. I. Des. The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree, Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow, willow, willow: [Singing. The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans ; Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones ; Lay by these: Sing willow, willow, willow; Pr'ythee, hie thee; he'll come anon. Sing all a green willow must be my garland, II. Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve,— Nay, that's not next.-Hark! who is it that knocks? Des. I call'd my love false love; but what said he then ? c. If I court mo women, you'll couch with mo men. So, get thee gone; good night. Mine eyes do itch; Emil. 'Tis neither here nor there. Des.I have heard it said so.-O,these men, these men! Dost thou in conscience think,-tell me, Emilia, That there be women do abuse their husbands In such gross kind? Emil. There be some such, no question. Des. Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world? Emil. Why, would not you? Des. No, by this heavenly light! Emil. Nor I neither by this heavenly light; I might do't as well i'the dark. Des. Would'st thou do such a deed for all the world? Emil. The world is a huge thing: 'Tis a great price For a small vice. Des. Good troth, I think thou would'st not. Emil. By my troth, I think I should; and undo't, when I had done. Marry, I would not do such a thing for a joint-ring; nor for measures of lawn, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty exhibition : but, for the whole world,-Why, who would not make her husband a cuckold, to make him a monarch? I should venture purgatory for't. Des. Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong for the whole world. Emil. Why, the wrong is but a wrong i'the world; and, having the world for your labour, 'tis a wrong in your own world, and you might quickly make it right. Des. I do not think there is any such woman. Emil. Yes, a dozen; and as many To the vantage, as would store the world they play'd for. If wives do fall: Say, that they slack their duties, Or else break out in peevish jealousies, Throwing restraint upon us; or, say, they strike us, Why, we have galls; and, though we have some grace, Des.Goodnight,good night. Heaven me such usage send, Not to pick bad from bad; but, by bad, mend! [Exe. ACT V. SCENE I-A Street. Enter IAGO and RODERIGO. Iago. Here,stand behind this bulk; straight will he come. Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home; Quick, quick; fear nothing; I'll be at thy elbow. It makes us, or it mars us; think on that, And fix most firm thy resolution. Rod. Be near at hand; I may miscarry in't. Iago. Here, at thy hand; be bold, and take thy sword. [Retires to a little distance. Rod. I have no great devotion to the deed; And yet he has given me satisfying reasons:'Tis but a man gone :-Forth, my sword; he dies. [Goes to his stand. Iago. I have rubb'd this young quat almost to the sense, [8] A quat, in the midland counties, is a pimple, which by rubbing is made to smart, or is rubbed to sense. Roderigo is called a quat by the same And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio, Every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo, Of gold, and jewels, that I bobb'd from him, It must not be if Cassio do remain, He hath a daily beauty in his life, That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril : Rod. I know his gait, 'tis he ;-Villain, thou diest. I will make proof of thine. [Draws and wounds Rod. Rod. O, I am slain! [IAGO rushes from his post, cuts CASSIO behind in the leg, and exit. Cas.Iam maim'd for ever:-Help,ho! murder! murder! Enter OTHELLO, at a distance. [Falls. Oth. The voice of Cassio :-Iago keeps his word. Oth. Hark; 'tis even so. Cas. O, help! ho! light! a surgeon! Oth. 'Tis he ;-O brave Iago, honest, and just, That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong! Thou teachest me,-Minion, your dear lies dead, And your fate hies space :-Strumpet, I come : Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted; Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted. [Exit. Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO, at a distance. Cas. What,ho! no watch? no passage? 9 murder! murder! Gra. 'Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful. Cas. O, help! Lod. Hark Rod. O wretched villain ! Lod. Two or three groans;-it is a heavy night :* These may be counterfeits; let's think't unsafe To come in to the cry, without more help. Rod. No body come then shall I bleed to death. mode of speech, as a low fellow is now termed in low language, a scab. Te rub to the sense, is to rub to the quick. JOHNSON [9] No passengers? Nobody going by! JOHNSON. A thick cloudy night. in which an ambush may be laid. JOHNSON. Lod. Hark! Enter IAGO, with a light. Gra. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons. Iago. Who's there? whose noise is this, that cries on murder ? Cas. Here, here; for heaven's sake, help me. Gra. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it. Lod. The same, indeed; a very valiant fellow. Iago. What are you here that cry so grievously? Cas. Iago? O, I am spoil'd, undone by villains! Give me some help. Iago. O me, lieutenant! what villains have done this? Cas. I think that one of them is hereabout, And cannot make away. Iago. O treacherous villains ! What are you there? come in, and give some help. Rod. O, help me here ! Cas. That's one of them. [To LoD. and GRA. Tago.O murderous slave! O villain ! [IAGO stabs ROD. Rod. O damned Iago! O inhuman dog! O! O! O! lago. Kill men i'the dark! Where be these bloody thieves? How silent is this town!-Ho! murder! murder ! What may you be? are you of good, or evil? Lod. As you shall prove us, praise us. Jago. Signior Lodovico ? Lod. He, sir. Iago. I cry you mercy; here's Cassio hurt By villains. Gra Cassio? Iago. How is it, brother? Cas. My leg is cut in two. Iago. Marry, heaven forbid !— Light, gentlemen; I'll bind it with my shirt. Enter BIANCA. Bian. What is the matter, ho? who is't that cry'd? Iago. Who is't that cry'd? Bian. O my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio! O Cassio! Cassio Cassio! |