Fall'n in the practice of a damnèd slave,

What shall be said to thee?

Oth.

Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you will;

For naught I did in hate, but all in honour.

Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villany:
Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?
Oth. Ay.

Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause.
Oth. I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil
Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body?

lago. Demand me nothing: what you know, you know:

From this time forth I never will speak word.

Lod. What, not to pray?
Gra.

Oth. Well, thou dost best.

Torments will ope your lips.

Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n. Which, as I think, you know not. Here's a letter Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo;

And here another: the one of them imports

The death of Cassio to be undertook

By Roderigo.

Oth. O villain!

Cas.

Most heathenish and most gross!

Lod. Now here's another discontented paper, Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems, Roderigo meant t' have sent this damned villain; But that, belike, Iago in the interim

Came in and satisfied him.

And he himself confess'd but even now
That there he dropp'd it for a special purpose
Which wrought to his desire.

Oth.

O fool! fool! fool!

Cas. There is besides in Roderigo's letter, How he upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came That I was cast: and even but now he spake, After long seeming dead, — Iago hurt him, Iago set him on.

Lod. You must forsake this room, and go with us:
Your power and your command is taken off,

And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave,
If there be any cunning cruelty

That can torment him much and hold him long,
It shall be his. You shall close prisoner rest,
Till that the nature of your fault be known
To the Venetian state. Come, bring away.

Oth. Soft you; a word or two before you go.
I've done the state some service, and they know't;
No more of that. I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak
Of one that lov'd not wisely, but too well;

Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought,
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away

Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdu'd eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,

Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees

Their med'cinable gum. Set you down this;
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban'd Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduc'd the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog,
And smote him thus.

Lod. O bloody period!

Gra.

[Stabs himself with a dagger.

All that's spoke is marr'd.

Oth. I kiss'd thee ere I kill'd thee: no way but this, [Falling upon Desdemona.

[Dies.

Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.
Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon;

For he was great of heart.
Lod. [to Iago.]

O Spartan dog,

More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea!
Look on the tragic loading of this bed;

This is thy work:

Let it be hid.

the object poisons sight; Gratiano, keep the house,

you,

lord

governor,

And seize upon the fortunes of the Moor,
For they succeed on you. To
Remains the censure of this hellish villain;
The time, the place, the torture,
Myself will straight aboard, and to the state
This heavy act with heavy heart relate.

- O, enforce it!

[Exeunt.

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE I. Alexandria. A room in CLEOPATRA's palace

Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.

Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes, Shakespeare. VI.

21

17

That o'er the files and musters of the war

Have glow'd like plated Mars', now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,

Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst

The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,

And is become the bellows and the fan

To cool a gipsy's lust. [Flourish within.] Look where they come : Take but good note, and you shall see in him

The triple pillar of the world transform'd

Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their Train; Eunuchs fanning her.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.

Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd. Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:
Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you, "Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;

Perform't, or else we damn thee."

Ant.
Cleo.

How, my love!

Perchance! nay, and most like:

You must not stay here longer,

- your dismission

Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.

Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's I would say?— both? Call in the messengers. - As I'm Egypt's queen,

shame

Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays
When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds.

The messengers!