ACT III.

SCENE I.

SCENE Othello's Palace.

Enter Caffio, Musicians, and Clown.

Caf. MAS

Afters, play here, I will content your Pains,
Something that's brief; and bid good mor-

row, General.

Clown. Why, Mafters, have your Inftruments been in Naples, that they fpeak i'th' Nofe thus ?

Muf. How, Sir, how?

Clown. Are thefe, I pray you, wind Inftruments?
Muf. Ay, marry are they, Sir.

Clown. Oh, thereby hangs a Tale.

Muf. Whereby hangs a Tale, Sir?

Clown. Marry, Sir, by many a wind Inftrument that I know. But, Mafters, here's Mony for you: And the General fo likes your Mufick, that he defires you for loves Sake to make no Noife with it.

Muf. Well, Sir, we will not.

Clown. If you have any Mufick that may not be heard, to't again. But, as they fay, to hear Mufick, the General does not greatly care.

Muf. We have none fuch, Sir.

Clown. Then put up your Pipes in your Bag, for I'll away. Go, vanish into Air, away.

[Exit Muf. Caf. Doft thou hear me, mine honeft Friend? Clown. No, I hear not your honeft Friend; I hear you. Caf. Prethee, keep up thy Quillets, there's a poor piece of Gold for thee: If the Gentlewoman that attends the General's Wife be ftirring, tell her there's one Caffio entreats of her a little Favour of Speech. Wilt thou do this? Clown. She is ftirring, Sir, if the will ftir hither, I fhall [Exit Clown.

feem to notifie unto her.

Caf. Do my good Friend.

In happy time, Fago.

Enter Jago.

Jago. You have not been a-bed then?

Caf.

Caf. Why, no; the day had broke before we parted.
I have made bold, Jago, to fend in to your Wife;
My fuit to her is, that the will to virtuous Desdemona
Procure me fome accefs.

Jago. I'll fend her to you prefently:

'And I'll devife a Mean to draw the Moor

Out of the way, that your Converfe and Bufinefs
May be more free.

Caf. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew
A Florentine more kind and honeft.

Enter Emilia.

[Exit.

Emil. Good morrow, good Lieutenant, I am forry
For your Displeasure; but all will fure be well.
The General and his Wife are talking of it;

And the fpeaks for you ftoutly. The Moor replies;
That he you hurt is of great Fame in Cyprus,

And great Affinity; and that in wholfom Wisdom'

He might not but refufe you. But he protests he loves you, And needs no other Suitor but his likings,

To bring you in again.

Caf. Yet, I beseech you,

If you think fit, or that it may be done,
Give me Advantage of fome brief Difcourfe
With Defdemon alone.

Amil. Pray, come in ;

I will beftow you where you fhall have time
To fpeak your Bofom freely.

Caf. I am much bound to you.

Enter Othello, Jago, and Gentlemen.
Oth. These Letters give, Jago, to the Pilot,
And by him do my Duties to the Senate;
That done, I will be walking on the Works,
Repair there to me.

Jago. Well, my good Lord, I'll do't.

[Exeunt.

Oth. This Fortification, Gentlemen, fhall we fee't?
Gent. We'll wait upon your Lordship.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE II. An Apartment.

Enter Desdemona, Caffio, and Emilia,

Def. Be thou affur'd, good Caffio, I will do All my Abilities in thy behalf.

Amil. Good Madam, do;

I warrant it grieves my Husband,
As if the Caufe were his.

Def. Oh that's an honeft Fellow; do not doubt, Caffio, But I will have my Lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Bounteous Madam,

Whatever fhall become of Michael Caffio,
He's never any thing but your true Servant.
Def. I know't, I thank you; you do love my Lord,
You have known him long, and be you well affur'd,
He shall in ftrangenefs ftand no farther off,
Than in a politick distance.

Caf. Ay, but Lady,

That Policy may either laft fo long,
Or feed upon fuch nice and waterih Diet,
Or breed it felf fo out of Circumftances,
That I being abfent, and my place fupply'd,
My General will forget my Love and Service.
Def. Do not doubt that; before Æmilia here,
I give thee Warrant of thy place. Affure thee,
If I do vow a Friendship, I'll perform it

To the laft Article. My Lord shall never reft,
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of Patience;
His Bed fhall feem a School, his Boord a Shrift,
I'll intermingle every thing he do's

With Caffio's fuit: Therefore be merry, Caffio,
For thy Sollicitor fhall rather die,

Than give thy Caufe away.

Enter Othello and Jago.

Emil. Madam, here comes my Lord.

Caf. Madam, I'll take my leave.

Def. Why ftay, and hear me speak,

Caf

Caf. Madam, not now; I am very ill at eafe.
Unfit for mine own purposes.
Def. Well, do your difcretion.
Fago. Hah? I like not that.

Oth. What doft thou fay?

[Exit Caffio.

Jago. Nothing, my Lord; or if I know not what. Oth. Was not that Caffio parted from my Wife? Jago. Caffio, my Lord? No fure, I cannot think it, That he would fteal away fo guilty-like,

Seeing you coming.

Oth. I do believe 'twas he.

Def. How now, my Lord?

I have been talking with a Suitor 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 prethee call him back.

Oth. Went he hence now?

Def. In 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 fhali't be fhortly?

Oth. The fooner, Sweet, for you.
Def. Shall't be to Night, at Supper?
Oth. No, 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, on Tuesday morn,
On Tuesday noon, or night; on Wednesday morn.
I prethee name the time, but let it not
Exceed three Days; in faith he's Penitent :
And yet his Trefpafs, in our common Reafon,
Save that they fay the Wars must make Example,

Out

Out of their best, is not almost a Fault
T'incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my Soul
What you would ask me, that I would deny,
Or ftand fo mam'ring on? What? Michael Caffio ! ----
That came a wooing with you; and fo many a time
When I have spoke of you difpraifingly

Hath ta'en your part, to have fo much to do
To bring him in? Truft me, I could do much.
Oth. Prethee 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 nourifhirg Dishes, or keep you warm,
Or fue to you, to do a peculiar Profit
To your Perfon. Nay, when I have fuit,
Wherein I mean to touch your Love indeed,
It shall be full of Poize, and difficult weight,
And fearful to be granted.

Oth. I will deny thee nothing.
Whereon I do befeech thee, grant me this,
To leave me but a little to my felf.

Def. Shall I deny you? No: Farewel, my Lord.

Oth. Farewel, my Desdemona, I'll come to thee ftraight. Def. Emilia, come; be as your Fancies teach you: Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

Oth. Excellent Wretch! Perdition catch my Soul, 'But I do love thee; and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.

Jago. My noble Lord.

Oth. What doft thou fay, Jago?

Jago. Did Michael Caffio,

When you woo'd my Lady, know of your Love?

Oth. He did, from first to last ;

Why doft thou ask?

Jago. But for a Satisfaction of my Thought,

No further harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Jago?

[Exit.

Jago. I did not think he had been acquainted with it.

Oth. O yes, and went between us very oft.

Fago.