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IAGO Touch me not so near:
I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth
Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio; Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth
Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, general. Montano and myself being in speech,
There comes a fellow crying out for help: And Cassio following him with determined sword,
To execute upon him. Sir, this gentleman Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause:
Myself the crying fellow did pursue, Lest by his clamour--as it so fell out--
The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Outran my purpose; and I return'd the rather For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
And Cassio high in oath; which till to-night I ne'er might say before. When I came back--
For this was brief--I found them close together, At blow and thrust; even as again they were
When you yourself did part them. More of this matter cannot I report:
But men are men; the best sometimes forget: Though Cassio did some little wrong to him,
As men in rage strike those that wish them best,
Yet surely Cassio, I believe, received From him that fled some strange indignity,
Which patience could not pass. OTHELLO
I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter,
Making it light to Cassio. Cassio, I love thee
But never more be officer of mine. Re-enter DESDEMONA, attended
Look, if my gentle love be not raised up! I'll make thee an example.
DESDEMONA What's the matter?
OTHELLO All's well now, sweeting; come away to bed.
Sir, for your hurts, myself will be your surgeon: Lead him off.
To MONTANO, who is led off
Iago, look with care about the town, And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted.
Come, Desdemona: 'tis the soldiers' life To have their balmy slumbers waked with strife.
Exeunt all but IAGO and CASSIO
IAGO What, are you hurt, lieutenant?
CASSIO Ay, past all surgery.
IAGO Marry, heaven forbid!
CASSIO Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have
lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part
of myself, and what remains is ***. My reputation,
Iago, my reputation! IAGO
As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more sense in
that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most
false imposition: oft got without merit, and lost
without deserving: you have lost no reputation at
all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What,
man! there are ways to recover the general again:
you are but now cast in his mood, a punishment
more in policy than in malice, even so as one would
beat his offenceless dog to affright an imperious lion:
sue to him again, and he's yours.
CASSIO I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive
so good a commander with so slight, so drunken,
and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot?
and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow? O thou invisible
spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by,
let us call thee devil! IAGO
What was he that you followed with your sword? What
had he done to you? CASSIO
I know not. IAGO
Is't possible? CASSIO
I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. O God, that
men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal
away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance
revel and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!
IAGO Why, but you are now well enough: how came
you thus recovered?
CASSIO It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give
place to the devil wrath; one unperfectness shows
me another, to make me frankly despise myself.
IAGO Come, you are too severe a moraler: as the
time, the place, and the condition of this country
stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen;
but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good.
CASSIO I will ask him for my place again; he shall
tell me I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra,
such an answer would stop them all. To be now a
sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a
beast! O strange! Every inordinate cup is unblessed and the ingredient is a devil.
IAGO Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature,
if it be well used: exclaim no more against it.
And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.
CASSIO I have well approved it, sir. I drunk!
IAGO You or any man living may be drunk! at a time,
man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's
wife is now the general: may say so in this respect,
for that he hath devoted and given up himself
to the contemplation, mark, and denotement of her
parts and graces: confess yourself freely to her; importune
her help to put you in your place again: she is of
so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to
do more than she is requested: this broken joint between
you and her husband entreat her to splinter; and, my
fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than
it was before. CASSIO
You advise me well. IAGO
I protest, in the sincerity of love and honest kindness.
CASSIO I think it freely; and betimes in the morning
I will beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake
for me: I am desperate of my fortunes if they cheque
me here. IAGO
You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant; I
must to the watch. CASSIO: Good night, honest Iago.
Exit
IAGO And what's he then that says I play the villain?
When this advice is free I give and honest, Probal to thinking and indeed the course
To win the Moor again? For 'tis most easy The inclining Desdemona to subdue
In any honest suit: she's framed as fruitful As the free elements. And then for her
To win the Moor--were't to renounce his baptism, All seals and symbols of redeemed sin,
His soul is so enfetter'd to her love, That she may make, unmake, do what she list,
Even as her appetite shall play the god With his weak function. How am I then a villain
To counsel Cassio to this parallel course, Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!
When devils will the blackest sins put on, They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,
As I do now: for whiles this honest fool Plies Desdemona to repair his fortunes
And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor, I'll pour this pestilence into his ear,
That she repeals him for her body's ***; And by how much she strives to do him good,
She shall undo her credit with the Moor. So will I turn her virtue into pitch,
And out of her own goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all.