William Shakespeare: Othello, Moor of Venice

ACT III. 3. SCENE III. Cyprus. The Garden of the Castle.

[Enter Desdemona, Cassio, and Emilia.]

DESDEMONA.
Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do
All my abilities in thy behalf.

EMILIA.
Good madam, do: I warrant it grieves my husband
As if the cause were his.

DESDEMONA.
O, that's an honest fellow.--Do not doubt, Cassio,
But I will have my lord and you again
As friendly as you were.

CASSIO.
Bounteous madam,
Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio,
He's never anything but your true servant.

DESDEMONA.
I know't,--I thank you. You do love my lord:
You have known him long; and be you well assur'd
He shall in strangeness stand no farther off
Than in a politic distance.

CASSIO.
Ay, but, lady,
That policy may either last so long,
Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,
Or breed itself so out of circumstance,
That, I being absent, and my place supplied,
My general will forget my love and service.

DESDEMONA.
Do not doubt that; before Emilia here
I give thee warrant of thy place: assure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it
To the last article: my lord shall never rest;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift;
I'll intermingle everything he does
With Cassio's suit: therefore be merry, Cassio;
For thy solicitor shall rather die
Than give thy cause away.

EMILIA.
Madam, here comes
My lord.

CASSIO.
Madam, I'll take my leave.

DESDEMONA.
Why, stay,
And hear me speak.

CASSIO.
Madam, not now. I am very ill at ease,
Unfit for mine own purposes.

DESDEMONA.
Well, do your discretion.

[Exit Cassio.]

[Enter Othello and Iago.]