amorous, and of pleasing address, favourite qualities
with women; he was handsome and eloquent, and exactly such a person as
might alarm the jealousy of a man advanced in years (as Othello in some
measure was), who had married a young and beautiful wife; but Othello
was as free from jealousy as he was noble, and as incapable of
suspecting as of doing a base action. He had employed this Cassio in his
love affair with Desdemona, and Cassio had been a sort of go-between in
his suit: for Othello, fearing that himself had not those soft parts of
conversation which please ladies, and finding these qualities in his
friend, would often depute Cassio to go (as he phrased it) a courting
for him: such innocent simplicity being rather an honour than a blemish
to the character of the valiant Moor. So that no wonder, if next to
Othello himself (but at far distance, as beseems a virtuous wife) the
gentle Desdemona loved and trusted Cassio. Nor had the marriage of this
couple made any difference in their behaviour to Michael Cassio. He
frequented their house, and his free and rattling talk was no unpleasing
variety to Othello, who was himself of a more serious temper: for such
tempers are observed often to delight in their contraries, as a relief
from the oppressive excess of their own: and Desdemona and Cassio would
talk and laugh together, as in the days when he went a courting for his
friend.

Othello had lately promoted Cassio to be the lieutenant, a place of
trust, and nearest to the general's person. This promotion gave great
offence to Iago, an older officer who thought he had a better claim than
Cassio, and would often ridicule Cassio as a fellow fit only for the
company of ladies, and one that knew no more of the art of war or how to
set an army in array for battle, than a girl. Iago hated Cassio, and he
hated Othello, as well for favouring Cassio, as for an unjust suspicion,
which he had lightly taken up against Othello, that the Moor was too
fond of Iago's wife Emilia. From these imaginary provocations, the
plotting mind of Iago conceived a horrid scheme of revenge, which should
involve both Cassio, the Moor, and Desdemona, in one common ruin.

Iago was artful, and had studied human nature deeply, and he knew that
of all the torments which afflict the mind of man (and far beyond bodily
torture), the pains of jealousy were the most intolerable, and had the
sorest sting. If he could succeed in making Othello jealous of Cassio,