Of my whole courfe of love; what drugs, what Wherein I spake of most difastrous chances, charms, What conjuration, and what mighty magic, (For fuch proceeding I am charg'd withal) I won his daughter with. Bra. A maiden never bold; Of spirit fo ftill and quiet, that her motion Duke. To vouch this, is no proof; Oth. I do befeech you, Send for the lady to the Sagittary 2, And let her fpeak of me before her father: Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither. Duke. Say it, Othello. Oth. Her father lov'd me; oft invited me; I ran it through, even from my boyith days, Of moving accidents, by flood and field ; Of hair-breadth fcapes i' the imminent deadly breach; And fold to flavery; of my redemption thence, Wherein of antres 3 vaft, and defarts idle 4, It was my hint to speak, fuch was the process ; Would Defdemona feriously incline: But still the house affairs would draw her thence; 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful: She wifh'd, the had not heard it; yet the wifh'd And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her, Enter Defdemona, Iags, and Attendants. too. Good Brabantio, Take up this mangled matter at the best: Bra. I pray you, hear her speak; If the confefs, that the was half the wooer, 1 i. e. open proofs, external evidence. 9 This means the fign of the fictitious creature f called, i. e. an animal compounded of man and horfe, and armed with a bow and quiver. 31. e. caves, dons. Dr. Warburton remarks, that "Difcourfes of this nature made the fubject of the politest converfations, when voyages into, and difcoveries of, the new world were all in vogue. So when the Bastard Faulconbridge, in King John, defcribes the behaviour of upftart greatnefs, he makes one of the effential circumftances of it to be this kind of table-talk. The fashion then running altogether in this way, it is no wonder a young lady of quality fhould be ftruck with the hiftory of an adventurer.” Dr. Johnson adds, that "Whoever ridicules this account of the progrefs of love, fhews his ignorance, not only of hiftory, but of nature and manners. It is no wonder that, in any age, or in any nation, a lady, reclufe, timorous, and delicate, should defire to hear of events and fcenes which the could never fee, and fhould admire the man who had endured dangers, and performed actions, which, however great, were yet magnified by her timidity." 4 i. e. wild, ufclefs, uncultivated. 5 Dr. Johnon fays, "Of these men there is an account in the interpolated travels of Mandeville, a book of that time. 6 Intention and attention were once fynonymous. Destruction T Destruction on my head, if my bad blame Def. My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: Το you I am bound for life, and education; My life, and education, both do learn me How to refpect you; you are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter: But here's my And fo much duty as my mother shew'd Bra. God be with you!-I have done :- I here do give thee that with all my heart, Which, as a grife, or step, may help thefe lovers When remedies are paft, the griefs are ended, the place is best known to you: - And though we I find in hardness; and do undertake Duke. If you please, Be 't at her father's. Bra. I will not have it fo. Def. Nor I; I would not there refide, Duke. What would you, Defdemona ? Def. That I did love the Moor to live with him, I faw Othello's vifage in his mind 10; The robb'd, that fmiles, Iteals fomething from the So that, dear lords, if I be left behind, thief; He robs himself, that fpends a bootlefs grief. ftate. A moth of peace, and he go to the war, Oth. Your voices, lords:-1 do beseech you, let Vouch with me, heaven, I therefore beg it not, Nor to comply with heat, (the young affects, And heaven defend 12 your good fouls, that you think I will your ferious and great business fcant, For the is with me; No, when light-wing'd toys Duke. The Turk with a moft mighty prepara- Of feather'd Cupid feel with wanton dulnefs tion makes for Cyprus :-Othello, the fortitude of My fpeculative and active inftruments 13, avow. revenue. 6 i.e. acknowledge, confess, 1 Grize, from degrees. A grife is a step. 2 Meaning, the moral precepts of confolation, which are libe3 Dr. Johnfon obferves, that the confequence of a bruise rally beltowed on occafion of the fentence. is fometimes matter collected, and this can no way be cured without piercing, or letting it out. 5 A driven bed, is a beditor which the feathers are telected, 4 To flubber here means to obfcure. by driving with a fan, which feparates the light from the heavy. 8 Exhibition is allowance, and here implies 7 i. e. precedency fuitable to her rank. 10 i. e. The greatnefs of his character re9 i. c. Let your favour privilege me. Affects stands in this paffage not for love, but for paffions, for that by conciled me to his form. which any thing is affected. If it not, fays Othello, to please appetite, or fatisfy woofe defires, the paffions of youth which I have now outlived, or for any particular gratification of myself, but merely that 12 To defend, is to forbid, from defendre, Fr. I may indulge the wifkes of my wife. thefe words mean no more than this: When the pleasures and idle toys of love make me unfit either for er for the ready performance of them. Seeing the duties of my office, 13 All That That my difports corrupt and taint my business, Duke. Be it as you fhall privately determine, Oth. With all my heart. fhame to be fo fond; but it is not in my virtue ts amend it. Iago. Virtue? a fig! 'tis in ourselves, that we are thus, or thus. Our bodies are our gardens; to the which, our wills are gardeners: fo that if we will plant nettles, or fow lettuce; fet hyffop, and weed up thyme; fupply it with one gender of herbs, or diftract it with many; either have it steril with idleness, or manur'd with industry; why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our Duke. At nine i'the morning here we'll meet again. wills. If the balance of our lives had not one fcaleOthello, leave fome officer behind, of reafon to poife another of fenfuality, the blood If virtue no delighted beauty lack, She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee. [Exeunt Duke, and Senators. Red. It cannot be. Iago. It is merely a luft of the blood, and a She Iago. Well, if thou doft, I shall never love thee and all the tribe of hell, thou shalt enjoy her; after it. Why, thou filly gentleman! therefore make money. A pox of drowning thy Rod. It is fillinefs to live, when to live is a tor-felf! it is clean out of the way: feek thou rather ment and then have we a prefcription to die to be hang'd in compaffing thy joy, than to be when death is our physician. drown'd and go without her. Rod. Wilt thou be faft to my hopes, if I depend Iago. O villainous! I have look'd upon the world for four times feven years: and fince I could on the iffue? diftinguish betwixt a benefit and an injury, I never Lago. Thou art fure of me ;-Go, make money: found man that knew how to love himself. Ere I-I have told thee often, and I re-tell thee again would fay, I would drown myself for the love of and again, I hate the Moor: My cause is hearted; a Guinea hen 3, I would change my humanity thine hath no less reason: Let us be conjunctive with a baboon. in our revenge against him: if thou canft cuckold Rad. What should I do? I confefs, it is my him, thou doft thyself a pleasure, and me a fport. 1 Delighted, for delighting, or delightful. Shakspeare often uses the active and paffive participles indifcriminately. 2 i. e. faireft opportunity. 3 A Guinea-hen was anciently the cant term for a prostitute. 4 A fell is what the more modern gardeners call a cutting. 5 Todefeat, is to undo, to change. 6 The poet probably here uses fequeftration for fequel. Sequeftration, however, may mean no more than feparation. 7 The fruit of the locuft-tree is a long black pod, which contains the reeds, among which there is a very sweet luscious juice of much the fame confiftency as fresh honey. There are many events in the womb, of time, (He has done my office; I know not, if 't be true; which will be delivered. Traverie; go; provide But I for mere fufpicion in that kind, thy money. We will have more of this to-mor-Will do, as if for furety. He holds me well; row. Adieu. Rod. Where fhall we meet i' the morning? Iago. At my lodging. Kod. I'll be with thee betimes. Iago. Go to; farewel. Rod. What fay you ? Do you hear, Roderigo? Lago. No more of drowning, do you hear. Rad. I am chang'd. I'll go fell all my land. Iago. Go to; farewel; put money enough in your purse. [Exit Roderigo. Thus do I ever make my fool my purfe: For I mine own gain'd knowledge thould profane, If I thould time expend with fuch a snipe, But for my sport, and profit. I hate the Moor; And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets The better thall my purpose work on him. Caffio's a proper man: Let me fee now; To get his place, and to plume up my will, I have 't ;-it is engender'd: Hell and night 1 АСТ II. 1 Gent. Nothing at all: it is a high-wrought I cannot, 'twixt the heaven and the main, Defery a fail. [land; Mont. Methinks, the wind hath fpoke aloud at A fuller blaft ne'er fhook our battlements : On the enchafed flood. Mont. If that the Turkish fleet [main, Mont. How is this true? Gent. The thip is here put in, Mont. I am glad on't; 'tis a worthy governor. Touching the Turkish lofs,-yet he looks fadly, Mont. Pray heaven he be; For I have ferv'd him, and the man commands Gent. Come, let's do fo: Enter Caffio. Caf. Thanks to the valiant of this warlike isle, Be not infhelter'd, and embay'd, they are drown'd; That fo approve the Moor; O let the heavens It is impoflible they bear it out. Enten a third Gentleman. 3 Gent. News, lords! our wars are done : Hath feen a grievous wreck and sufferance Alluding to the ftar Artophylax. Give him defence against the elements, Caf. His bark is ftoutly timber'd, and his pilot Of very expert and approv'd allowance 3 ; Therefore my hopes. not furfeited to death, Stand in bold cure 4. Within.] A fail, a fail, a fail!` 2 By a Veronese a fhip of Verona is denoted. 3 Expert and approv'd allowance is put for allow'd and approv'd expertness. 4 The meaning, Mr. Steevens thinks, is, Therefore, my hopes, not being deftroyed by their own excefs, but being reasonable and moderate, are likely to be fulfilled. Caf. Iago. Sir, would she give you so much of hef As of her tongue the oft bestows on me, Def. Alas, the has no fpeech. I find it ftill, when I have lift to fleep; Emil. You have little caufe to fay fo. Iago. Come on, come on; you are pictures out Bells in your parlours, wild cats in your kitchens, Does bear all excellency -How now? who has Players in your housewifery, and housewives in put in ? Re-enter Gentleman. Caf. She that I fpake of, our great captain's Enter Difdemona, lago, Roderigo, and Emilia. Def. I thank you, valiant Caffio. Caf. He is not yet arriv'd; nor know I aught Def. O, but I fear;-How loft you company? [Guns beard. Gent. They give this greeting to the citadel; This likewife is a friend. Caf. See for the news.- [An attendant goes out. your beds. Def. O, fie upon thee, flanderer! Iago. Nay, it is true, or elfe I am Turk; You rife to play, and go to bed to work. Emil. You fhall not write my praife. Def. I am not merry; but I do beguile Lago. I am about it; but, indeed, my invention If the be fair and wife,-fairnefs, and wit, Def. Well prais'd! How if the be black and Iago. If the be black, and thereto have a wit, She'll find a white that fhall her blacknefs fit. Def. Worfe and worse. Emil. How, if fair and foolish? Iago. She never yet was foolish that was fair; For even her folly help'd her to an heir. Def. Thefe are old fond paradoxes, to make fools laugh i'the alehoufe. What miferable praise haft thou for her that's foul and foolish ? Iago. There's none fo foul, and foolish thereunto, But does foul pranks which fair and wife ones do.' Def. O heavy ignorance!-thou praifeft the worst beft. But what praife couldst thou bestow on a deferving woman indeed ? one, that, in the authority of her merit, did justly put on the vouch [Kiffes ber. of very malice itfelf 3? That is, She excels the praifes of invention, and in real (the author feeming to ufe effential for real) qualities, with which creation has invefted her; bears all excellency. 2 That is, cenforious. 3 Dr. Johnfon fays, To put on the vouch of malice, is to allume a character vouched by the teftimony of malice itself. lags. |