Imatges de pàgina
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Enter Othello, Iago, and Gentlemen. Oth. These letters give, Iago, 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.

lago. My good Lord, I'll do't.

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

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

Enter Desdemona, Caffio, and Æmilia,

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

[band

Emil. Good Madam, do: I know it grieves my huf

As if the cause were his.

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

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Moft bounteous Madam, Whatever shall become of Michael Caffio,

He's never any thing but your true fervant.

Def. I know't, I thank you; you do love my Lord, You've known him long; and, be you well affur'd, He fhall in ftrangenefs ftand no farther off Than in a politic distance.

Caf. Ay, but, lady,

That policy may either laft fo long,
Or feed upon fuch nice and waterih diet,
Or breed itself fo out of circumstances,
That I being abfent, and my place supply'd,
My General will forget my love and fervice.

Def. Do not doubt that; before Emilia 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 fhall never reft;
I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed fhall feem a school, his board a fhrift;

I'll intermingle every thing he does
With Caffio's fuit; therefore be merry, Caffio;
For thy folicitor fhall rather die,

Than give thy cause away.

Enter Othello, and Iago, at a distance.

Emil. Madam, here comes my Lord.
Caf. Madam, I'll take my leave.
Def. Why, ftay, and hear me speak.

Caf. Madam, not now; I am very ill at ease,

Unfit for mine own purposes.

Def. Well, do your discretion.

lago. Ha! I like not that.

Oth. What doft thou say?

[Exit Caffio.

Tago. Nothing, my Lord; or if-I know not what. Oth. Was not that Caffio, parted from my wife? Iago. Caffio, my Lord? no, fure, I cannot think it, That he would fteal away fo guilty-like, Seeing you coming.

Oth. I believe 'twas he.

Def. How now, my Lord?

I have been talking with a fuitor here,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.
Oth. Who is't you mean?

Def. Why, your lieutenant Caffio.

Good my Lord,

IfI 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 honest face.

I pry'thee call him back.

Oth. Went he hence now?

Def. I, 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 fhall't be fhortly?

Oth. The fooner, Sweet, for you.'
Def. Shall't be to night at fupper?
Oth. Not to-night.

Def.

Def. To-morrow at dinner then?
Oth. I fhall not dine at home;

I meet the Captains at the citadel.

Def. Why then to morrow night, or Tuesday morn,
Or Tuesday noon, or night, or Wednesday morn,
I pry'thee, 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 examples
Out of their beft,) is not almoft a fault

T'incur a private check. When shall he come ?
Tell me Orbello. I wonder in my foul,

What you would ask me, that I would deny,
Or ftand so mutt'ring on? what? Michael Caffio!-
That came a wooing with you, and many a time,
When I 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. Pry'thee, no more; let him come when he will,

I will deny thee nothing.

Def. Why this is not a boon :

"Tis as I fhould intreat you wear your gloves,
Or feed on nourishing meats, or keep you warm
Or fure to you, to do peculiar profit

To your own perfon. Nay, when I have fuit,
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It fhall be full of poize and difficulty,
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 myself..

Def. Shall I deny you? no: Farewel, my Lord.
Oth. Farewel, my Desdemona, I'll come trait.

Def. Emilia, come; be, as your fancies teach you :: Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

Manent Othello, and Iago.

[Exeunt.

Oth. Excellent Wench!-Perdition catch my foul,(32)

(3) Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my foul,

But

But I do love thee; &c.] The all the printed copies concur in

But I do love thee; and when I love thee not,

Chaos is come again.

lago. My noble Lord,

Oth. What doft thou fay, fago?

Iago. Did Michael Caffio, when you woo'd my lady, Know of your love?

Oth. He did, from first to laft; why dost thou ask ? Iago. But for a fatisfaction of my thought,

No farther harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Iago. I did not think, he'd been acquainted with it. Oth. Oh, yes, and went between us very oft.

Iago. Indeed!

[that?

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed. Difcern'ft thou aught in

Is he not honest?

Iago. Honeft, my Lord?

Oth Honeft? ay, honest.

Iago. My Lord, for aught I know.

Oth. What doft thou think?

Iago. Think, my Lord!

[me;

Oth. Think, my Lord! why, by heav'n, thou echo'st

As if there were fome monster in thy thought,

Too hideous to be fhewn. Thou doft mean fomething:
I heard thee fay but now, thou lik'dft not that,
When Caffe left my wife. What did❜st not like?

this reading, I think, it is very reasonably to be suspected. Orbello is exelaiming here with admiration and rapturous fondness: but wreteb can scarce be admitted to be used, unless in compaffion or contempt. I make no queftion but the Poet wrote;

Excellent wench!Perdition catch my foul, &c.

It is to be obferv'd, that, in SHAKESPEARE's time, wench, lass, and girl were not used in that low and vulgar acceptation as they are at this time of day; but very frequently with dignity. To appeal to a few inftances.

Oh ill ftarr'd wench!

Pale as thy fmoke!

Orbella.

Agrip.

Royal wench!

She made great Cæfar lay his fword to bed, &c. Anto, and Cleop..
Now boaft thee, Death, in thy poffeffion lies

A lafs unparagon'd.

Ibid.

-What, girl tho' gray

Do fomething mingle with our younger brown, &c.

Ibid.

And

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And when I told thee, he was of my counsel,

In my whole course of wooing; thou cry'dft, indeed?
And didst contract and purfe thy brow together,
As if thou then hadft fhut up in thy brain

Some horrible conceit: if thou doft love me,
Shew me thy thought.

Iago. My Lord, you know, I love you.

Oth. I think, thou doft:

And for I know, thou art full of love and honesty, And weigh'ft thy words before thou giv'ft them breath, Therefore thefe ftops of thine fright me the more: For fuch things in a false difloyal knave,

Are tricks of cuftom; but, in a man that's juft, They're cold dilations working from the heart, (33) That paffion cannot rule.

Iago. For Michael Caffio,

I dare be fworn, I think, that he is honeft.

Oth. I think fo too.

Jago. Men fhould be what they seem.

Or thofe that be not, would they might feem none!
Oth. Certain, men should be what they feem.
Iago. Why, then, I think, Caffio's an honeft man.
Oth. Nay, yet there's more in this;

I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings,
As thou doft ruminate; and give thy worst of thoughts
The worft of words.

Iago. Good, my Lord, pardon me.

Though I am bound to every act of duty,'

I am not bound to that, all flaves are free to ;

(33)

-but, in a man that's juft,

They're clofe denotements working from the beart,

That paffion cannot rule.] I cannot fee why this reading should. be prefer'd into the text; and another degraded, which makes the fentiment admirably fine.

They're cold dilations working from the beart,

That paffion cannot rule.

"Thefe flops and breaks, which thou mak'st, (fays Othello) are cold dilations, or the cold keeping back a secret, which men of phlegmatick conftitutions, whofe hearts are not ruled or govern'd by their "paffions, we find, can do; while more fanguine tempers reveal themselves at once, and without referve," Mr. Warburton.

Utter

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