Imatges de pàgina
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Oth. But this denoted + a foregone conclufion; Tis a fhrewd doubt, though it be but a dream. Iago. And this may help to thicken other proofs, That do demonftrate thinly.

Oth. I'll tear her all to pieces.

Iago. Nay, but be wife; yet we fee nothing done; She may be honeft yet.- Tell me but this, Have you not fometimes feen a handkerchief, Spotted with strawberries in your wife's hand? Oth. I gave her fuch a one; 'twas my first gift. Iago. I know not that; but fuch a handkerchief, (I'm fure it was your wife's,) did I to-day See Caffio wipe his beard with.

Oth. If it be that

Iago. If it be that, or any, if 'twas hers

It speaks against her with the other proofs.
Oth. Oh, that the flave had forty thousand lives!
One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.
7 Now do I fee, 'tis true.

Look here, Iago,
All my fond love thus do I blow to heav'n :
'Tis gone;

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hearted throne with thy fraught,

Arife, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell
Yield up, oh love, thy crown and
To tyrannous hate! fwell, bofom,
For 'tis of afpicks' tongues.
Iago. Yet be content.

Oth. Oh blood, blood, blood

Iago. Patience, I fay; your mind, perhaps, may change.

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Oth. Never, Iago. 2 Like to the Pontick Sea,
Whofe icy current and compulfive course,
Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on
To the Propontick, and the Hellefpont;
Even fo my bloody thoughts with violent pace
Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love,
Till that a capable and wide revenge

[He kneels,

Swallow them up.-Now, by yond marble heav'n,
In the due reverence of a facred vow
I here engage my words-
Iago. Do not rife yet.

-hollow hell!] This is a poor unmeaning epithet. The old quarto reads,

Arife black vengeance from thy
HOLLOW cell!
Which the editors not knowing
what to make of, alter'd it as a-
above. It fhould be read thus,
Arife black vengeance from th'
UNHALLOW'D cell!
Meaning the infernal regions.

WARBURTON.
HEARTED throne ]
Hearted throne is ftrange non-
fenfe. The old Quarto reads,

-and harted throne:

Which the editors took for a word miffpelt, whereas it was a word mifcalled. We fhould read, Yield up, oh love, thy crown and PARTED throne,

2

[Iago kneels.

i. e. thy throne which was parted between me and Desdemona: This prefents us with a fine image. The union of Othello and Defdemona was fo perfect, that love divided his throne be tween them: which he is now bid to refume, and give to hatred. WARBURTON. Hearted throne, is the heart on which thou waft enthroned. Parted throne has no meaning. -fwell, bofom, &c.] i. e. well, because the fraught is of poison. WARBURTON.

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2 -Like to the Pontick Sea, &c.] This fimile is omitted in the firft edition: I think it should be fo, as an unnatural excurfion in this place,

POPE.

Witness,

Witnefs, ye ever-burning lights above!
Ye elements, that clip us round about!
Witness, that here Iago doth give up
The execution of his wit, hands, heart,
To wrong'd Othello's fervice.
And to obey, fhall be in me Remorse,
What bloody business, ever.

3 -Let him command,
And to obey, fhall be in me Re-
morfe,

What bloody bufinefs ever.] Thus all the old copies, to the manifeft depravation of the poet's fenfe. Mr. Pope has attempted an emendation, but with his old luck and dexterity,

Not to obey, shall be in me

morfe, &c.

3 Let him command,

Oth.

when he had most occafion for it; and without any provocation, ftand before his Captain a villain confeffed; at a time, when, for the carrying on his plot, he fhould make the least show of it. Forthus Mr, Theobald forces him to fay, I shall have no remorse to obey your commands, how bloody Re-foever the business be. But this is not Shakespear's way of preferving the unity of character. Iago, till now, pretended to be one, who, tho' in the trade of war he had flain men, yet held it the very ftuff of th' confcience to do no contriv'd murder; when, of a fudden, without caufe or occafion, he owns himself a ruffian without remorse. Shakespear wrote and pointed the paffage thus, -Let him command,

I read, with the change only of a fingle letter;

Nor, to obey, shall be in me Re

morfe, &c.

i. e. Let your commands be ever fo bloody, Remorfe and Compaffion fhall not reftrain me from

obeying them.

THEOBALD.

Let him command, And to obey, fhall be in me Remorfe,

What bloody bufinefs ever.] Thus the old copies read, but evidently wrong. Some editions read, Not to obey; on which the editor Mr. Theobald takes occafion to alter it to, Nor to obey; and thought he had much mended matters. But he mistook the found end of the line for the corrupt; and fo by his emendation, the deep-defigning lago is foolhly made to throw off his mask,

And to obey fhall be in me. RE

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Oth. I greet thy love,

Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance bounteous;
And will upon the inftant put thee to❜t.

Within these three days let me hear thee say,
That Caffio's not alive.

lago. My friend is dead;

'Tis done at your requeft. But, let her live.

Oth. Damn her, lewd Minx! ob, damn her, damn her!

Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw

To furnish me with fome fwift means of death

For the fair Devil. Now art thou my Lieutenant.— Iago. I am your own for ever.

[Exeunt.

As fometimes he must vices RE- quotation the meaning of with

MORDE.

And again,

Squire, Knight, and Lord, Thus the Churche REMORDE. WARBURTON. Of these two emendations, I believe, Theobald's will have the greater number of fuffrages; it has at leaft mine. The objection against the propriety of the declaration in lago is a cavil; he does not fay that he has no principle of remorfe, but that it shall not operate against Othello's commands. To obey fhall be in me, for I will obey you, is a mode of expreffion not worth the pains here taken to introduce it; and the word remorde has not in the

hold, or make reluctant, but of reprove, or cenfure; nor do I know that it is used by any of the contemporaries of Shakespeare.

I will offer an interpretation, which, if it be received, will make alteration unnecessary, but it is very harsh and violent. laga devotes himself to wrong'd Othello, and fays, Let him command whatever bloody business, and in me it shall be an act, not of cruelty, but of tenderness, to obey him; not of malice to others, but of tenderness for him. If this fenfe be thought too violent, I fee nothing better than to follow Pope's reading, as it is improved by Theobald.

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SCENE

SCENE IX..

Another Apartment in the Palace.

Enter Desdemona, Emilia, and Clown.

O you know, firrah, where Lieutenant Caffio lies?

Def. Do

Clown. I dare not fay, he lies any where.
Def. Why, man?

Clown. He's a foldier; and for me to fay a foldier lies, 'tis ftabbing.

Def. Go to; where lodges he?

Clown. To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where I lie.

Def. Can any thing be made of this?

Clown. I know not where he lodges; and for me to devise a lodging, and fay, he lies here, or he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.

Def. Can you enquire him out? and be edified by report ?

4 Clown. I will catechize the world for him; that is, make queftions, and bid them answer.

Def. Seek him, bid him come hither; tell him, I have mov'd my Lord on his behalf, and hope, all will be well.

Clown. To do this is within the compass of man's wit, and therefore I will attempt the doing of it.

[Exit Clown. Def. Where fhould I lofe that handkerchief, Æmilia?

4 Clown. I will catechize the world for him; that is, make questions, and by them anfwer.] This Clown is a Fool to fome purpose. He was to go feek for one; he fays, he will ask for

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