Emil. I know not, Madam. Def. Believe me, I had rather have loft my purse Full of 5 Cruzadoes. And but And but my noble Moor Is true of mind, and made of no fuch baseness As jealous creatures are, it were enough To put him to ill thinking. Emil. Is he not jealous? Def. Who, he? I think, the Sun, where he was born, Drew all fuch humours from him. Emil. Look where he comes. Def. I will not leave him now, till Caffio be Call'd to him. How is 't with you, my Lord? Oth. Well, my good lady. [Afide.] Oh, hardness to diffemble! How do you, Desdemona? Def. Well, my Lord. Oth. Give me your hand. This hand is moist, my lady. Def It yet hath felt no age, nor known no forrow. For here's a young and fweating devil here, Def. You may, indeed, fay fo; For 'twas that hand, that gave away my heart. 5 -Cruzadoes.-] A Portu- So called from the Crofs ftamped guze coin, in value three fhil- upon it. lings Sterling. DI, GREY. Oth. A liberal hand. hands: The hearts, of old, gave But our new heraldry is hands, Def. I cannot speak of this. mife. 6 - The hearts, of old, gave hands; But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.] It is evident that the first line should be read thus, The hands of old gave hearts: Otherwife it would be no reply to the preceding words, For 'twas that hand, that gave away my heart: Not fo, fays her husband: The hands of old indeed gave hearts: But the custom now is to give hands without hearts. The expreffion of new heraldry was a fatirical allufion to the times. Soon after James the Firit came to the Crown, he created the new dignity of Baronets for money. Amongst their other prerogatives of honour, they had an addition to their paternal arms, of a HAND gules in an Efcutcheon argent. And we are not to doubt but that this was the new heraldry alluded to by our author: By which he infinuates, that fome then created had bands indeed, but not hearts; that is, meny to pay for the creation, but no virtue to purchase the honour. But the finest part of the poet's addrefs in this allufion, is the compliment he pays to his old miftrefs Elizabeth. For James's pretence for raifing mony by this creation, was the reduction of Ufter, and other parts not hearts. Come, now your pro of Ireland; the memory of which he would perpetuate by that addition to their arms, it being the arms of Ulfter. Now the method used by Elizabeth in the res duction of that kingdom was fo different from this, the dignities fhe conferred being on those who employed their steel and not their gold in this fervice, that nothing could add more to her glory, than the being compar'd to her fucceffor in this point of view; Nor was it uncommon for the dramatick poets of that time to fatirize the ignominy of James's reign. So Fletcher, in The Fair Maid of the Inn. One fays, I will fend thee to Amboyna i th East Indies for pepper. The other replies, To Amboyna? So I might be pepper'd. Again, in the fame play, a failor fays, Defpife not this pitch'd Canvas, the time was we have known them lined with Spanish Ducats. WARB. The hiftorical obfervation is very judicious and acute, but of the emendation there is no need. She fays, that her hand gave away her heart. He goes on with his fufpicion, and the hand which he had before called frank, he now terms liberal; then proceeds to remark, that the hand was formerly given by the heart; but now it neither gives it, nor is given by it. Oth. * Oth. What promife, chuck? Def. I've fent to bid Caffio come speak with you. Oth. I have a 7 falt and forry Rheum offends me Lend me thy handkerchief. Def. Here, my Lord. Oth. That, which I gave you. Def. No, indeed, my Lord. Oth. That's a fault. That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give; She was a Charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people. She told her, while fhe kept it, 'Twould make her amiable, fubdue my father Def. Is't poffible? 8 Oth. 'Tis true; there's magic in the web of it; 7-Salt and Sorry Rheum-] The old quarto has, -falt and fullen RheumThat is, a Rheum obfinately troublefome. I think this better. 3 numbred The Sun to courfe—] i. e. number'd the Sun's courfes: Badly expreffed. WARBURTON. The expreffion is not very infrequent; we fay, 1 counted the clock to strike four; fo fhe numbred the fun to course, to run, two hundred compaffes, two hundred annual circuits. The The worms were hallowed, that did breed the filk; Def. Indeed! is't true? Oth. Moft veritable, therefore look to't well. Def. Why do you speak fo ftartingly, and rafh? Oth. Is't loft? is't gone? fpeak, is it out o' th way? Def. Blefs us! Oth. Say you ? Def. It is not loft; but what, an if it were? Def. I fay, it is not loft. Oth. Fetch't, let me fee't. Def. Why, fo I can, Sir; but I will not now. This is a trick to put me from my fuit, Pray you, let Caffio be receiv'd again. Oth. Fétch me the handkerchief. My mind mifgives. Def. Come, you'll ne'er meet a more fufficient man, Oth. The handkerchief Def. I pray talk me of Caffio. Oth. The handkerchief: Des. A man, that, all his time, Hath founded his good fortunes on your love; Shar'd dangers with you. Oth. The handkerchief Def. Infooth, you are to blame. Oth. Away! -rash?] Is vehement, violent, [Exit Othello SCENE SCENE XI. Manent Defdemona and Æmilia; Emil. Is not this man jealous ? Def. I ne'er faw this before. Sure, there's fome wonder in this handkerchief: Emil. 'Tis not a year, or two, fhews us a man : Enter Iago and Caffio. lago. There is no other way. 'Tis fhe must do't. And lo, the happiness. Go and importune her. Def. How now, good Caffio, what's the news with you? Caf. Madam, my former fuit. I do beseech you, That by your virtuous means I may again Exift, and be a member of his love; 1 'Tis not a year, or two, fhers us a man:] From this line it may be conjectured, that the authour intended the action of this play to be confidered as longer than is marked by any note of time. Since their arrival at Cyprus, to which they were hurried on their weddingnight, the fable feems to have been in one continual progrefs, nor can I fee any vacuity into which a year or two, or even a month or two, could be put. On the night of Othello's arrival, a feaft was proclaimed; at that feaft Caho was degraded, and immediately applies to Desdemona to get him reftored. lago indeed advises Othello to hold him off a while, but there is no rea fon to think, that he has been held off long. A little longer interval would increase the probability of the ftory, though it might violate the rules of the drama. Whom |