Oth. Now he tells, how the pluckt him to my cham ber: oh I fee that nofe of yours, but not that dog f fhall throw it to. Caf. Well, I must leave her company. Iago. Before me! look, where the comes, Enter Bianca. [Afide Cef. 'Tis fuch another fitchew! marry, a perfum'd one:-What do you mean by this haunting of me? Bian. Let the devil and his dam haunt you! what did you mean by that fame hankerchief, you gave me even now? I was a fine fool to take it: I must take out the work? A likely piece of work, that you should find it in yourchamber, and know not who left it there. This is fome minxe's token, and I must take out the work? there-give it your hobby-horfe: wherefoever you had it, I'll take out no work on't, Caf. How now, my fweet Bianca? how now? how now? Oth. By heaven, that fhould be my handkerchief. [Afide. Bian. If you'll come to fupper to-night, you may; if you will not, come when you are next prepar'd for. Jago. After her, after her.. Caf. I mut, fhe'll rail in the streets else. Jago. Will you fup there? Caf. Yes, I intend fo. [Exit. Jago. Well, I may chance to fee you; for I would very fain fpeak with you. Caf. Pr'ythee, come, will you? Jago. Go to, fay no more. Manent Othello, and fago. Ob. How fhall I murder him, Iage? [Exit Caffio, go. Did you perceive, how he laugh'd at his vice? Oth. Oh, Tago!· Ligo. And did you fee the handkerchief? Oth Oth. Was that mine? Iago. Yours, by this hand: and to fee how he prizes the foolish woman your wife-She gave it him, and he hath given it his whore. Oth. I would have him nine years a killing: A fine woman! a fair woman! a fweet woman! Oth. Ay, let her rot and perish, and be damn'd tonight; for fhe fhall not live. No, my heart is turn'd to ftone: I ftrike it, and it hurts my hand. Oh, the world hath not a fweeter creature-She might lie by an Emperor's fide and command him tasks. Iago. Nay, that's not your way. Oth. Hang her, I do but fay what fhe is -fo delicate with her needle.- An admirable mufician-Oh, fhe will fing the favagenefs out of a bear: of fo high and plenteous wit and invention! Iago. She's the worfe for all this. Oth. Oh, a thousand, a thousand times: And then of fo gentle condition! Iago. Ay, too gentle. Oth. Nay, that's certain. But yet the pity of it, Iago-Oh, Iago, the pity of it, Lago Iago. If you are fo fond over her iniquity, give her patent to offend; for if it touch not you, it comes near no body. Oth. I will chop her into meffes Jago. Oh, 'tis foul in her. Oth. With mine officer! Jago. That's fouler. : cuckold me! Oth. Get me fome poifon, Iago, this night; I'll not expoftulate with her, left her body and her beauty unprovide my mind again; this night, Iago. Iago. Do it not with poison, ftrangle her in her bed, Ev'n in the bed fhe hath contaminated. Oth. Good, good; The juftice of it pleases; very good. Iago. And for Caffio, let me be his undertaker : You fhall hear more by midnight. [A Trumpet within. Oth. Oth. Excellent good:-What trumpet is that fame? Iago. Something from Venice, fure. "Tis Lodovico Come from the Duke: and, fee, your wife is with him, Enter Lodovico, Defdemona, and Attendants, from the Lod. Save you, worthy General. Lod. The Duke and the Senators of Venice greet you. [Gives him a letter. Oth. I kifs the inftrument of the pleasures. Def. And what's the news, gcod coufin Lodovico ? Iago. 1 am very glad to fee you, fignior. Welcome to Cyprus. Lod. I thank you; how does lieutenant Caffio? my Def. Coufin, there's fall'n between him and Def. My Lord ? Oth. This fail you not to do, as you will Lord [Afide. [Reads. Lod. He did not call; he's bufy in the paper. Def. My Lord! . Oth. Are you wife? Def. What, is he angry? Lod. 'May be, the letter mov'd him. For, as I think, they do command him home, Deputing Caffio in his government. Def. Trust me, I am glad on't. Def. My Lord! [Afide. [Striking ber. Lod. My Lord, this would not be believ'd in Venice, Though Though I fhould fwear, I faw't. 'Tis very much; Oth. Oh devil, devil! If that the earth could teem with woman's tears, Each drop, the falls, would prove a crocodile : Def. I will not ftay t'offend you. Lod. Truly, an obedient lady: I do befeech your Lordship, call her back. Oth. Miftrefs, Def. My Lord. Oth. What would you with her, Sir? Lod. Who, I, my Lord? [Going Oth. Ay; you did wish, that I would make her turn: Sir, the can turn and turn, and yet go on; And turn again. And fhe can weep, Sir, weep; I'll fend for you anon, Sir, I obey the mandate, [Exit Defd, Goats and monkies! [Exit. Manent Lodovico, and Iago. Lod. Is this the noble Moor, whom our full Senate Call all-in-all fufficient? this the Nature, Which paffion could not shake? whose folid virtue (26) The Shot of Accident nor Dart of Chance The Could neither graze nor pierce.] But it is no Commendation to the most folid Virtue to be free from the Attacks of Fortune: but that it is fo impenetrable as to fuffer no Impreffion. Now, to graze, fignifies, only to touch the Superficies of any thing. That is the Attack of Fortune: And by that Virtue is tryed, but not difcredited. We ought certainly therefore to read, Can neither raze nor pierce. i. e, neither The fhot of accident, nor dart of change, Iago. He is much chang'd. Led. Are his wits fafe? is he not light of brain? Iago. He's what he is; I may not breathe my cenfure. What he might be, if what he might he is not, I would to heaven, he were! Lod. What, ftrike his wife! Iago. 'Faith, that was not fo well; yet 'would I knew, That ftroke would prove the worft. Lod. Is it his ufe? Or did the letters work upon his blood, Iago. Alas, alas! It is not honesty in me to speak What I have feen and known. You fhall obferve him, And his own courfes will denote him so, That I may fave my speech. Do but go after, And mark how he continues. Lod. I'm forry, that I am deceiv'd in him. [Exeunt. i. e. neither lightly touch upon, nor pierce into. The ignorant Transcribers being acquainted with the Phrase of a Bullet grazing, and Shot being mentioned in the Line before, they corrupted the true Word. Befides, we do not say, graze a Thing; but graze on it. Mr. Warburton. I have ventured to attack another Part of this Sentence, which my ingenious Friend fliped over, I cannot fee, for my Heart, the Difference betwixt the Shot of Accident and Dart of Chance. The Words, and Things, they imply, are purely fynonymous; but that the Poet intended two different Things, feems plain from the difcretive Adverb. Chance may afflict a Man in fome Circumftances; but other Diftreffes are to be accounted for from a different Caufe. I am perfuaded, our Author wrote; The Shot of Accident, nor Dart of Change, &c. And, in a number of other Places, our Poet induftriously puts these two Words in oppofition to each other. SCENE |