Oth. Oh villain! Caf. Most heathenish and most grofs! Lod. Now, here's another difcontented paper, Oth. Oh thou pernicious caitiff? How came you, Caffio, by that handkerchief Caf. I found it in my chamber; And he himself confeft it but ev'n now, Oth. Oh fool, fool, fool! Caf. There is, befides, in Rodorigo's letter, Lod. You muft forfake this room, and go with us; That can torment him much, and hold him long, To the Venetian ftate, Come, bring him away. Oth. Boft you; a word or two, before you go. I've done the ftate fome fervice, and they know't; No more of that. I pray you, in your letters, When you fhall these unlucky deeds relate, Speak of me, as I am : Nothing extenuate, Nor fet down aught in malice. Then muft you speak Of one that lov❜d, not wifely, but too well; Of one, not eafily jealous; but being wrought, Perplex'd in the extream; of one, whofe hand, (30) 630) of one, whofe hand, Like the baje Indian, threw a Pear! away Like Like the bafe Judian, threw a pearl away Lod. Oh bloody period! Gra. All, that is fpoke, is marr'd. Killing myself, to die upon a kifs. [Stabs himself. way but this, [To Defdem. [Dies. Richer than all his Tribe.] I have restored, Judian, from the Elder Quarto, as the genuine and more eligible Reading. Mr. Pope thinks, this was occafioned probably by the Word Tribe juft after: I have many Reafons to oppofe to this Opinion. In the first Place, the moft ignorant Indian, I believe, is fo far the Reverse of the Dungbil Cock in the Fable, as to know the Eftimation of a Pearl, beyond that of a Barley-corn. So that, in that refpect, the Thought itfelf would not be juft. Then, if our Author had defigned to reflect on the Ignorance of the Indian without any farther Reproach, he would have called him rude, and not, bafe. Again, I am perfuaded, as my Friend Mr. Warburton long ago obferved, the Phrafe is not here literal, but metaphorical: and, by his Pearl, our Author very properly means a fine Woman. But Mr. Pope objects farther to reading Judian, because, to make Senfe of this, we must pre-suppose some particular Story of a Jew alluded to; which is much less obvious: But has Shakespeare never done this, but in this fingle Instance? I am fatisfied, in his Judian, he is alluding to Herod; who, in a Fit of blind Jealoufy, threw away fuch a Jewel of a Wife as Mariamne was to him. What can be more parallel in Circumitance, than the Conduct of Herod and Othello? Nor was the Story fo little obvious, as Mr. Pope feems to imagine: For, in the Year 1613, the Lady Elizabeth Carew published a Tragedy, called MARIAM, the fair Queen of JEWRY. I fhall only add, that our Author might write Judian, or Judean, (if that fhould be alledged as any Objection) instead of Judean, with the fame License and Change of Accent, as, in his Antony and Cleopatra, he shortens the second Syllable of Euphrates in Pronunciation which was a Liberty likewife taken by Spencer, of whom our Author was a ftudious Imitator. Caf. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon, [To Iago. More fell than anguish, hunger, or the fea! [Exeunt. |