IAGO. I do befeech you, Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess,' 3 I do befeech you,— Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess,] Not to mention that, in this reading, the fentence is abrupt and broken, it is likewife highly abfurd. I befeech you give yourself no uneafinefs from my unfure obfervance, though 1 am vicious in my guefs. For his being an ill gueffer was a reason why Othello fhould not be uneasy: in propriety, therefore, it should either have been, though I am not vicious, or because I am vicious. It appears then we should read: I do befeech you, Think, I, perchance, am vicious in my guess. Which makes the sense pertinent and perfect. WARBURTON. That abruptnefs in the speech which Dr. Warburton complains of, and would alter, may be eafily accounted for. Iago feems defirous by this ambiguous hint, Though I to inflame the jealoufy of Othello, which he knew would be more effectually done in this manner, than by any expreffion that bore a determinate meaning. The jealous Othello would fill up the paufe in the speech, which Iago turns off at laft to another purpofe, and find a more certain cause of difcontent, and a greater degree of torture arifing from the doubtful confideration how it might have concluded, than he could have experienced had the whole of what he enquired after been reported to him with every circumftance of aggravation. We may fuppofe him imagining to himself, that Iago mentally continued the thought thus, Though I—know more than I choose to Speak of. Vicious in my guess does not mean that he is an ill-gueffer, but that he is apt to put the worst conftruction on every thing he attempts to account for. Out of refpect for the fubfequent opinions of Mr. Henley and Mr. Malone, I have altered my former regulation of this passage; though I am not quite convinced that any change was needful. STEEVENS. I believe nothing is here wanting, but to regulate the punctuation: Iago. I do befeech you Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess, To fpy into abufes; and, oft, my jealoufy Shapes faults that are not,- &c. HENLEY. The reader fhould be informed, that the mark of abruption which I have placed after the word you, was placed by Mr. Steevens after the word perchance: and his note, to which I do not fubscribe, is founded on that regulation. I think the poet intended As, I confefs, it is my nature's plague You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble Отн. What doft thou mean? LAGO. Good name, in man, and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls: that Iago should break off at the end of the first hemistich, as well as in the middle of the fifth line. What he would have added, it is not neceffary very nicely to examine. The adverfative particle, though, in the fecond line, does not indeed appear very proper; but in an abrupt and studiously clouded fentence like the prefent, where more is meant to be conveyed than meets the ear, ftrict propriety may well be difpenfed with. The word perchance, if ftrongly marked in fpeaking, would fufficiently fhew that the speaker did not fuppofe himself vicious in his guess. By the latter words, Iago, I apprehend, means only, "though I perhaps am miftaken, led into an errour by my natural difpofition, which is apt to fhape faults that have no existenee." 4 folio reads: MALONE. I entreat you then, &c.] Thus the quarto, 1622. The and of, my jealousy Shapes faults that are not) that your wisdom From one that fo imperfectly conceits, Would take no notice. MALONE. To conjec, i. e. to conjecture, is a verb ufed by other writers. So, in Acolaftus, a comedy, 1540: Again: "Now reafon I, or conject with myself." "I cannot forget thy faying, or thy conjeding words.” STEEVENS. Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis fomething, nothing;' 'Twas mine, tis his, and has been flave to thou fands; But he, that filches from me my good name, OTн. By heaven, I'll know thy thought. LAGO. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor fhall not, whilft 'tis in my custody. OTH. Ha! IAGO. O, beware, my lord, of jealoufy; It is the green-ey'd monfter, which doth mock The meat it feeds on: That cuckold lives in bliss, 5 Good name, in man, and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their fouls: Who fteals my purfe, steals trash; &c.] The facred writings were here perhaps in our poet's thoughts: "A good name is rather to be chofen than great riches, and loving favour than filver and gold." Proverbs, ch. xxii. v. 1. MALONE. ·which doth mock The meat it feeds on: :] i. e. loaths that which nourishes and fuftains it. This being a miferable state, Iago bids him beware of it. The Oxford editor reads: which doth make The meat it feeds on: Implying that its fufpicions are unreal and groundless, which is the very contrary to what he would here make his general think, as appears from what follows: That cuckold lives in blifs, &c. In a word, the villain is for fixing him jealous: and therefore bids him beware of jealoufy, not that it was an unreasonable, but a miferable ftate; and this plunges him into it, as we fee by his reply, which is only, O mifery!" WARBURTON. I have received Hanmer's emendation; because to mock, does not fignify to loath; and because, when Iago bids Othello beware J.Roberts ad Vivam del. C. Grignion Se. M'BENSLEY in the Character of L160 |