Imatges de pàgina
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For I fear Caffio with my night-cap too;

Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me,
For making him egregiously an afs,

And practifing upon his peace and quiet

Even to madness. 'Tis here, but yet confus'd;
Knavery's plain face is never feen, till us'd.

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[Exit.

Enter a Herald, with a proclamation: people following. Her. It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and valiant general, that, upon certain tidings now arrived, importing the mere perdition of the Turkish fleet, every man put himself into triumph; fome to dance, fome to make bonfires, each man to what fport and revels his addiction leads him; for, befides thefe beneficial news, it is the celebration of his nuptials: So much was his pleasure should be proclaimed. All offices are open ; and there is full liberty of feafting, from this present hour of five, till the bell hath told eleven. Heaven bless the ifle of Cyprus, and our noble general Othello!

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Enter OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and Attendants.

Oth. Good Michael, look you to the guard to-night: Let's teach ourselves that honourable stop,

Not to out-sport difcretion.

Caf. Iago hath direction what to do;

But, notwithstanding, with my personal eye

Knavery's plain face is never seen,—] An honest man acts upon a plan, and forecafts his defigns; but a knave depends upon temporary and local opportunities, and never knows his own purpofe, but at the time of execution. JOHNSON.

9mere perdition- Mere in this place fignifies entire. So, in Hamlet:

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- bis addiction,] The first quarto reads, his mind. STEEVENS. of feafting- Thefe words are not in the original quarto,

1622. MALONE.

Will I look to't.

Oth. Iago is most honeft.

Michael, good night: To-morrow, with our earliest,
Let me have fpeech with you.-Come, my dear love;
The purchase made, the fruits are to enfue;
That profit's yet to come 'twixt me and you.-
Good night.

[to Def.

[Exeunt OTH. DES. and Attendants,

Enter IAGO.

Caf. Welcome, Iago: We must to the watch.

Iago. Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten o'clock: Our general caft us thus early, for the love of his Desdemona: whom let us not therefore blame; he hath not yet made wanton the night with her; and the is fport for Jove.

Caf. She's a moft exquifite lady.

Iago. And, I'll warrant her, full of game.

Caf. Indeed, the is a most fresh and delicate creature. Iago. What an eye fhe has! methinks, it founds a parley of provocation 3.

Caf. An inviting eye; and yet, methinks, right modeft. Iago. And, when the fpeaks, is it not an alarm to loves?

Caf. She is, indeed, perfection.

2 Our general cast us-] That is, appointed us to our ftations. To caft the play, is, in the file of the theatres, to affign to every actor his proper part. JOHNSON.

Perhaps caft us only means, difmiffed us, or got rid of our company, So, in one of the following fcenes, "You are but now caft in his mood;" i. e. turn'd out of office in bis anger; and in the firft fcene it means to dismiss.

So, in The Witch, a MS. Tragi-comedy, hy Middleton:

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She caft off

"My company betimes to night, by tricks," &c. STEEVENS. 3-a parley of provocation.] So the quarto, 1622. Folio:-te provocation. MALONE.

4- an alarm-] The voice may found an alarm more properly than the eye can found a parley. JOHNSON.

5-is it not an alarm to love?] The quartos read,-'tis an alarm to love. STEEVENS.

Iago. Well, happiness to their fheets! Come, lieutenant, I have a floop of wine; and here without are a brace of Cyprus gallants, that would fain have a meafure to the health of the black Othello.

Caf. Not to-night, good lago; I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking: I could well with courtesy would invent fome other cuftom of entertainment.

Iago. O, they are our friends; but one cup: I'll drink for you.

Caf. I have drunk but one cup to-night, and that was craftily qualified too, and, behold, what innovation it makes here: I am unfortunate in the infirmity, and dare not task my weakness with any more.

Iago. What, man! 'tis a night of revels; the gallants defire it.

Caf. Where are they?

lago. Here at the door; I pray you, call them in.

Caf. I'll do't; but it dislikes me.

[Exit Caffio.

Jago. If I can faften but one cup upon him,

With that which he hath drunk to-night already,

He'll be as full of quarrel and offence

As my young miftrefs' dog. Now, my fick fool, Roderigo, Whom love has turn'd almost the wrong fide outward, To Desdemona hath to-night carous'd

Potations pottle deep; and he's to watch:

Three lads of Cyprus,-noble fwelling fpirits,
That hold their honours in a wary distance,

The very elements of this warlike ifle,

Have I to-night flufter'd with flowing cups,

And they watch too. Now, 'mongst this flock of drunk. ards,

Am I to put our Caffio in fome action

That may offend the ifle;-But here they come :

61

- craftily qualified -] Slily mixed with water. JOHNSON. 7 Three lads of Cyprus,-] The folio reads-Three elfe of Cyprus. STEEVENS.

8 The very elements-] As quarrelfome as the difcordia femina reTam; as quick in oppofition as fire and water. JOHNSON.

TF confequence do but approve my dream",

My boat fails freely, both with wind and ftream.

Re-enter CASSIO; with him MONTANO, and Gentlemen. Gaf. 'Fore heaven, they have given me a rouse already'.

Mon. Good faith, a little one; not past a pint, As I am a foldier.

Iago. Some wine, ho!

And let me the canakin clink, clink;

And let me the canakin clink:
A flaier's a man;
A life's but a pan2;

Why then, let a foldier drink.

Some wine, boys!

Caf. 'Fore heaven, an excellent fong.

[fings.

[Wine brought in.

Iago. I learn'd it in England, where (indeed) they are moft potent in potting: your Dane, your German 3, and your fwag-bellied Hollander,-Drink, ho!-are nothing to your English.

Caf. Is your Englishman fo expert in his drinking?
Iago. Why, he drinks you, with facility, your Dane

dead

9 If confequence do but approve my dream,] Every scheme fubfifting only in the imagination may be termed a dream. JOHNSON.

i-given me a roufe, &c.] Aroufe appears to be a quantity of liquor rather too large. So, in Hamlet: and in The Chriftian turn'd Turk,

1612:

"our friends may tell,

<<We drank a roufe to them." STEEVENS.

2 A life's but a pan;] Thus the quarto. The folio reads & Ob, man's life's but a fpan. STEEVENS.

3

moft potent in potting: your Dane, your German, &c.] "Enquire at ordinaries: there must be fallets for the Italian, toothpicks for the Spaniard, pots for the German!" Prologue to Lily's Midas,

1592.

MALONE.

4-fo expert in bis drinking?] Thus the quarto, 1622. Folia -fo exquifite. MALONE.

This accomplishment in the English is likewife mentioned by Beaumont and Fletcher in The Captain:

Lod. "Are the Englishmen fuch ftubborn drinkers? VOL. IX.

LI

Pife.

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dead drunk; he sweats not to overthrow your Almain; he gives your Hollander a vomit, ere the next pottle can be fill'd.

Caf. To the health of our general.

Mon. I am for it, lieutenant; and I'll do you juftice. Jago. O fweet England!

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King Stephen was a worthy peer",

His breeches coft him but a crown;
He held them fix-pence all too dear,

With that he call'd the tailor-lown 7;

He was a wight of high renown,
And thou art but of low degree:
'Tis pride that pulls the country down,
Then take thine auld cloak about thee.

Some wine, ho!

Caf. Why, this is a more exquifite fong than the other. Iago. Will you hear it again?

Caf. No; for I hold him to be unworthy of his place, that does those things.-Well,-Heaven's above all; and there be fouls that must be saved, and there be fouls muft not be faved.

Iago. It's true, good lieutenant.

Caf. For mine own part,-no offence to the general, nor any man of quality,-I hope to be saved.

Pifo. Not a leak at fea

"Can fuck more liquor; you fhall have their children "Chriften'd in mull'd fack, and at five years old

"Able to knock a Dane down." STEEVENS.

5 King Stephen, &c.] These stanzas are taken from an old fong, which the reader will find recovered and preferved in a curious work lately printed, intitled Relicks of Ancient Poetry, confifting of old heroick ballads, fongs, &c. 3 vols. 12°. JOHNSON.

So, in Greene's Quip for an Upftart Courtier: "King Stephen wore a pair of cloth breeches of a noble a pair, and thought them paffing coftly." STEEVENS.

6 a worthy peer,] i. e. a worthy fellow. In this fenfe peer, fert, and pbeere, are often ufed by the writers of our earliest romances.

See Vol. X. p. 429, n. 3. MALONE.

7

lown.] Sorry fellow, paltry wretch. JOHNSON.

4

STEEVENS.

Iago.

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