575

They are all but ftomachs, and we all but food;
They eat us hungerly, and when they are full,
They belch us. Look you! Caffio, and my hufband.
Enter IAGO, and CASSIO.

Iago. There is no other way; 'tis fhe must do't;
And, lo, the happiness! go, and impórtune 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, 1 may again
Exift, and be a member of his love,

Whom I, with all the duty of my heart",
Intirely honour; I would not be delay'd:
If my offence be of fuch mortal kind,
That neither service paft, nor prefent forrows,
Nor purpos'd merit in futurity,

Can ranfom me into his love again,

But to know fo must be my benefit ;

What Emilia says, is a fort of proverbial remark, of general application, where a definite time is put for an indefinite. Befides; there is no neceffity for fixing the commencement of Emilia's year or two, to the time of the marriage or the opening of the piece. She would with more propriety refer to the beginning of the acquaintance and intimacy between the married couple, which might extend beyond that period. STEEVENS.

7

the duty of my beart,] The elder quarto reads,

the duty of my beart.

The author used the more proper word, and then changed it I fuppofe, for fashionable diction; [" the office of my heart," the reading of the folio;] but, as fashion is a very weak protectress, the old word is now ready to refume its place. JOHNSON.

A careful comparison of the quartos and folio inclines me to believe that many of the variations which are found in the later copy, did not come from the pen of Shakspeare. See p. 395, n. 9. That duty was the word intended here, is highly probable from other paffages in his works. So, in his 26th Sonnet:

"Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage

"Thy merit has my duty ftrongly knit."

Again, in his Dedication of Lucrece, to Lord Southampton: "Were my worth greater, my duty would fhew greater; mean time, as it is, it is bound to your lordship." MALONE.

8 But to know fo, must be my benefit ;]

"Si nequeo placidas affari Cæfaris aures,

Saltem aliquis veniat, qui mihi, dicat, abi." JOHNSON.

1

So fhall I clothe me in a forc'd content,

And shut myself up in fome other courie,
To fortune's alms".

Def. Alas! thrice-gentle Caffio,

My advocation is not now in tune;

My lord is not my lord; nor fhould I know him,
Were he in favour', as in humour, alter'd.
So help me every fpirit fanctified,

As I have spoken for you all my beft:
And food within the blank of his displeasure,
For my free speech! You must a while be patient:
What I can do, I will; and more I will,
Than for myself I dare: let that fuffice you.

9 And shut myself up in fome other course,

To fortune's alms.] The quarto, 1622, reads—And shoot myself, &c. I think, with Mr. Steevens, that it was a corruption, and that the reading of the folio is the true one.

Hanmer reads:

And foot myself upon fome other course,

To fortune's alms.

To fortune's alms means, waiting patiently for whatever bounty fortune or chance may bestow upon me.

We have the fame uncommon phrase in King Lear :

Let your study

"Be to content your lord, who hath receiv'd you
"At fortune's alms." MALONE.

The quarto, 1630, (like the folio) reads,

And thut myself up

The idea

I cannot help thinking this reading to be the true one.
feems taken from the confinement of a monaftick life. The words,
forc'd content, help to confirm the fuppofition. The meaning will
therefore be, "I will put on a conftrained appearance of being con-
tented, and shut myself up in a different courfe of life, no longer to
depend on my own efforts, but to wait for relief from the accidental
hand of charity."

Shakspeare uses the fame expreffion in Macbeth:

and shut up

"In meafurelefs content."

Again, in All's well that ends well:

"Whose basest stars do shut us up in wishes." STEEVENG. 1 - in favour,] In lock, in countenance. JOHNSON. •within the blank of bis displeasure,] Within the foot of his anger. JOHNSON.

2

Iago. Is my lord angry?

Emil. He went hence but now,

And, certainly, in ftrange unquietness.

Iago. Can he be angry? I have feen the cannon,
When it hath blown his ranks into the air3;
And, like the devil, from his very arm

Puff'd his own brother;-And can he be angry?
Something of moment, then: I will go meet him;
There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry.

Def. I pr'ythee, do fo.-Something, fure, of ftate,-
[Exit IAGO.
Either from Venice; or fome unhatch'd practice*,
Made démonftrable here in Cyprus to him,-
Hath puddled his clear fpirit: and, in fuch cafes,
Men's natures wrangle with inferior things,
Though great ones are their object. 'Tis ev'n fo;
For let our finger ach, and it indues

Our other healthful members ev'n to that sense
Of pain: Nay, we muft think, men are not gods;
Nor of them look for fuch observances

As fit the bridal.-Befhrew me much, Emilia,

I was (unhandfome warrior as I am")
Arraigning his unkindness with my foul;

3- I bave feen the cannon,

When it bath blogun, &c.] In Iago's fpeech fomething is fuppreffed. He means to fay, I have feen his ranks blown into the air, and his own brother puff'd from his fide,—and mean while have feen him quite cool and unruffled. And can he now be angry? MALONE.

4

- fome unbatch'd practice,] Some treason that has not taken effect. JOHNSON.

5-for let our finger ache, and it indues

Our other beaithful members, ev'n to that fenfe

Of pain: I believe it should be rather, Subdues our other kealthful members to a fenfe of pain. JOHNSON.

To indue appears to have fignified in Shakspeare's time, to finiture or embrue, and is fo ufed here. See p. 383, n. 7.

The words-Tis even fo, relate to what Defdemona has just conjectured. "This is certainly the cafe; fome ftate affair has difturbed him." MALONE.

6 — (unbandsome warrior as I am)] Unbandsome warrior, iş unfair affailant. JOHNSON.

VOL. IX.

P P

But

But now I find, I had fuborn'd the witness,

And he's indited falfely.

Emil. Pray heaven, it be ftate matters as you think; And no conception, nor no jealous toy,

Concerning you.

Def. Alas, the day! I never gave him cause.

Emil. But jealous fouls will not be answer'd fo; They are not ever jealous for the cause,

But jealous for they are jealous: 'tis a monster,

Begot upon itfelf, born on itself.

Def. Heaven keep that monster from Othello's mind! Emil. Lady, amen.

Def. I will go feek him.-Caffio, walk hereabout: If I do find him fit, I'll move your fuit,

And feek to effect it to my uttermoft.

Caf. I humbly thank your ladyship.
[Exeunt DESDEMONA,

Enter BIANCA.

Bian. Save you, friend Caffio!

Caf. What make you from home?

and EMILIA.

How is it with you, my most fair Bianca ?
I'faith, fweet love, I was coming to your house.
Bian. And I was going to your lodging, Caffio.
What! keep a week away? feven days and nights ?
Eight fcore eight hours? and lovers' abfent hours,
More tedious than the dial eight score times?
O weary reckoning!

Caf. Pardon me, Bianca;

I have this while with leaden thoughts been prefs'd; But I fhall, in a more continuate time",

7- in a more continuate time,] Thus the folio. The quarto, 1622, has a more convenient time. MALONE.

A more continuate time is time lefs interrupted, time which I can call more my own. It gives a more diftinct image than convenient.

The word occurs again in Timon, sc. i.

JOHNSON.

breath'd, as it were,

To an untirable and continuate goodness." STEEVENS.

Strike off this fcore of abfence. Sweet Bianca,

[giving her Defdemona's handkerchief.

Take me this work out *.

Bian. O, Caffio, whence came this?

This is fome token from a newer friend.
To the felt abfence now I feel a caufe:
Is it come to this? Well, well.

Caf. Go to, woman!

Throw your vile gueffes in the devil's teeth,

From whence you have them.

You are jealous now,

That this is from fome miftrefs, fome remembrance: No, in good troth, Bianca.

Bian. Why, whofe is it?

Caf. I know not, fweet: I found it in my chamber.
I like the work well; ere it be demanded,
(As like enough, it will,) I'd have it copy'd:
Take it, and do't; and leave me for this time.
Bian. Leave you! wherefore?

Caf. I do attend here on the general;
And think it no addition, nor my with,
To have him fee me woman'd.

Bian. Why, I pray you?

Caf. Not, that I love you not.

Bian. But that you do not love me.
I pray you, bring me on the way a little ;
And fay, if I fhall fee you foon at night.

8 Take me this work out.] The meaning is not, "Pick out the work, and leave the ground plain ;" but, "Copy this work in another handkerchief." JOHNSON.

So, in a comedy, by Middleton, called Women beware Women :

To take out other works in a new fampler."

Again, in the preface to P. Holland's Pliny, 1601:

"Nicophanes

(a famous painter) gave his mind wholly to antique pictures, partly to exemplifie and take out their patterns, after that in long continuance of time they were decaied." STEEVENS.

So, in Hearne's Liber Niger Scaccarii, Vol. II. p. 578, 581, and 585, to take out the arms," means, to copy them.

TOLLET.

9 Why, I pray you?] This and the following fpeech are wanting in she first quarto. STEEVENS.

Pp2

Caf