murder! Enter LODOVICO, and GRATIANO, at a distance. Caf. What, ho! no watch? no paffage murder! Gra. 'Ti: fome mifchance; the cry is very direful. Caf, O, help! Lod. Hark! Rod. O wretched villain! Lod. Two or three groans;-it is a heavy night': Lod. Hark! Gra. Here's one comes in his fhirt, with light and weapons. Iago. Who's there? whofe noife is this, that cries on murder? Lod. For off is the conjectural reading introduced by the editor of the second folio, and is one of a thousand proofs of capricious alterations made in that copy, without any regard to the most ancient editions. The original reading is undoubtedly the true one. So, in Mount Tabor, or Private Exercises of a penitent Sinner, 1639: "—whilst all this was acting, there came forth of another door at the farthest end of the ftage, two old men,' &c. Again, as Mr. Henley has obferved, in K. Richard III. 66 "With old odd ends, ftolen forth of holy writ." Again, ibidem: "'Faith, none, but Humphrey Hour, that call'd your grace "To breakfast once, forth of my company." MALONE. 4-no paffage ?-] No paffenger? nobody going by? JOHNSON. So, in the Comedy of Errors: "Now in the stirring passage of the day." STEEVENS. beavy night: A thick cloudy night, in which an ambush may be commodiously laid. JoHNSON. So, in Measure for Measure: "Upon the beavy middle of the night." STEEVENS. 6 - whofe neife is this, that cries on murder?]. Thus the quarto, 1622, and the folio, 1623; and fuch was the phrafeology of Shakfpeare's age. So, in Eastward Hoe, a comedy, 1605: R14 "Whe Lod. We do not know. lago. Did not you hear a cry? Caf. Here, here; for heaven's fake, help me. Gra. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it. lago. O me, lieutenant! what villains have dona this ? Caf. I think, that one of them is hereabout, And cannot make away. lago. O treacherous villains!— What are you there? come in, and give fome help. Rod. O, help me here! [to Lod. and Gra. Jago. O murderous flave! O villain! [Iago ftabs Rod. How filent is this town!-Ho! murder! murder! Lod. As you fhall prove us, praise us. Iago. Signior Lodovico? Lod. He, fir. Iago. I cry you mercy; Here's Caffio hurt by villains. Gra. Caffio! lago. How is it, brother? Caf. My leg is cut in two. Iago. Marry, heaven forbid! Light, gentlemen;-I'll bind it with my shirt. « Who cries on murder? lady, was it you?" That line is a parody on one in The Spanish Tragedy.—The editor of the fecond folio, who altered whatever he did not understand, for cries on fubfticuted cries out, and has been followed by all the modern editors, MALONE Enter Enter BIANCA. Bian. What is the matter, ho? who is't that cry'd? Bian. O my dear Caffio! my fweet Caffio! O Caffio! Caffio! Caffio! lago. O notable ftrumpet!-Caffio, may you fufpect Who they should be, that have thus mangled you? Caf. No. Gra. I am forry, to find you thus; I have been to feek you. Iago. Lend me a garter? : So.-O, for a chair, Bian. Alas, he faints :-O Caffio! Caffio! Caffio! Patience a while, good Caffio.-Come, come; Iago. Even he, fir; did you know him? Gra. Know him? ay. Iago. Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon; Thele bloody accidents must excufe my manners, That fo neglected you. Gra. I am glad to fee you. Iago. How do you, Caffio ?-O, a chair, a chair! Iago. He, he, 'tis he :-O, that's well faid;-the chair: [A chair brought in. Some good man bear him carefully from hence; I'll fetch the general's furgeon.-For you, mistress, [to Bianca. Save you your labour.-He that lies flain here, Caffio, Was my dear friend: What malice was between you? 7 Lend me a garter, &c.] This speech is omitted in the first quarto. STEEVENS. To be a party in this injury.] Thus the folio. The quarto, 1622, reads to bear a part in this. MALONE. Caf. None in the world; nor do I know the man. Iago. [to Bian.] What, look you pale ?-O, bear him out o' the air.- [Caffio and Rod. are borne off. Stay you, good gentlewoman:-look you pale, miftrefs? Do you perceive the gaftnefs of her eye?— Enter EMILIA. Emil. 'Las, what's the matter; what's the matter, hufband? Iago. Caffio hath here been fet on in the dark, Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Caffio! Iago. This is the fruit of whoring.-Pr'ythee, Emilia, Go know of Caffio where he fupp'd to-night2: 8-good gentlewoman:] Thus the quarto, 1622. The folio reads gentlemen. That the original is the true reading, may be collected from the fituation and feelings of the parties on the fcene. No reafon can be affigned why Lodovico and Gratiano fhould immediately quie the spot where they now are, before they had heard from Iago further particulars of the attack on Caffio, merely becaufe Caffio was borns off: whereas, on the other hand, his miftrefs, Bianca, who has been officiously offering him affistance, would naturally endeavour to accompany him to his lodgings. MALONE. 9 -the gaftnefs-] So the folio. The quartos read, jeffures. STEEV. Nay, if you ftare,] So the folio. The quartos read, ftirre. 2-Prythee, Emilia, STEEVENS. Go know of Caffio where be fupp'd to night:] In the last scene of the preceding act lago informs Roderigo, that Caffio was to fup with Bianca; that he would accompany Caffio to her house, and would take care to bring him away from thence between twelve aad one, Caffio too had himself informed Iago, in Act IV. fc. i. that he would fup with Bianca, and Iago had promifed to meet him at her house. Perhaps, however, here Iago chofe to appear ignorant of this fact. confcious that he had way-laid Caffio, and therefore defirous of being thought ignorant of his motions during the evening. MALONE. What 1 What, do you shake at that? Bian. He fupp'd at my houfe; but I therefore fhake not. Jago. O, did he fo? I charge you, go with me, Bian. I am no ftrumpet; but of life as honest, Emil. As I foh! fie upon thee! Iago. Kind gentlemen, let's go fee poor Caffio drefs'd:- And tell my lord and lady what has happ'd.- SCENE II, [Afide. [Exeunt. A Bed-chamber: DESDEMONA in bed, afleep. A light burning. Enter OTHELLO. Oth. It is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul,- It 3 -or fordoes me quite.] To fordo is to undo, to ruin, to destroy. STEEVENS See p. 244, n. 6. MALONE. 4 It is the cause, it is the cause, my foul,— Let me not name it-] The abruptnefs of this foliloquy makes it obfcure. The meaning, I think, is this: "I am here (lays. "Othello in his mind) overwhelmed with horror. What is the rea fon of this perturbation? Is it want of refolution to do justice? Is it the dread of shedding blood? No; it is not the action that shocks "me, but it is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul; let me not name it to 66 you, ye chafte ftars! it is the caufe." JOHNSON. Othello, full of horror at the cruel action which he is about to perpetrate, feems at this inftant to be feeking his juftification, from. reprefenting to himself the cause, i. e. the greatnefs of the provocation he had received. STEEVENS, Shakspeare feems to have had the following verfe in the fifth chapter of Jeremiah in view: "They overpass the deeds of the wicked; they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherlefs;-fhall not my Joul |