Imatges de pàgina
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In this play, especially the scenes of the misanthrope, the genius of Shakspeare is conspicuous, and is his happiest and noblest vein; yet I believe, that here, as in some other instances already noted, he was working on materials supplied originally by some other hand. The first scene has, I think, except in a few passages, but little of our author's manner either in thought or expression.

OTHELLO.

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ACT I. SCENE I.

221. Tush, never tell me."

If the reading of the quarto, 1622, is to be regarded, in preference to the folio, which omits tush," we should read,

66

"Tush! ne'er tell me," &c.

"Sblood, but you will not hear me."

The metre has suffered here. We might read, Nay, but you will not hear me; if ever I "Did dream of such a matter, then abhor me.'

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Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city."

This excessive redundance might be removed thus :

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Despise me else; three great ones of the city." Epithets of war."

222.

n

What follows is sadly deranged; some words probably are lost. We might, perhaps, read, "Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war, "Clean from the point; and, in conclusion, "Nonsuits my mediators; for, cértes, says hě."

"I have already chose my officer.

"And what was he?"

This hemistic might, by the omission of an unnecessary word, be accommodated in the foregoing line:

"I have chos'n my officer. And what was he?”

223.

A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife." All the labours of the ingenious commentators appear to be ineffectual, in reconciling this expression to any thing like truth of sentiment or character. Admitting that Bianca were alluded to, (a supposition widely improbable) Iago would never have called her "a fair wife a fair wife" As to a fair face," or "phyz," as Sir T. Hanmer had proposed, a fair face might do very well as a motive for Desdemona's imputed attachment to its owner, but it could never be urged as a recommendation to preferment with Othello, unless, indeed, we were prepared to join most cordially in the concomitant part of the remark, and consider Cassio, not, indeed, "almost," but completely, damn'd in "a fair face." It may be less extravagant to conjecture that Desdemona is the "fair wife," whom Cassio was "almost damn'd" in, being almost married to; and this is quite consistent with the profligate policy of the speaker-he had undertaken to promote Roderigo's design of obtaining Desdemona in marriage; and that purpose being now defeated, the cunning agent would depreciate wedlock, at least with a fair wife," and represent it as a state of damnation, clearly inferring, that, beauty being always assailable, Roderigo has still an opportunity of not only enjoying the object of his desire, but inflicting torment on his rival. This argument I do not advance with much confidence; and I consider Mr. Tyrwhitt's emendation so ingenious, that I only wish it were just.

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226. "More than a spinster; unless the bookish théorick."

༈ མཻ ༈ ༥

This line may pass muster in drama-prosodial review, though I fully agree with Mr. Steevens in regarding most of the metrical redundancies occurring throughout these plays as interpolations. Such, in addition to those exhibited already, is the useless word " sir," in the following

line.

"Is all his soldiership. But, he, (sir,) had the election.”

227.

The toged consuls.".

Surely, by "toged," nothing more is meant than "wearing gowns," instead of the military garb, which lago would affect to extol: yet "tongued," the reading of some of the copies, may be right-the talking, the loquacious consuls.

To the quantity in the following line there is little objection.

"Christian and heathen,―must be belee'd and calm'd."

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"Heathen," from the easy coalition of the vowels, notwithstanding the intervention of the consonants th, admitting of a compression into the time of a monosyllable, the word "heaven,' standing in the same place, would never have appeared exuberant. Milton has numerous instances of this seeming excess, and they have always appeared to me to give grace as well as energy to his numbers.

228.

By debitor and creditor, this countercaster."

The conjunction "and" might be withdrawn, to case the metre-or, perhaps, we should preferably read, with the modern editions, "debtor." 229. "And I, (God bless the mark!) his Moor-ship's ancient.”

"God bless the mark!" seems to be an apostrophe deprecating disgrace to the object of itthus Hotspur, glorying in the military character, and deeming the word "wounds" dishonoured by the person who had uttered it, says,

He did make me mad,

To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet, "And talk, so like a waiting gentlewoman, "Of guns, and drums, and wounds-God save the mark."

230. "

And, when he's old, cashier'd.” Mr. Steevens's expedient to preserve the metre in this line, deprives it of concord. It should be, I think,

And when he's old's cashier'd."

Or, to remove the redundancy,

"For nought but provender; and old's cashier'd."

"Do themselves homage: these fellows have

some soul."

This line cannot well be reconciled to measure. We might read,

"Do themselves homage: these, now, have some soul."

"For, sir."

Instead of expunging these words, Mr. Pope might better have dismissed "a one."

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