INTRODUCTORY REMARKS THELLO-noble, generous, and commanding-appeals to the imagination as some The bland and cordial manners of Iago's successful rival, and intended minor victim, denote the favourite both of intimates and of general society. Nor is Cassio's merit that of mere good-nature simply. His devoted attachment to his General and to Desdemona, seems wholly unpolluted by views of interest on the one hand, or of sensual passion on the other: and his eloquent anathemas against the immediate agent of his disgrace, the "invisible spirit of wine," have anticipated the substance of many a hundred lengthened essays, lectures, and exhortations. The pithy exclamation, "O that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal away their brains!" has passed into a proverb. Desdemona is felt by all to rank among the loveliest of the many lovely female emanations from the Poet's pure and fertile mind. She seems a dew-drop in the traveller's path, glittering and delightful in its little sphere and transient hour, but too ethereal in its texture to endure. Even while he stands to gaze upon its heavenly beauty, the unknowing sun's first fiery glance drinks up its sweet existence ! The first edition of this great drama was published by Thomas Walkley, in 1622, as "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. As it hath been diverse times acted at the Globe and at the Blackfriars, by his Majesties Servants. Written by William Shakespeare." To this copy is prefixed a brief address from "The Stationer to the Reader," in terms which serve to shew that the Poet was highly appreciated both by the writer and by the public whom he addressed and sought to gratify:-"To set forth a book without an epistle, were like to the old English proverb,—' a blue coat without a badge:' and the author being dead, I thought good to take that piece of work upon me. To commend it, I will not; for that which is good, I hope every man will commend without entreaty and I am the bolder, because the author's name is sufficient to vent his work. Thus leaving every one to the liberty of judgment, I have ventured to print this play, and leave it to the general censure.”—In the following year appeared the first folio collection, of which "THE TRAGEDIE OF OTHELLO, THE MOORE OF VENICE," forms the last part but two in that division of the work. The differences in the copies are for the most part slight. One of Cinthio's novels, called in the original," IL MORO DI VENEZIA," furnished a ground-work for the admirable plot of Othello. The incidents of the narrative are generally followed; but its characters are, of course, mere shadows compared with the vital beings of Shakspere's glowing page. Further mention of the original story will be found in the Notes. The time of the supposed action of the drama is determined with sufficient accuracy. Cyprus was taken from the Venetians by the Turks in 1571. The Republic had then been masters of the island for about a hundred years; and no hostile movement had been made against them previously to that which proved successful. The junction of the Turkish fleets at Rhodes, in order to proceed to the attack, actually occurred in 1570: that year may, therefore, be considered as the era of Othello's fancied government. In August, 1602, Queen Elizabeth was for three days entertained at Harefield, by Sir Thomas Egerton, afterwards Lord Ellesmere. Among the expenses (accounts of which are preserved at Bridgewater House), mention is made of "£10. to Burbidge's players of Othello." Mr. Collier, who furnishes the fact, reasonably presumes that the play was then both new and popular: no previous allusion to it has been hitherto discovered.—Shakspere was then in his thirty-ninth year: he was born in April, 1564. PERSONS REPRESENTED. DUKE OF VENICE. BRABANTIO, a Senator. Two other Senators. GRATIANO, Brother to BRABANTIO. LODOVICO, Kinsman to BRABANTIO. OTHELLO, the Moor. CASSIO, his Lieutenant. IAGO, his Ancient. RODERIGO, a Venetian Gentleman. MONTANO, OTHELLO's predecessor in the Government of Cyprus. Clown, Servant to OTHELLO Ferald DESDEMONA, Daughter to BRABANTIO, and Wife to OTHELLO. EMILIA, Wife to IAGO. BIANCA, a Courtezan. Officers. Gentlemen, Messengers Musicians, Sailors, SCENE. For the First Act. in VENIOR: during the rest of the Play, at a Sea port in CYPRUS In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, A fellow almost damned in a fair wife: calmed By debitor and creditor; this counter-caster: ancient. Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman. Iago. But there's no remedy; 'tis the curse of service: Preferment goes by letter and affection, Rod. I would not follow him, then. I follow him to serve my turn upon him: Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are, their coats, Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul; And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir, |