Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage flrikes wide, And again, Out, out, thou ftrumpet Fortune! All you Gods, Break all the Spokes and fellies from her wheel, And bowl the round nave down the hill of Heaven, Now whether these be bombaft or not, is not the queftion; but whether Shakespeare esteemed them fo. That he did not so esteem them appears from his having ufed the very fame thoughts in the fame expreffion, in his best plays, and given them to his principal characters, where he aims at the fublime. As in the following paffages. Troilus, in Troilus and Creffida, far outftrains the execution of Pyrrhus's fword, in the character he gives of Hector's, When many times the captive Grecians fall Ev'n in the fan and wind of your fair fword, You bid them rife and live. Cleopatra, in Antony and Cleopatra, rails at Fortune in the fame manner. No, let me speak, and let me rail so high, That the false hufwife Fortune break her wheel, But another ufe may be made of thefe quotations; a difcovery of the Author of this recited Play; which, letting us into a circumstance of our Author's life (as a writer) hitherto unknown, was the reafon I have been fo large upon this queftion. I think then it appears, from what has been faid, that the Play in difpute was Shakespeare's own: and that this was the occafion of writing it. He was defirous, as foon as he had found his ftrength, of restoring the chaftness and regularity of the ancient Stage; and therefore compofed this Tragedy on the model of the Greek Drama, as may be feen by throwing fo much action into relation. But his attempt proved fruitlefs; and the raw, unnatural tafte then prevalent, forced him back again into his old Gothic manner. For which he took this revenge upon his Audience. WARBURTON. OTHELLO, DUKE of Venice. Brabantio, a noble Venetian. Gratiano, Brother to Brabantio. Lodovico, Kinfman to Brabantio and Gratiano. Caffio. Iago, Standard-bearer to Othello. Rodorigo, a Gentleman Montano, the Moor's Predeceffor in the Government of Cyprus. Clown, Servant to the Moor. Herald. Defdemona, Wife to Othello. Emilia, Wife to Iago. Bianca, Miftrefs to Caffio. Officers, Gentlemen, Meffengers, Muficians, Sailors, and Attendants. SCENE, for the First Act, in Venice; during the reft of the Play, in Cyprus. 2. 3. Of this Play the Editions are, Quarto, Preface by Thomas Walkely. 4. 5. Folio, 1630. A. M. for Richard Hawkins. 1623. I have the Folio, and the third Quarto collated with the fecond, and the fourth. OTHELLO, The Moor of VENICE. ACT I. SCENE I. A Street in VENICE, Enter Rodorigo and Iago. RODORIG 0. EVER tell me. I take it much unkindly, That thou, lago, who haft had my purse, As if the ftrings were thine, fhouldft know of this. lage. But you'll not hear me. If ever I did dream of fuch a matter, abhor me. Rod. Thou toldst me, thou didst hold him in thy hate. lago. Defpife me, If I do not. Three Great ones of the city, Non-fuits my mediators. "Certes, fays he, "I have already chofe my officer." And what was he? (1) Othello, the Moor of Venice.] The story is taken from Cyn thio's Novels. N 2 POPE. For footh, |