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Forfooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Caffio, (2) a Florentine,
A fellow almoft damn'd (3) in a fair wife
That never fet a fquadron in the field,
Nor the divifion of a battle knows

;

More than a spinfter; but the bookish theorick,

(2) a Florentine,] It appears from many paffages of this play, (rightly understood) that Caffio was a Florentine, and Iago a Venetian.

#HANMER.

(3) in a fair wife; In the former editions this hath been printed, a fair wife; but farely it must from the beginning have been a mistake, becaufe it appears from a following part of the play, that Caffio was an unmarried man: On the other hand, his beauty is often hinted at, which it is natural enough for rough foldiers to treat with fcorn and ridicule. I read therefore, A fellow almoft damn'd in a fair phyz.

- a Florentine,

HANMER.

A fellow almoft damn'd in a fair wife;] But it was Iago, and not Caffio, who was the Florentine, as appears from A 3. Scene 1. The paffage therefore fhould be read thus,

(a Florentine's

A fellow almoft damn'd in a fair svife;

These are the words of Othello, (which lago in this relation repeats) and fignify, that a Florentine was an unfit perfon for command, as being always a flave to a fair wife; which was the cafe of Iago. The Oxford Editor, fuppofing this was faid by lago of Caffio, will have Caffio to be the Florentine; which, he fays, is plain from many paffages in the Play, rightly understood. But becaufe Caffio was no married man, (tho' I wonder it did not appear he was, from Tome paffages rightly understood) he alters the line thus, A fellow almoft damn'd in a fair Phyz.

A White-friers' phrafe.

WARBURTON.

Whether Iago fingly was a Florentine, or both he and Caffio were fo, does not appear to me of much confequence. That the latter was actually married, is not fufficiently implied in a fellow almoft damn'd in a fair wife, fince may mean, according to Iago's licentious manner of expreffing himself, no more than a man very near being married. Had Shakespeare, confiftently with Iago's character, meant to make him fay, Caffio was damn'd in being married to a bandfome woman, he would have made him fay it outright, and not have interpofed the palliative almoft. The fucceeding parts of his converfation fufficiently evince that the Poet thought no mode of conception or expreffion too fhocking for Iago.

Mr. STEEVENS.

This is one of the paffages which muft for the prefent be refigned to corruption and obfcurity. I have nothing that I can, with any approach to confidence, propofe. I cannot think it very plain from Act III. Scene 1. that Caffio was or was not a Florentine.

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(4) Wherein the toged confuls can propose
As masterly as he. Meer prattle, without practice,
Is all his foldierfhip. He had th' election;
And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof
At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds
Christian and heathen, (5) must be belee'd and calm'd
By Debitor and Creditor. This Counter-cafter
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,

And I, Sir, (blefs the mark!) his Moor-fhip's Ancient.
Rod. By heav'n, I rather would have been his hang-

man.

Iago. But there's no remedy; 'tis the curfe of fervice! Preferment goes (6) by letter and affection,

(7) And not by old gradation, where each fecond Stood heir to th' firft. Now, Sir, be judge yourself,

(4) Wherein the tongued Confuls -] So the generality of the impreffions read; but the oldeft quarto has it toged; the Senators, that affifted the Duke in Council, in their proper Gowns.

But let me explain, why I have ventur'd to fubftitute Counsellors in the room of Confuls: The Venetian nobility constitute the great Council of the Senate, and are a part of the administration; and fummon'd to affift and counsel the Doge, who is Prince of the Senate. So that they may very properly be called Counsellors. Tho' the Government of Venice was democratick at first, under Confuls and Tribunes; that form of power has been totally abrogated, fince Doges have been elected.

Wherein the toged Confuls

THEOBALD.

-] Confuls, for couns❜lors.

WARBURTON.

(5) – must be LED and calm'd-] So the old Quarto. The firft Folio reads belee'd: but that spoils the measure hindered.

I read LET, WARBURTON.

Belee'd fuits to calmed, and the measure is not lefs perfect than in many other places.

(6)

friends.

by letter

-] By recommendation from powerful

(7) And not by old gradation, -] What is old gradation? He immediately explains gradation very properly. But the idea of old does not come into it,

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Old gradation, is gradation established by ancient practice. Where

is the difficulty?

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(8) If I in any juft term am affin'd

To love the Moor.

Rod. I would not follow him then.

Iago. O Sir, content you;

I follow him to ferve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be mafters, nor all mafters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obfequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's afs,
For nought but provender; and when he's old cashier'd ;
Whip me fuch (9) honeft knaves. Others there are,
Who, trimm'd in forms and vifages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but fhows of fervice on their Lords,
Well thrive by them; and when they've lin'd their

coats,

Do themselves homage. Thefe folks have fome foul, And fuch a one do I profefs myfelf.

It is as fure as you are Rodorigo,

Were I the Moor, I would not be lago.
In following him, I follow but myself,

Heav'n is my judge!

Not I, for love and duty,

But feeming fo, for my peculiar end.

For when my outward action doth demonftrate
The native act and figure of my heart

(1) In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my fleeve,
For daws to peck at. I'm not what I am.

Rod. What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, If he can carry't thus ?

Fago. Call up her father,

Roufe him. Make after him, poison his delight,
Proclaim him in the ftreets; incenfe her kinfmen;

(8) If I in any just term am affin'd-] Affined is the reading of the third quarto and the first folio. The fecond quarto and all the modern editions have affign'd. The meaning is, Do Iftand within any fuch terms of prepinquity or relation to the Moor, as that it is my duty to love bim?

(و)

-] Knave is here for fervant, but

honeft knaves. with a mixture of fly contempt. (1) In compliment extern, outward fhew of c'vility.

] In that which I do only for an

And

And though he in a fertile climate dwell,

Plague him with flies; though that his joy be joy,
Yet throw fuch changes of vexation on't,
As it may lofe fome colour.

Rod. Here is her father's houfe, I'll call aloud.
lago. Do, with like timorous accent, and dire yell,
(2) As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is fpied in populous cities.

Rod. What, ho! Brabantio! Signior Brabantio! ho.
Iago. Awake! what, ho! Brabantio! ho! Thieves!
thieves!

Look to your houfe, your daughter, and your bags.
Thieves! thieves !

SCENE II.

Brabantio appears above, at a Window.

Bra. What is the reafon of this terrible fummons ?
What is the matter there?

Rod. Signior, is all your family within?

lago. Are all doors lock'd?

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Bra Why? wherefore ask

you this?

lago. Sir, you are robb'd. For fhame, put on your

Gown.

Your heart is burft, you have loft half your foul;
Ev'n now, ev'n very now, an old black ram

(2) As when, by night and negligence, the fire

Is SPIED in populous cities.] This is not fenfe, take it which way you will. If night and negligence relate to fpied, it is abfurd to fay the fire was fpied by negligence. If night and negligence refer only to the time and occafion, it fhould then be by night, and thro' negligence. Otherwife the particle by would be made to fignify time applied to one word, and caufe applied to the other. We fhould read therefore, Is SPRED, by which all the fe faults are avoided. But what is of most weight, the fimilitude, thus emended, agrees best with the fact it is applied to. Had this notice been given to Brobantio before his daughter ran away and married, it might then indeed have been well enough compared to the alarm given of a fire juft fpied, as foon as it was begun. But being given after the parties were bedded, it was more fitly compared to a fire fpred by night and negligence, fo as not to be extinguifhed. WARBURTON. The particle is ufed equivocally; the fame liberty is taken by writers more correct.

The wonderful creature! a woman of reafon!
Never grave out of pride, never gay out of feafon.

N 4

Is

Is tupping your white ewe. Arife, arise,
Awake the fnorting citizens with the bell,
Or else the Devil will make a grandfire of you.
Arife, I fay.

Bra. What, have you loft your wits?
Rod. Moft reverend fignior, do you know
Bra. Not I. What are you?

Rod. My name is Rodorigo.

Bra. The worfer welcome ;

my

voice

I've charg'd thee not to haunt about my doors.
In honeft plainnefs thou haft heard me fay,
My daughter's not for thee; and now in madness,
Being full of fupper and diftemp'ring draughts,
Upon malicious bravery doft thou come

To ftart my quiet.

Rad. Sir, Sir, Sir

Bra. But thou must needs be füre,

My fpirit and my place have in their power
To make this bitter to thee.

Rod. Patience, good Sir.

Bra. What tell'ft thou me of robbing? This is Venice,, My houfe is not a grange..

Rod. Moft grave Brabantio,

In fimple and pure foul, I come to you.

lago. Sir, you are one of thofe that will not serve God, if the Devil bid you. Because we come to do you fervice, you think we are ruffians. You'll have your daughter cover'd with a Barbary horfe, you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have courfers for coufins, and gennets for germanes.

Bra. What profane wretch art thou? lago. I am one, Sir, that comes to tell you, your daughter and the Moor are now making the beaft with two backs.

What profane wretch art thou?] That is, what wretch of grofs. and licentious language? In that fense Shakespeare often ufes the word profane.

your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs.] In a "Dictionaire des Proverbes François, Par G. D, B. "Bruffels, 1710, 12mo," under the word dos I find the following article:

"Faire la bete a deux dos," pour dire faire l'amour.

Mr. PERCY.

Bra

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