Your dinner, and the generous islanders Des. Why is your speech so faint? are you not well? Des. Faith that 's with watching; 'twill away again: Let me but bind it hard, within this hour It will be well. Oth. Your napkin is too little ; [He puts the handkerchief from him, and it drops. Let it alone. Come, I 'll go in with you. Des. I am very sorry that you are not well. [Exeunt ОTH. and DES. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor: My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it: but she so loves the token, (For he conjur'd her, she should ever keep it,) That she reserves it evermore about her, To kiss, and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out, 5 the generous islanders-] Are the islanders of rank, distinction. So, in Measure for Measure: "The generous and gravest citizens Generous has here the power of generosus, Lat. This explanation, however, may be too particular. Steevens. 6 Your napkin &c.] Ray says, that a pocket-handkerchief is so called about Sheffield in Yorkshire. So, in Greene's Never too Late, 1616: "I can wet one of my new lockeram napkins with weeping." 1635" Napery signifies linen in general. So, in Decker's Honest Whore, prythee put me into wholesome napery." Again, in Chapman's May Day, 1611: "Besides your munition of manchet, napery, plates," &c. Again, in Hide Park by Shirley, 1637: " A gentleman that loves clean napery." Naperia, Ital. Steevens. In the North of England, and in Scotland, this term for a handkerchief is still used. The word has already often occurred. See Vol. VII, p. 102, n. 1; and Julius Cæsar, Act III, sc. ii, Vol XIV. Malone. 7 I'll have the work ta'en out,] That is, copied. Her first thoughts are, to have a copy made of it for her husband, and restore the original to Desdemona. But the sudden coming in of Lago, in a surly humour, makes her alter her resolution, to please him. The same phrase afterwards occurs between Cassio and Bianca, in scene iv. Blackstone. This scheme of getting the work of this valued handkerchief And give it Iago: What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I; Enter IAGO. Iago. How now! what do you here alone? Emil. Do not you chide; I have a thing for you. Iago. To have a foolish wife. Emil. O, is that all? What will you give me now For that same handkerchief? Iugo. Emil. What handkerchief? What handkerchief? Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona; Emil. No, faith; she let it drop by negligence; Iago. A good wench; give it me. Emil. What will you do with it, that you have been so earnest To have me filch it? Iago. Why, what's that to you? [Snatching it. Emil. If it be not for some purpose of import, copied, and restoring the original to Desdemona, was, I suppose, introduced by the poet, to render Emilia less unamiable. It is remarkable, that when she perceives Othello's fury on the loss of this token, though she is represented as affectionate to her mistress, she never attempts to relieve her from her distress; which she might easily have done by demanding the handkerchief from her husband, or divulging the story, if he refused to restore it. But this would not have served the plot. Shakspeare fell into this incongruity by departing from Cinthio's novel; for there, while the artless Desdemona is caressing the child of Othello's ancient, (the Iago of our play) the villain steals the handkerchief which hung at her girdle, without the knowledge of his wife. Malone. 8 I nothing, but to please his fantasy.] Thus the folio. The quarto, 1622, reads: it up. I nothing know but for his fantasy. Steevens. to the advantage, &c.] I being opportunely here, took Johnson. So, Marlowe's King Edward II: "And they stay time's advantage with your son." Reed, Give it me again: Poor lady! she 'll run mad, Iago. Be not you known of 't;1 I have use for it. Go, leave me. [Exit EMIL. I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, As proofs of holy writ. This may do something. Burn like the mines of sulphur.I did say so:3 1 Be not you known of 't;] i. e. seem as if you knew nothing of the matter. The folio reads-Be not acknown on 't; meaning perhaps," do not acknowledge any thing of the matter." This word occurs also in the seventh Book of Golding's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses: 66 "Howbeit I durst not be so bolde of hope acknowne to be." Again, in Puttenham's Arte of English Poesie, 1589, p. 212: so would I not have a translatour be ashamed to be acknowen of his translation." Steevens. Again, in The Life of Ariosto, subjoined to Sir John Harrington's translation of Orlando, p. 418, edit. 1607: "Some say, he was married to her privilie, but durst not be acknowne of it. Porson. Be not you known of 't;] Thus the quarto, except that it has en 't, the vulgar corruption in speaking and writing, of of 't or of it; as is proved by various passages in these plays as exhibited in the folio and quarto, where in one copy we find the corrupt and in the other the genuine words: and both having the same meaning. The participal adjective, found in the folio, is used by Thomas Kyd, in his Cornelia, a tragedy, 1594: "Our friends' misfortune doth increase our own. "Cic. But ours of others will not be acknown." Malone. 2 The Moor already &c.] Thus the folio. The line is not in the original copy, 1622. Malone. 3 I did say so:] As this passage is supposed to be obscure, I shall attempt an explanation of it. Iago first ruminates on the qualities of the passion which he is labouring to excite; and then proceeds to comment on its effects. Jealousy (says he) with the smallest operation on the blood, flames out with all the violence of sulphur, &c. 66 I did say so; "Look where he comes!" i. e. I knew that the least touch of such a passion would not per Enter OTHello. Look, where he comes! Not poppy, nor mandragora, Shall ever med'cine thee to that sweet sleep Oth. To me? Ha ha! false to me? Iago. Why, how now, general? no more of that. Oth. Avaunt! be gone! thou hast set me on the rack :— I swear, 'tis better to be much abus'd, Than but to know 't a little. How now, my lord? Iago. mit the Moor to enjoy a moment of repose :-I have just said that jealousy is a restless commotion of the mind; and look where Othello approaches, to confirm the propriety and justice of my observation. Steevens. nor mandragora,] The mandragoras or mandrake has a soporifick quality, and the ancients used it when they wanted an opiate of the most powerful kind. So Antony and Cleopatra, Act I, sc. vi: give me to drink mandragora, "That I may sleep out this great gap of time See Antony and Cleopatra, Act I, sc. v, Vol. XIII. Malone. 5 Which thou ow'dst yesterday,] To owe is, in our author, oftener to possess, than to be indebted, and such is its meaning here. Johnson. See Vol. VII, p. 316, n. 8. Malone. 6 What sense had I &c.] A similar passage to this and what follows it, is found in an unpublished tragi-comedy by Thomas Middleton, called The Witch: "I feele no ease; the burthen 's not yet off, "So long as the abuse sticks in my knowledge. "Oh, 'tis a paine of hell to know one's shame! "Had it byn hid and don, it had been don happy, "For he that 's ignorant lives long and merry.' Again: "Had'st thou byn secret, then had I byn happy, "And had a hope (like man) of joies to come. "Now here I stand a stayne to my creation; "And, which is heavier than all torments to me, "The understanding of this base adultery," &c. This is uttered by a jealous husband who supposes himself to have just destroyed his wife. Again, Iago says: I saw it not, thought it not, it harm'd not me: He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen, Oth. I had been happy, if the general camp, "Dangerous conceits, &c. 66 with a little act upon the blood, "Burn like the mines of sulphur." Thus Sebastian, in Middleton's play: "When a suspect doth catch once, it burnes maynely." A scene between Francisca and her brother Antonio, when she first excites his jealousy, has likewise several circumstances in common with the dialogue which passes between Iago and Othello on the same subject. This piece contains also a passage very strongly resembling another in Hamlet, who says: "I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a hand-saw." -Thus, Almachildes: "There is some difference betwixt my joviall condition and the lunary state of madnes. I am not quight out of my witts: I know a bawd from an aqua-vitæ shop, a strumpet from wild-fire, and a beadle from brimstone." Steevens. 7 I slept the next night well, was free and merry;] Thus the quartos. The folio reads- 8 "I slept the next night well; fed well; was free and merry." Steevens. if the general camp, Pioneers and all,] That is, the most abject and vilest of the camp. Pioneers were generally degraded soldiers, appointed to the office of pioneer, as a punishment for misbehaviour. "A soldier ought ever to retaine and keepe his arms in saftie and forth comming, for he is more to be detested than a coward, that will lose or play away any part thereof, or refuse it for his ease, or to avoid paines; wherefore such a one is to be dismissed with punishment, or to be made some abject pioner." The Art of War and England Traynings, &c. by Edward Davies, Gent. 1619. So, in The Laws and Ordinances of War, established by the Earl of Essex, printed in 1640; " If a trooper shall loose his horse or hackney, or a footman any part of his arms, by negligence or lewdnesse, by dice or cardes; he or they shall remain in qualitie of pioners, or scavengers, till they be furnished with as good as were lost, at their own charge." Grose. |