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Des.

Have mercy on me!

Oth.

Then, heaven

Amen, with all my heart!

Des. If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.
Oth. Humph!

Des. And yet I fear you; for you are fatal then,
When your eyes roll so: Why I should fear I know not,
Since guiltiness I know not; but yet, I feel, I fear.3
Oth. Think on thy sins.

Des.

They are loves I bear to you.

Oth. Ay, and for that thou diest.

Des. That death 's unnatural, that kills for loving.4-Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip?

Some bloody passion shakes your very frame:

These are portents; but yet, I hope, I hope,

They do not point on me.

Oth.

Peace, and be still! Des. I will so: What 's the matter?

Oth. That handkerchief, which I so lov'd, and gave thee,

Thou gav'st to Cassio.

Des.

No, by my life and soul;

Sweet soul, take heed,

Send for the man, and ask him.

Oth.

Take heed of perjury; thou 'rt on thy death-bed.
Des. Ay, but not yet to die.

Oth.

Yes, presently:

3 Since guiltiness I know not; but yet, I feel, I fear.] Read: Since guilt I know not; but yet, I feel, I fear,

Guiltiness has been already misprinted for guilt. [See p. 397, line 7.] It is impossible that Shakspeare should lengthen a word merely to spoil his metre. Ritson.

The chivalry of criticism does not, in my opinion, require us to defend the old copies (those grannams of the stage, balba de nare locute) when they so grossly offend against the laws of metre. In the earlier part of this work I have got rid of some of their deformities, but in this and a few of the latter plays I have been content with exposing them, being certain that their notoriety will hereafter prove the means of securing a privilege which, respecting the present editors, may be litigated. Steevens.

That death's unnatural, that kills for loving.] This thought is likewise found in The Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, a poem, by H. L. 16mo. 1597:

"Unnatural, which kill where you should kisse." Again, in our poet's King Richard 11Ï:

"It is a quarrel most unnatural,

"To be reveng'd on him that loveth thee." Malone.

Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;
For to deny each article with oath,

Cannot remove nor choke, the strong conception,
That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.

Des. Then, Lord have mercy on me!

Oth.

I say, amen. Des. And have you mercy too! I never did Offend you in my life; never lov'd Cassio, But with such general warranty of heaven As I might love: I never gave him token.

Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in his hand. O perjur'd woman! thou dost stone my heart, And mak'st me call, what I intend to do,-

A murder, which I thought a sacrifice :5

I saw the handkerchief.

Des.

He found it then;

I never gave it him :-Send for him hither,
And let him confess a truth.

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5 A murder, which I thought a sacrifice:] This line is difficult. Thou hast hardened my heart, and makest me kill thee with the rage of a murderer when I thought to have sacrificed thee to justice with the calmness of a priest striking a victim.

It must not be omitted, that one of the elder quartos reads, thou dost stone thy heart; which I suspect to be genuine. The meaning then will be,-thou forcest me to dismiss thee from the world in the state of the murdered without preparation for death, when I intended that thy punishment should have been a sacrifice atoning for thy crime.

I am glad that I have ended my revisal of this dreadful scene. It is not to be endured. Johnson.

Thy heart, is the reading of the original quarto, 1622. Malone. 6 That he hath-us'd thee.] The quarto, 1622, exhibits this line thus:

That he hath-uds death. Malone.

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7 hath ta'en order for 't.] i. e. has taken measures. So, in Holinshed's Reign of King John: 66 he took such order for him, that he was despoiled of all his goods and benefices." p. 174. Steevens.

Des. My fear interprets then,-What, is he dead? Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge Had stomach for them all.

Des. Alas! he is betray'd, and I undone.

Oth. Out, strumpet! Weep'st thou for him to my
Des. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not.
Oth. Down, strumpet!

Des. Kill me to-morrow, let me live to-night.
Oth. Nay, if you strive,

Des.

face?

But half an hour.

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Again, in Dido, Queen of Carthage, by Marlowe and Nashe, 1594:

"I will take order for that presently." Malone.

8 Had all his hairs been lives,] This thought appears to have been very common, as it occurs frequently in dramatick performances prior to Shakspeare's Othello. So, in The Devil's Charter, by Barnaby Barnes, 1607:

66 Know, Cæsar, had I now as many lives

"As there are stones, or hairs upon my head,

"I would," &c.

Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's King and no King:

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but if all

My hairs were lives, I would not be engaged "In such a cause."

Again, in Hieronymo :

"Had I as many lives as there be stars

Steevens. King and no King, as appears by Sir Henry Herbert's papers, was produced in 1611.

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Malone.

There is no pause.] The first quarto omits this speech.

Steevens.

It is too late.] After this speech of Othello, the elder quarto adds an invocation from Desdemona, consisting only of the sacred name thrice repeated. As this must be supposed to have been uttered while she is yet struggling with death, I think an editor may be excused from inserting such a circumstance of supererogatory horror, especially as it is found in but one of the ancient copies. Steevens.

This alteration was probably made in consequence of the statute of the 3d of James I, c. 21, which lays a penalty for the profane use of the name of God, &c. in stage-plays, interludes, May-games, &c. Tollet.

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Emil. [within] My lord, my lord! what ho! my lord! my lord!

Oth. What noise is this?-Not dead! not yet quite dead?

I, that am cruel, am yet merciful;

I would not have thee linger in thy pain.-
So, so.

Emil. [within] What ho! my lord, my lord!

Oth.

Who's there? Emil. [within] O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you.

Oth. Yes;-'tis Emilia:-by and by-She 's dead.
'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death;
The noise was high.-Ha! no more moving?

Still as the grave. Shall she come in? Were 't good?
I think, she stirs again:-No.-What 's the best?
If she come in, she 'll sure speak to my wife :--
My wife! my wife! what wife?-I have no wife :2
O, insupportable! O heavy hour!3

Methinks, it should be now a huge eclipse

Of sun and moon; and that the affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration.

Emil. [within] I do beseech you I may speak with

you,

O, good my lord!

Oth. I had forgot thee: O, come in, Emilia:Soft, by and by:-Let me the curtains draw. Where art thou? What 's the matter with thee now? [Unlocks the Door.

The statute was necessary; for not only the ancient moralities, but the plays (those of Chapman in particular) abound with the most wanton and shocking repetitions of a name which never ought to be mentioned in such an irreverend manner on the stage. Steevens.

The alteration was undoubtedly made by the Master of the Revels. Malone.

2 My wife! my wife! what wife?—I have no wife :] "Filium unicum adolescentulum habeo: ah! quid dixi habere me? imo habui, Chreme." Ter. Heautont. Steevens.

*

30 heavy hour!] In the first scene of this Act we have — a heavy night." This epithet likewise occurs in a sense somewhat unusual in Letters from the Paston Family, Vol. II, p. 193: "- it is demyd yt my Lady wolde herafter be the rather myn hevy Lady for yt delyng Steevens.

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Enter EMILIA.

Emil. O, good my lord, yonder 's foul murder done. Oth. What? now?

Emil.

But now, my lord!

Oth. It is the very error of the moon;

She comes more near the earth than she was wont;
And makes men mad.4

Emil. Cassio, my lord, has kill'd a young Venetian, Call'd-Roderigo.

Oth.

And Cassio kill'd?

Emil.

Roderigo kill'd!

No, Cassio is not kill'd.

Oth. Not Cassio kill'd? Then murder 's out of tune, And sweet revenge grows harsh.

Des. O, falsely, falsely murder'd!5

4 It is the very error of the moon;

She comes more near the earth than she was wont;

And makes men mad.] So, in The Play of the Wether, by John Heywood, 4to. bl. 1:

"On my fayth I thy the moone be at the full,
“For frantyke fansyes be then moste plentefull.”

Steevens.

5 0, falsely, falsely murder'd!] It cannot be supposed that a person who had been effectually strangled or smothered, could speak again; for if the power of breathing returned after the instrument of suffocation was removed, no act of violence had in reality taken place by which the conclusion of life could be brought on. But such is the peculiar fate of Desdemona, that she is supposed to be smothered, revives to acquaint us that she smothered herself, and then dies without any ostensible cause of death. I am of opinion that some theatrical direction has been omitted; and that when Othello says

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Not dead? not yet quite dead?

I, that am cruel, am yet merciful;

I would not have thee linger in thy pain:"So, so."

He then stabs her, repeating the two last words, as he repeats the blow. Thus, Virgil:

66

sic, sic juvat ire sub umbras."

After the repetition of wounds, Desdemona might speak again, with propriety, and yet very soon expire; as says Cassio of Roderigo:

66 even but now he spake,

"After long seeming dead."

The first resolution of Othello was to poison her, but from this measure he is dissuaded by the policy of Jago. He is next determined to use the poniard; but, his tenderness awaking, he

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