Emil. But jealous souls will not be answer'd so; They are not ever jealous for the cause, But jealous for they are jealous: 'tis a monster, Des. Heaven keep that monster from Othello's Emil. Lady, amen. Des. I will go seek him.-Cassio, walk hereabout: If I do find him fit, I'll move your suit, And seek to effect it to my uttermost. Cas. I humbly thank your ladyship. [Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA. Enter BIANCA. Bian. Save you, friend Cassio! Cas. What make you from home? How is it with you, my most fair Bianca ? I'faith, sweet love, I was coming to your house. Bian. And I was going to your lodging, Cassio. What! keep a week away? seven days and nights? Eight score eight hours? and lovers' absent hours, More tedious than the dial eight score times? O weary reckoning! Cas. Pardon me, Bianca; I have this while with leaden thoughts been press'd; But I shall, in a more continuate time,' Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca, [Giving her DESDEMONA'S Handkerchief. Take me this work out.2 Bian. O, Cassio, whence came this? This is some token from a newer friend. in a more continuate time,] A more continuate time is time less interrupted, time which I can call more my own. 2 Take me this work out.] The meaning is not, "Pick out the work, and leave the ground plain ;” but, “ Copy this work in another handkerchief." Is it come to this? Well, well. Cas. Woman, go to! Throw your vile guesses in the devil's teeth, From whence you have them. You are jealous now, That this is from some mistress, some remembrance: No, in good troth, Bianca. Bian. Why, whose is it? Cas. I know not, sweet: I found it in my chamber. I like the work well; ere it be demanded, (As like enough, it will,) I'd have it copied : Take it, and do't; and leave me for this time. Bian. Leave you! wherefore? Cas. I do attend here on the general; And think it no addition, nor my wish, To have him see me woman'd. Bian. Cas. Not that I love you not. Why, I pray you? But that you do not love me. I pray you, bring me on the way a little; Bian. "Tis very good; I must be circumstanc'd.s [Exeunt. 3 I must be circumstanc'd.] Rather, I must give way to circumstances. Iago. To kiss in private ? Oth. An unauthoriz'd kiss. What, Iago. Or to be naked with her friend abed, An hour, or more, not meaning any harm ? Oth. Naked abed, Iago, and not mean harm? It is hypocrisy against the devil:* They that mean virtuously, and yet do so, The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven. Oth. What then? Iago. Why, then 'tis hers, my lord; and, being hers, She may, I think, bestow't on any man. Oth. She is protectress of her honour too; May she give that? Iago. Her honour is an essence that's not seen; They have it very oft, that have it not: But, for the handkerchief, Oth. By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot it: Thou said'st,-O, it comes o'er my memory, Or heard him say,-As knaves be such abroad, 4 It is hypocrisy against the devil:] Hypocrisy against the devil means hypocrisy to cheat the devil. As common hypocrites cheat men, by seeming good, and yet living wickedly, these men would cheat the devil, by giving him flattering hopes, and at last avoiding the crime which he thinks them ready to commit. JOHNSON. 5 boding to all-] The raven was thought to be a constant attendant on a house, in which there was infection. Who having, by their own importunate suit Oth. 6 Hath he said any thing? Tago. He hath, my lord; but be you well assur'd, No more than he'll unswear. Oth. What hath he said? Iago. 'Faith, that he did,-I know not what he Iago. With her? With her, on her; what you will. Oth. Lie with her! lie on her We say, lie on her, when they belie her: Lie with her! that's fulsome.-Handkerchief,-confessions, handkerchief. To confess, and be hanged for his labour. -First, to be hanged, and then to confess :-I tremble at it. Nature would not invest herself in such shadowing passion, without some instruction. It is not words, that shake me thus:- Pish!— Convinced or supplied them,] Dr. Farmer is of opinion that supplied has here the same meaning as supplicated. But Mr. Steevens says that Supplied is the old spelling of suppled, i. e. softened. 7 To confess, and be hanged-] This is a proverbial saying. 8 without some instruction.] Othello alludes to Cassio's dream, which had been invented and told him by Iago. When many confused and very interesting ideas pour in upon the mind all at once, and with such rapidity that it has not time to shape or digest them, if it does not relieve itself by tears (which we know it often does, whether for joy or grief) it produces stupefaction and fainting. Othello, in broken sentences and single words, all of which have a reference to the cause of his jealousy, shows, that all the proofs are present at once to his mind, which so over-powers it, that he falls into a trance, the natural consequence. SIR J. REYNOLDS. Noses, ears, and lips-Is it possible?-Confess! Handkerchief!-O devil!- [Falls in a Trance. Iago. Work on', My inedicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught; And many worthy and chaste dames, even thus, All guiltless meet reproach.-What, ho! my lord! Enter CASSIO. My lord, I say! Othello!-How now, Cassio? Iago. My lord is fallen into an epilepsy; [Exit CASSIO. How is it, general? have you not hurt your head? Oth. Dost thou mock me? Iago. I mock you! no, by heaven: 'Would, you would bear your fortunes like a man. Oth. A horned man's a monster, and a beast. Iago. There's many a beast then in a populous city, And many a civil monster. Oth. Did he confess it? Lago. Good sir, be a man? Think, every bearded fellow, that's but yok'd, 9 in those unproper beds,] Unproper, for common. |