Iago. I see, this hath a little dash'd your spirits. Trust me, I fear it has. I hope, you will consider, what is spoke Comes from my love ;-But, I do see you are mov'd: I am to pray you, not to strain my speech b To grosser issues, nor to larger reach, Than to suspicion. Oth. I will not. Iago. Should you do so, my lord, My speech should fall into such vile success As my thoughts aim not at. Cassio's my worthy friend :My lord, I see you are mov'd. Oth. No, not much mov'd : I do not think but Desdemona's honest. : Iago. Long live she so! and long live you to think so! Of her own clime, complexion, and degree; Oth. Farewell, Farewell: If more thou dost perceive, let me know more; [you, [Going. Oth. Why did I marry?—This honest creature, doubt less, Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. b Iago. My lord, I would, I might entreat your honour issues,] For conclusions. c success- -] i. e. Consequence or event; as successo is used in Italian. JOHNSON. d will-] For wilfulness. It is so used by Ascham. A rank will, is selfwill overgrown and exuberant.-JOHNSON. To scan this thing no further; leave it to time: Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty, Must be to loath her. O curse of marriage, [Exit. • You shall by that perceive him and his means:] You shall discover whether he thinks his best means, his most powerful interest, is by the solicitation of your lady.-JOHNSON. f - strain his entertainment-] Press hard his re-admission to his pay and office. Entertainment was the military term for admission of soldiers.-JOHNSON. Fear not my government.] Do not distrust my ability to contain my passion. -JOHNSON. ha learned spirit,] Learned for experienced. The construction is, He knows with a learned spirit all qualities of human dealings.-WARBURTON and JOHNSON. k haggard,] i. e. A wild hawk, unreclaimed or irreclaimable.-JOHNSON. -jesses-] i. e. Short straps of leather tied about the foot of a hawk, by which she is held on the fist.-HANMER. I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind, To prey at fortune.] The falconers always let fly the hawk against the wind; if she flies with the wind behind her, she seldom returns. If therefore a hawk was for any reason to be dismissed, she was let down the wind, and from that time shifted for herself, and preyed at fortune.-JOHNSON. parts of conversation—] Parts is here synonymous with arts.—REED. · chamberers-] i. e. Men of intrigue. And live upon the vapour of a dungeon, For others' uses. Yet 'tis the plague of great ones; 'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death; Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA. If she be false, O, then, heaven mocks itself!- Des. How now, my dear Othello? Your dinner, and the generous islanders By you invited, do attend your presence. Oth. I am to blame. Des. Why is your speech so faint? are you not well? Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here. Des. Faith, that's with watching; 'twill away again: Let me but bind it hard, within this hour It will be well. Oth. Let it alone. Your napkin is too little; [He puts the Handkerchief from him, and it drops. Come, I'll go in with you. Des. I am very sorry that you are not well. [Exeunt ОтH. and DES. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin; That she reserves it evermore about her, If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself!—] i. e. If she be false, heaven disgraces itself by creating woman after its own image. To have made the resemblance perfect, she should have been good as well as beautiful. STEEVENS. P generous-] i. e. Noble: it has here the power of the Latin generosus. -STEEVENS. 4 My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it :] This and several other passages tend to prove, that a larger space of time is comprised in the action of this play than the scenes include. JOHNSON and M. MASON. To kiss, and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,' And give it Iago; What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I; I nothing, but to please his fantasy. Enter IAGO. Iago. How now! what do you here alone? Iago. To have a foolish wife. Emil. O, is that all? What will you give me now For that same handkerchief? Iago. Emil. What handkerchief? What handkerchief? Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona; Iago. Hast stolen it from her? Emil. No, faith; she let it drop by negligence; And, to the advantage, I, being here, took❜t up. Look, here it is. Iago. A good wench; give it me. Emil. What will you do with it, that you have been so To have me filch it? Iago. [earnest Why, what's that to you? [Snatching it. Emil. If it be not for some purpose of import, Give it me again: Poor lady! she'll run mad, When she shall lack it. Iago. Be not you known of't; I have use for it. I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, Are, to the jealous, confirmations strong [Exit EMILIA. - 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 Iago, in a surly humour, makes her alter her resolution, to please him.-BLACKSTONE. 8 to the advantage, &c.] I being opportunely here, took it up.-JOHNSON. Be not you known of't;] i. e. Seem as if you knew nothing of the matter. -STEEVENS. As proofs of holy writ. This may do something. Burn like the mines of sulphur.-I did say so :-" Enter OTHELLO. Look, where he comes! Not poppy, nor mandragora,* Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep Which thou ow'dst' yesterday. 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. Iago. How now, my lord? Oth. What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust? I saw it not, thought it not, it harm'd not me : I slept the next night well, was free and merry; He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen, Oth. I had been happy, if the general camp, I did say so:] i. e. I have just said that jealousy is a restless commotion of the mind; and look where Othello approaches, to confirm the justice of my observation.-STEEVENS. - mandragora,] i. e. The mandrake. It has a soporifick quality, and the ancients used it when they wanted an opiate of the most powerful kind. ―ow'dst] i. e. To owe is here, as in many other places, to possess. ■ 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.-GROSS. |