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out of his Humour, act v. sc. ii. where Sogliardo says to Saviolina: "How does my sweet Lady? hot and moist? beautiful and lusty?” STEEVENS.

Ben Jonson was ready enough on all occasions to depreciate and ridicule our author, but in the present instance, I believe, he must be acquitted; for Every Man out of his Humour was printed in 1600, and written probably in the preceding year; at which time, we are almost certain that Othello had not been exhibited.

646. The hearts of old gave hands;

MALONE.

But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.] It is evident that the first line should be read thus:

hearts:

The hands of old gave Otherwise it would be no reply to the preceding words,

heart:

For 'twas that hand that gave away my Not so, says her husband: The hands of old indeed gave hearts; but the custom now is to give hands without hearts. The expression of new heraldry was a satirical allusion to the times. Soon after James the First came to the crown, he created the new dignity of baronets, for money. Amongst their other prerogatives of honour, they had an addition to their paternal arms, of a hand gules in an escutcheon argent. And we are not to doubt but that this was the new heraldry alluded to by our author: by which he insinuates, that some then created had hands indeed, but not hearts: that is, money to pay for the creation, but no virtue to purchase the honour. James's pretence for raising money by this creation,

was

was the reduction of Ulster, and other parts of Ireland; the memory of which he would perpetuate by that addition to their arms, it being the arms of Ulster. WARBURTON.

The historical observation is very judicious and acute; but of the emendation there is no need. She says, that her hand gave away her heart. He goes on with his suspicion, and the hand which he had before called frank, he now terms liberal; then proceeds to remark, that the hand was formerly given by the heart; but now it neither gives it, nor is given by it.

JOHNSON.

I think, with Dr. Warburton, that the new order of baronets is here again alluded to. See Merry Wives of Windsor, act ii. and Spelman's Epigram cited in BLACKSTONE.

the note.

-our new heraldry, &c.] I believe this to be only a figurative expression, without the least reference to king James's creation of baronets. The absurdity of making Othello so familiar with British heraldry, the utter want of consistency as well as policy in any sneer of Shakspere at the badge of honours instituted by a prince, whom on all other occasions he was solicitous to flatter, and at whose court this very piece was acted in 1613, very strongly incline me to question the propriety of Dr. Warburton's historical explanation.

STEEVENS.

651. salt and sorry rheum-] The old quartos has,

-salt and sullen rheum

That

That is, a rheum absolutely troublesome. I think this better.

658. That handkerchief

JOHSNON.

Did an Egyptian to my mother give:] In the account of this tremendous handkerchief, are some particulars which lead me to think, that here is an allusion to a fact, heightened by poetical imagery. It is the practice in the eastern regions, for persons of both sexes to carry handkerchiefs very curiously wrought. In the MS. papers of Sir John Chardin, that great oriental traveller, is a passage which fully describes the custom. "The mode of wrought handkerchiefs (says this learned inquirer), is general in Arabia, in Syria, in Palestine, and in all the Turkish empire. They are wrought with a needle, and it is the amusement of the fair sex there, as among us the making tapestry and lace. The young women make them for their fathers, their brothers, and by way of preparation before hand for their spouses, bestowing them as favours on their lovers. They have them almost constantly in their hands in those warm countries, to wipe off sweat.' But whether this circumstance ever came to Shakspere's knowledge, and gave rise to the incident, I am not able to determine. WHALLEY.

19

674. A sybil, &c.] This circumstance, perhaps, is imitated by Ben Jonson in the Sad Shepherd:

"A Gypsan lady, and a right beldame,
"Wrought it by moon-shine for me, and star-
light," &c.

STEVENS.

674. -number'd———

The sun to course- -] i. e. number'd the sun's
WARBURTON.

courses: badly expressed.

The expression is not very infrequent? we say, counted the clock to strike four: so she number'd the sun to course, to run two hundred compasses, two hundred annual circuits. JOHNSON. 675. -to course-] The first quarto reads-to

make

I

STEEVENS. 678. And it was dy'd in mummy,-] The balsamick liquor running from mummies, was formerly celebrated We are now wise for its anti-epileptic virtues.

enough to know, that the qualities ascribed to it are all imaginary; and yet I have been informed, that this fanciful medicine still holds a place in the shops where drugs are sold. So, in The Bird in a Cage, by Shirley, 1633:

"-make mummy of my flesh, and sell me to the apothecaries."

Again, in The Honest Lawyer, 1616:

"That I might tear their flesh in mamocks, raise "My losses, from their carcases turn'd mummy.”

678. —which the skilful

STEEVENS.

Conserv'd of maidens' hearts.] Thus the folio.

The quarto reads

684.

-with the skilful

Conserves, &c.

STEEVENS.

rash?] Is vehement, violent. JOHNSON.

699. I pray talk me of Cassio.] This and the follow

ing short speech are omitted in all ancient editions but the first quarto. STEEVENS.

721. -the office of my heart,] The elder quarto reads,

-the duty of my heart.

The author used the more proper word, and then changed it, I suppose, for fashionable diction; but, as fashion is a very weak protectress, the old word is now ready to resume its place. JOHNSON.

729. And shoot myself up—] This is the reading of one of the early quartos. The folio, and all the modern editions, have,

And shut myself up

The quarto 1630 (like the folio) reads,

And shut myself up

JOHNSON.

I cannot help thinking this reading to be the true one. The idea seems taken from the confinement of a monastick life. The words, forc'd content, help to confirm the supposition. The meaning will therefore be, "I will put on a constrained appearance of being "contented, and shut myself up in a different course "of life, no longer to depend on my own efforts, but "to wait for relief from the accidental hand of cha"rity."

Shakspere uses the same expression in Macbeth: "—and shut up

"In measureless content."

Again, in All's Well that Ends Well:

"Whose basest stars do shut us up in wishes."

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