More than a spinfter; unless the bookish theoric, 5 Wherein the toged confuls can propofe

As mafterly as he :-mere prattle, without practice,

difpofition. This, I believe, is all that Caffio meant by his obfervation.

From the already-mentioned paffage in Act 3. Scene 3. it is certain (as Sir T. Hanmer has observed) that Iago was a Venetian.

"I know our country difpofition well,

"In Venice they do let heaven fee the pranks

They dare not fhew their husbands."

That Caffio, however, was married, is not fufficiently implied in the words, a fellow almoft damn'd in a fair wife, fince they may mean, according to Iago's licentious manner of expreffing himself, no more than a man very near being married. This feems to have been the cafe in refpect of Caffio, Act 4. Scene 1. Iago, fpeaking to him of Bianca, fays-Why the cry goes that you shall marry her. Caffio acknowledges that fuch a report has been raifed, and adds, This is the monkey's own giving out: fhe is perfuaded I will marry her out of her own love and felf-flattery, not out of my promife. Iago then, having heard this report before, very naturally circulates it in his present converfation with Roderigo. Had Shakespeare, confiftently with Iago's character, meant to make him to fay that Caffio was actually damn'd in being married to a handsome woman, he would have made him fay it outright, and not have interpofed the palliative almoft. Whereas what he fays at prefent amounts to no more than that (however near his marriage) he is not yet completely damn'd, because he is not abfolutely married. The fucceeding parts of Iago's converfation fufficiently evince, that the poet thought no mode of conception or expreffion too brutal for the character. STEEVENS.

s Wherein the tongued confuls-] So the generality of the impreffions read; but the oldeft quarto has it toged; the fenators, that affifted the duke in council, in their proper gowns.

-But let me explain, why I have ventured to fubftitute counfellors in the room of confuls: the Venetian nobility conftitute the great council of the fenate, and are a part of the adminiftration; and fummoned to affift and counfel the Doge, who is prince of the fenate. So that they may very properly be called Counsellors. Though the government of Venice was democratic at firit, under confuls and tribunes; that form of power has been totally abrogated, fince Doges have been elected.

THEOBALD.

Wherein the toged confuls] Confuls, for counsellors.

WARBURTON.

Is

Is all his foldiership. He had the election;
And I, of whom his eyes had feen the proof
At Rhodes, at Cyprus; and on other grounds
Christian and heathen; must be belee'd and calm'd
By debtor and creditor, this counter-cafter :-
He, in good time, muft his lieutenant be,

6

And I (God bless the mark!) his Moor-fhip's an

cient.

Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.

Iago. But there's no remedy; 'tis the curfe of fervice;

Preferment goes 7,by letter, and affection,

And not by old gradation, where each fecond Stood heir to the firft. Now, Sir, be judge yourself, 9 If I in any just term am affin'd

To love the Moor.

6 -muft be LED and calm'd] So the old quarto. The first folio reads belee'd: but that fpoils the measure. I read LET, hindered. WARBURTON.

Belee'd fuits to calm'd, and the measure is not lefs perfect than in many other places. JOHNSON.

Belee'd and calm'd are terms of navigation. A fhip is faid to be belee'd, when fhe is fo fituated, that the wind can only come on her broad-fide, and confequently fhe can make little STEEVENS.

or no way.

7

-by letter,-] By recommendation from powerful friends. JOHNSON. And not by old gradation,] What is old gradation? He immediately explains gradation very properly. But the idea of old does not come into it,

Not (as of old) gradation—i. e. it does not go by gradation, as it did of old. WARBURTON.

Old gradation, is gradation established by ancient practice. Where is the difficulty? JOHNSON.

9 If I in any juft term am affin'd] Affined is the reading of the third quarto and the first folio. The fecond quarto and all the modern editions have affign'd. The meaning is, Do I fand within any fuch terms of propinquity or relation to the Moor, as that it is my duty to love him? JOHNSON.

Rod.

Rod. I would not follow him then.
Iago. O Sir, content you;

I follow him to ferve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You fhall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obfequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's afs,
For nought but provender; and when he's old, ca-
fhier'd:

I

Whip me fuch honest knaves. Others there are,
Who, trimm'd in forms and vifages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but fhows of fervice on their lords,
Well thrive by them, and when they have lin❜d their

coats,

Do themselves homage. These fellows have fome foul;

And fuch a one do I profefs myself.

For, Sir,

It is as fure as you are Roderigo,

Were I the Moor, I would not be lago.
In following him, I follow but myself,

Heaven is my judge!-Not I, for love and duty,
But, feeming fo, for my peculiar end.
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart

In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my fleeve,
For daws to peck at. I am not what I am.

Rod. What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, If he can carry't thus !

Iago. Call up her father,

Roufe him: make after him, poifon his delight,

• boneft knaves.-] Knave is here for fervant, but with a mixture of fly contempt. JoHNSON.

2 In compliment extern,-] In that which I do only for an outward thew of civility. JOHNSON.

Proclaim

Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen ;
And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,
Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy,
Yet throw fuch changes of vexation on't,
As it may lofe fome colour.

Rod. Here is her father's houfe; I'll call aloud.
Iago. Do; with like timorous accent, and dire yell,
3 As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is fpied in populous cities.

Rod. What, ho! Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho!
Iago. Awake! what, ho! Brabantio! ho! Thieves!
thieves!

Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!
Thieves! thieves!

Brabantio above at a window.

Bra. What is the reason of this terrible fummons? What is the matter there?

Rod. Signior, is all your family within?
Iago. Are your doors lock'd?

Bra. Why? Wherefore ask you this?

3 As when, by night and negligence, the fire

Is SPIED in populous cities.] This is not fenfe, take it which way you will. If night and negligence relate to pied, it is abfurd to fay, the fire was spied by negligence. If night and negligence refer only to the time and occafion, it should then be by night, and through negligence. Otherwife the particle by would be made to fignify time applied to one word, and cause applied to the other. We fhould read therefore, Is SPRED, by which all thefe faults are avoided. But what is of moft weight, the fimilitude, thus emended, agrees beft with the fact it is applied to. Had this notice been given to Brabantio before his daughter ran away and married, it might then indeed have been well enough compared to the alarm given of a fire just pied, as foon as it was begun. But being given after the parties were bedded, it was more fitly compared to a fire fpied by night and negligence, fo as not to be extinguished. WARBURTON. The particle is ufed equivocally; the fame liberty is taken by writers more correct.

The wonderful creature! a woman of reafon!
Never grave out of pride, never gay out of feafon.

JOHNSON.

Iago.

Iago. Sir, you are robb'd; for shame, put on your gown:

Your heart is burft, you have loft half your foul;
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

Is tupping your white ewe.
Awake the fnorting citizens

Arise, arise, with the bell,

Or elfe the devil will make a grandfire of you.
Arife, I fay.

Bra. What, have you loft your wits?
Rod. Moft reverend Signior, do you know my
Bra. Not I:-What are you?

Rod. My name is Roderigo.

Bra. The worfer welcome :

voice?

I have charg'd thee not to haunt about my doors.
In honeft plainnefs thou haft heard me say,

My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,
Being full of fupper, and diftemp'ring draughts,
Upon malicious bravery, doft thou come

To start my quiet.

Rod. Sir, Sir, Sir

Bra. But thou must needs be fure,

My fpirit and my place have in their power
To make this bitter to thee.

Rod. Patience, good Sir.

Bra. What tell'ft thou me of robbing? This is Venice,

My houfe is not a grange.

Rod. Moft grave Brabantio,

In fimple and pure foul, I come to you.

Iago. Sir, you are one of thofe that will not ferve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you fervice, you think we are ruffians. You'll have your daughter cover'd with a Barbary horfe; you'll have your nephews neigh to you: you'll have courfers for coufins, and gennets for

germans. Bra. What profane wretch art thou?

4 What profane wretch art thou?] That is, what wretch of grofs and licentious language? In that fenfe Shakespeare often ufes the word profane. JOHNSON.