As this that I have reach'd. For know, Iago, 8 I would not my unhoufed free condition 9 For the fea's worth. But look, what lights come yonder? Enter Caffio, with others. Iago. Thofe are the raised father, and his friends: You were best go in. Oth. Not I: I must be found; My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, Oth. The fervants of the duke, and -and my demerits my lieutenant. May Speak unbonnetted to as proud a fortune As this that I have reach'd.-] Thus all the copies read this paffage. But, to speak unbonnetted, is to speak with the cap off, which is directly oppofite to the poet's meaning. Othello means to fay, that his birth and fervices fet him upon fuch a rank, that he may fpeak to a fenator of Venice with his hat on; i. e. without fhewing any marks of deference or inequa lity. I therefore am inclined to think Shakespeare wrote: May peak, and bonnetted, &c. THEOBALD. I do not fee the propriety of Mr. Pope's emendation, though adopted by Dr. Warburton. Unbonnetting may as well be, not putting on, as not putting off, the bonnet. Hanmer reads e'en bonnetted. JOHNSON. Bonneter (lays Cotgrave) is to put off one's cap. Unbonneted may therefore fignify, without taking the cap off. We might, I think, venture to read imbonnetted. It is common with Shakespeare to make or ufe words compounded in the fame manner. Such are imparun, impaint, impale, and immafk. Of all the readings Theobald's is, I think, the beft. STEEVENS. 8 unkoufed-] Free from domeftic cares. A thought natural to an adventurer. JOHNSON. 9 For the fea's worth.-] I would not marry her, though the were as rich as the Adriatic, which the Doge annually marries. JOHNSON. I believe the common and obvious meaning is the true one. STEEVENS. -The The goodness of the night upon you, friends! What is the news? Caf. The duke does greet you, general; And he requires your hafte, post-haste appearance, Even on the inftant. Oth. What is the matter, think you? Caf. Something from Cyprus, as I may divine; It is a bufinefs of fome heat. The gallies Have fent a dozen fequent meffengers This very night, at one another's heels: When, being not at your lodging to be found, To fearch you out. Oth. 'Tis well I am found by you. I will but spend a word here in the house, And go with you. Caf. Ancient, what makes he here? [Exit. Iago. 'Faith, he to-night hath boarded a landcarrack; If it prove lawful prize, he's made for ever. Caf. 9 Hanmer reads, council,-] Theobald would have us read counsellors. Venice was originally governed by confuls and confuls feems to have been commonly used for counsellors. In Albion's Triumph, a mafque, 1631, the emperor Albanact is faid to be attended by fourteen CONSULS:- -again, the habits of the CONSULS were after the fame manner. Geoffery of Monmouth, and Matt. Paris after him, call both dukes and earls, confuls. STEEVENS. 1 The fenate bath fent out-] The early quartos, and all the modern editors, have, The fenate fent above three feveral quefts. The folio, The Senate hath fent about, &c. that is, about the city. I have adopted the reading of the folio. JOHNSON. 2 a land-carrack;] A carrack is a fhip of great bulk, and commonly of great value; perhaps what we now call a galleon. JOHNSON. A a 2 So Caf. I do not understand. Re-enter Othello. Iago. Marry, to- -Come, captain, will you go? Oth. Have with you. Caf. Here comes another troop to feek for you. Enter Brabantio, Roderigo, with Officers. Iago. It is Brabantio: general, 3 be advis'd; He comes to bad intent. Oth. Hola! ftand there. Rod. Signior, it is the Moor. Bra. Down with him, thief! [They draw on both fides. Iago. You, Roderigo! come, Sir, I am for you.Oth. Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will ruft 'em.. Good Signior, you shall more command with years, Than with your weapons. Bra. O thou foul thief! where haft thou ftow'd my Damn'd as thou art, thou haft enchanted her: If the in chains of magic were not bound, -they'll be freighted; Run "They're made like carracks, all for ftrength and stowage." STEEVENS. 3be advis'd;] That is, be cool; be cautious; be difcreet. JOHNSON. • The wealthy CURLED darlings of our nation,] Curled is eelgantly and oftentatiously drefed. He had not the hair particu larly in his thoughts. JOHNSON. Run from her guardage to the footy bofom Oth. Hold your hands, Both you of my inclining, and the rest. On another occafion Shakespeare employs the fame expreffion, and evidently alludes to the hair. If the first meet the curled Antony, &c. STEEVENS. I believe he does fo in the prefent inftance. 5 Judge me the world, &c.] The lines following in crotchets are not in the first edition. POPE. • Abus'd her delicate youth with drugs, or minerals, That weaken motion.] Brabantio is here accufing Othello of having used fome foul play, and intoxicated Defdemona by drugs and potions to win her over to his love. But why, drugs to weaken motion? How then could he have run away with him voluntarily from her father's houfe? Had fhe been averse to choofing Othello, though he had given her medicines that took away the use of her limbs, might fhe not ftill have retained her fenfes, and oppofed the marriage? Her father, 'tis evident, from feveral of his fpeeches, is pofitive, that fhe must have been abused in her rational faculties; or she could not have made fo prepofterous a choice, as to wed with a Moor, a Black, and refuse the fineft young gentlemen in Venice. What then have we to do with her motion being weakened? If I understand any thing of the poet's meaning here, I cannot but think he must have wrote: Abus'd her delicate youth with drugs, or minerals, That weaken notion.. i. e. her apprehenfion, right conception and idea of things, underBanding, judgment, &c. THEOBALD. Hanmer reads with equal probability, That waken motion. JOHNSON. A a 3 Without Without a prompter. Where will you that I go To answer this your charge? Bra. To prifon; 'till fit time Of law, and courfe of direct feffion Oth. What if I do obey? How may the duke be therewith fatisfied; ) Offi. True, moft: worthy Signior, The duke's in council; and your noble self, Bra. How! the duke in council! In this time of the night! Bring him away; Cannot but feel this wrong, as 'twere their own: Duke. Duke and Senators fitting. [Exeunt: There is no compofition in these news, That gives them credit. ·7 Bond-flaves and pagans] Mr. Theobald alters pagarš to pageants for this reafon, "That pagans are as ftrict and "moral all the world over, as the most regular Chriftians, in "the prefervation of private property." But what then? The fpeaker had not this high opinion of pagan morality, as is plain from hence, that this important difcovery, fo much to the honour of paganism, was firft made by our editor. WARBURTON. There is no compofition] Compofition, for confiftency, con cordancy. WARBURTON. * Sen: |