All

Oth. This fortification, gentlemen-fhall we fee't? Gent. We'll wait upon your lordship.

SCENE

III.

Another room in the castle.

Enter Defdemona, Caffio, and Æmilia.

[Exeunt.

Def. Be thou affur'd, good Caffio, I will do my abilities in thy behalf.

Emil. Good Madam, do. I know, it grieves my hufband

As if the case were his.

Def. Oh, that's an honeft fellow. Do not doubt, Caffio,

But I will have my lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

Caf. Bounteous Madam,

Whatever shall become of Michael Caffio,

He's never any thing but your true fervant.

Def. Oh, Sir, I thank you. You do love my lord;

You have known him long; and, be you well affur'd,
He shall in ftrangeness ftand no farther off
Than in a politic distance.

Caf. Ay, but, lady,

That policy may either laft fo long,
Or feed upon fuch nice and waterish diet,
Or breed itself fo out of circumstance,
That I, being abfent, and my place supplied,
My general will forget my love and fervice.

Def. Do not doubt that; before Æmilia here,
I give thee warrant of thy place. Affure thee,

That policy may either laft fo long,] He may either of himfelf think it politic to keep me out of office fo long, or he may be fatisfied with fuch flight reafons, or fo many accidents may make him think my re-admiffion at that time improper, that I may be quite forgotten. JOHNSON.

If

If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it

To the last article. My lord fhall never reft;

7 I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;
His bed fhall feem a school, his board a fhrift;
I'll intermingle every thing he does

With Caffio's fuit: therefore be merry, Caffio;
For thy folicitor fhall rather die,
Than give thy cause away.

Enter Othello and Iago at diftance.

Emil. Madam, here comes my lord.
Caf. Madam, I'll take my leave.
Def. Why, ftay, and hear me speak.

Caf. Madam, not now. I am very ill at ease,
Unfit for mine own purposes.

Def. Well, do your discretion.
Iago. Ha! I like not that.-

Oth. What doft thou say?

[Exit Caffio.

Jago. Nothing, my lord: or if-I know not what. Oth. Was not that Caffio parted from my wife? Iago. Caffio, my lord? No, fure, I cannot think it, That he would fteal away fo guilty-like,

Seeing you coming.

Oth. I do believe 'twas he.

Def. How now, my lord?

I have been talking with a fuitor here,
A man that languifhes in your difpleasure.

Oth. Who is't you mean?

Def. Why, your lieutenant, Caffio. Good my lord, If I have any grace, or power to move you, His prefent reconciliation take :

7 I'll watch him tame,-] It is faid, that the ferocity of beafts, infuperable and irreclaimable by any other means, is fubdued by keeping them from fleep. JOHNSON.

3 His prefent reconciliation TAKE:] Caffio was to be reconciled to his general, not his general to him, therefore take cannot be right. We should read MAKE. WARBURTON.

To take his reconciliation, may be to accept the fubmiffion which he makes in order to be reconciled. JOHNSON.

For

For if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance, and not in cunning,
I have no judgment in an honeft face.
I pr'ythee call him back.

Oth. Went he hence now?

Def. Ay, footh, fo humbled,

That he hath left part of his grief with me,
To fuffer with him. Good love, call him back.
Oth. Not now, sweet Defdemona; some other time.
Def. But fhall't be shortly?

Oth. The fooner, fweet, for you.
Def. Shall't be to-night at fupper?
Oth. No, not to-night.

Def. To-morrow dinner then?
Oth. I fhall not dine at home:
I meet the captains at the citadel.

Def. Why then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday

morn;

Or Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday morn;
I pray thee, name the time; but let it not
Exceed three days: in faith, he's penitent;
And yet his trefpafs, in our common reason,
(Save that, they fay, the wars muft make examples
Out of their beft) is not almost a fault

To incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my foul,
What you could afk me, that I would deny,

Or ftand fo mammering on? What! Michael Caffio,
That came a wooing with you; and many a time,
When I have spoke of you difpraisingly,
Hath ta'en your part; to have fo much to do
To bring him in! Trust me, I could do much-

9

and not in cunning,] Cunning, for defign, or purpose, fimply. WARBURTON.

-the wars must make examples

Out of their beft,] The feverity of military difcipline muft not fpare the best men of the army, when their punishment may afford a wholesome example. JOHNSON.

Oth.

Oth. Pr'ythee, no more: let him come when he

will;

I will deny thee nothing.

Def. Why, this is not a boon :

'Tis as I fhould entreat you wear your gloves,
Or feed on nourishing difhes, or keep you warm;
Or fue to you to do peculiar profit

To your own perfon, Nay, when I have fuit,
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,
It shall be full of poize and difficulty,
And fearful to be granted.

Oth. I will deny thee nothing:
Whereon, I do befeech thee, grant me this-
To leave me but a little to myself.

Def. Shall I deny you? No. Farewell, my lord.
Oth. Farewell, my Defdemona; I will come to
thee straight.

Def. Æmilia, come.-Be it as your fancies teach

you :

Whate'er you be, I am obedient. [Exit with Emil. Oth. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my

foul,

But I do love thee! and 3 when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again.

2 Excellent wretch!-Perdition catch my foul,

Iago.

But I do love thee! &c.] The meaning of the word wretch, is not generally understood. It is now, in tome parts of England, a term of the fofteft and fondeft teu er efs. It expreffes the utmost degree of amiabl. nefs, joined with an idea, which perhaps all tenderness includes, of feebleness, foftness, and want of protection. Othello, confidering Defdemona as excelling in beauty and virtue, foft and timorous by her fex, and by her fituation abfolutely in his power, calls her, Excellent wretch! It may be expreffed,

3

Dear, barmiefs, helpless Excellence. JOHNSON.

-when I love thee not,

Chaos is cone again. When my love is for a moment fufpended by fufpicion, I have nothing in my mind but difcord, tumult, perturbation, and confufion. JOHNSON.

VOL. X.

E e

when

Iago. My noble lord→→

Oth. What doft thou fay, Iago?

Iago. Did Michael Caffio, when you woo'd my lady,

Know of your love?

Oth. He did, from first to last. Why doft thou afk?

Iago. But for a fatisfaction of my thought; No farther harm.

Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Iago. I did not think he had been acquainted with

it.

Oth. Oh, yes; and went between us very oft.
Iago. Indeed?

Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed.-Discern'ft thou aught in that?

Is he not honest?

Tago. Honeft, my lord?

Oth. Honeft? ay, honeft.

Iago. My lord, for aught I know.

Oth. What doft thou think?

Iago. Think, my lord?

Oth. Think, my lord!- By heaven he echoes

me;

As if there were fome monster in his thought

Too hideous to be fhewn. Thou doft mean fome

thing:

I heard thee fay but now, thou lik'dst not that
When Caffio left my wife. What did'ft not like?
And, when I told thee, he was of my counsel,
In my whole courfe of wooing, thou cry'dft, indeed?
And didft contract and purfe thy brow together,
As if thou then hadft fhut up in thy brain

-when I love thee not,

Chaos is come again.] There is another meaning poffible. When I ceafe to love thee, the world is at an end; i. e. there remains nothing valuable or important. The first explanation is more elegant, the fecond perhaps more eafy. STEEVENS.