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Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; 7 And, when she feen'd to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them most.

Oth. And fo fhe did.

Iago. Go to, then;

She that, fo young, could give out fuch a seeming
To feel her father's eyes up, close as oak-
He thought, 'twas witchcraft:-but I am much

to blune:

I humbly do befeech you of your pardon,
For too much loving you.

Oth. I am bound to thee for ever.

Iago. I fee this hath a little dafh'd your spirits.
Oth. Not a jot, not a jot.

Iago. Trust me, I fear, it has.

I hope, you will confider, what is spoke
Comes from my love :-but, I do fee, you are mov'd-
I am to pray you, not to ftrain my fpeech

7 And, when she feem'd-] This and the following argument of lago ought to be deeply impreffed on every reader. Deceit and falsehood, whatever conveniencies they may for a time promife or produce, are, in the fum of life, obftacles to happiness. Thofe, who profit by the cheat, diftruft the deceiver, and the act, by which kindnefs was fought, puts an end to confidence.

The fame objection may be made with a lower degree of ftrength against the imprudent generofity of dilproportionate marriages. When the first heat of paffion is over, it is easily fucceeded by fufpicion, that the fame violence of inclination, which caufed one irregularity, may ftimulate to another; and thofe who have fhewn, that their paflions are too powerful for their prudence, will, with very flight appearances against them, be cenfured, as not very likely to reftrain them by their virtue. JOHNSON.

To jeel her father's eyes up, clofe as oak,-
little relation between eyes and oak. I would read,
She feel'd her father's eyes up clofe as owl's.
As blind as an owl, is a proverb. JOHNSON.

-] There is

To feel her father's eyes up, cloje as oak,-] The oak is (I believe) the most clofe-grained wood of general ufe in England. Clofe as oak, means, clofe as the grain of the oak, I fee no cause for alteration. STEEVENS.

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9 To groffer iffues, nor to larger reach, Than to fufpicion.

Oth. I will not.

Iago. Should you do fo, my lord,

'My fpeech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs, As my thoughts aim not at.

friend.

My lord, I fee you are mov'd.

Oth. No, not much mov'd:

Caffio's my worthy

I do not think but Defdemona's honeft.

Iago. Long live the fo! and long live you to think fo!

Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself-
Iago. Ay, there's the point: as, to be bold with

you,

Not to affect many propofed matches

Of her own clime, complexion, and degree;
Whereto, we fee, in all things nature tends:
Foh! one may smell, in fuch, a 2 will most rank,
Foul difproportion, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me; I do not, in position,
Diftinctly speak of her: though I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,

• To groffer iffues,-] Iues, for conclufions. WARBURTON. My Speech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs,] Success, for

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fucceffion, i. e. conclusion; not profperous iffue.

WARB.

I rather think there is a depravation, and would read,

My fpeech would fall into fuch vile excess.

If fuccefs be the right word, it feems to mean confequence or event, as fucceffo is ufed in Italian. JOHNSON.

I think fuccefs may, in this inftance, bear its common interpretation. What Iago means, feems to be this. Should you

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do fo, my lord, my words would be attended by fuch an "infamous degree of fuccefs, as my thoughts do not even aim "at." Iago, who counterfeits the feelings of virtue, might have faid fall into fuccefs, because he, who obtains his wishes in an unworthy purfuit, derives no triumph from his fuccefs.

STEEVENS.

2 will most rank,] Will, is for wilfulnefs. It is fo ufed by Afcham. A rank will, is felf-will overgrown and exuberant. JOHNSON.

May

May fall to match you with her country forms,
And, happily, repent.

Oth. Farewell, farewell:

If more thou doft perceive, let me know more:
Set on thy wife to obferve. Leave me, Iago.
Iago. My lord, I take my leave.
Oth. Why did I marry?--
This honeft creature, doubtlefs,

[Going.

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Iago. My lord, I would I might entreat your honour

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To fcan this thing no further; leave it to time:
And though 'tis fit that Caffio have his place,
(For, fure, he fills it up with great ability;)
Yet if you please to hold him off a while,
3 You fhall by that perceive him, and his means.
Note, if your lady 4 ftrain his entertainment
With any strong, or vehement importunity;
Much will be feen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought too bufy in my fears,
(As worthy caufe I have to fear, I am)
And hold her free, I do befeech your honour.
Oth. 5 Fear not my government,
Iago. I once more take my leaye.

6

[Exit.

Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honefty, And knows all qualities, with a learned fpirit, Of human dealings. 7 If I do prove her haggard,

3 You shall by that perceive him, and his means.] You fhall discover whether he thinks his best means, his most powerful intereft, is by the folicitation of your lady. JOHNSON.

4

-frain his entertainment] Prefs hard his re-admiffion to his pay and office. Entertainment was the military term for admiffion of foldiers. JOHNSON.

5 Fear not my government.] Do not diftruft my ability to contain my paffion. JOHNSON.

6with a learned fpirit,] Learned, for experienced, WARBURTON. The conftruction is, He knows with a learned fpirit all qualities of human dealings. JOHNSON,

"If I do prove her baggard,] A baggard hawk, is a wild hawk, a hawk unreclaimed, or irreclaimable. JOHNSON.

Though

Though that her jeffes were my dear heart-strings,
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune. Haply, for I am black,
And have not those foft parts of conversation
That chamberers have; or, for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years;-yet that's not much;--
She's gone; I am abus'd; and my relief

Must be to loath her. Oh curfe of marriage!
That we can call these delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,
For others' ufes. Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones;
Prerogativ'd are they lefs than the base:

'Tis destiny unfhunnable, like death.

Even then, this 9 forked plague is fated to us,
When we do quicken. Desdemona comes :

7 Though that her jeffes were my dear heart-firings,] Jeffes are fhort ftraps of leather tied about the foot of a hawk, by which fhe is held on the fift. HANMER.

In Heywood's comedy, called A Woman killed with Kindness, 1617, a number of these terms relative to hawking occur together.

"Now fhe hath feiz'd the fowl, and 'gins to plume her;
"Rebeck her not; rather stand still and check her.
"So: feize her gets, her jesses, and her bells."

I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind

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STEEVENS.

To prey at fortune. The falconers always let fly the hawk against the wind; if the flies with the wind behind her, the feldom returns. If therefore a hawk was for any reason to be difmiffed, she was let down the wind, and from that time hifted for herself, and preyed at fortune. This was told me by the late Mr. Clark. JOHNSON.

9 forked plague] In allufion to a barbed or forked ar row, which, once infixed, cannot be extracted. JOHNSON. Or rather, the forked plague is the cuckold's horns. PERCY. Dr. Johnfon may be right. I meet with the fame thought in Middleton's comedy of, A Mad World my Mafters, 1608. "While the broad arrow with the forked head, "Miffes his brows but narrowly." STEEVENS.

Enter

Enter Defdemona and Emilia.

If fhe be falfe, oh, then heaven mocks itself!—
I'll not believe it.

Def. How now, my dear Othello?
Your dinner, and the generous iflanders
By you invited, do attend your presence.
Oth. I am to blame.

Def. Why is your speech fo faint? Are you not well? Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here.

Def. Why, that's with watching; 'twill away again: Let me but bind it hard, within this hour

It will be well.

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Oth. Your napkin is too little:

[She drops her bandkerchief. Let it alone. Come, I'll Come, I'll go in with you. Def. I am very forry that you are not well.

[Exeunt Defd. and Oth. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor: My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it; but she fo loves the token, (For he conjur'd her she should ever keep it) That fhe referves it evermore about her,

To kifs 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;

2 I nothing, but to please his fantafy.

Enter Iago.

Jago. How now! what do you here alone?
Emil. Do not you chide; I have a thing for you.
Iago. You have a thing for me?

It is a common thing

Your napkin, &c.] Ray fays, that a pocket handkerchief is fo called about Sheffield in Yorkshire. STEEVENS.

I nothing, but to please his fantafy.] Thus the folio. The quarto, 1622, reads,

I nothing know but for fantafy. STEEVENS.

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