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 blune: I humbly do befeech you of your pardon, Oth. I am bound to thee for ever. Iago. I fee this hath a little dafh'd your spirits. Iago. Trust me, I fear, it has. I hope, you will confider, what is spoke 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,- -] 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. Το 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- you, Not to affect many propofed matches Of her own clime, complexion, and degree; • To groffer iffues,-] Iues, for conclufions. WARBURTON. My Speech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs,] Success, for 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 66 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, Oth. Farewell, farewell: If more thou doft perceive, let me know more: [Going. Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Iago. My lord, I would I might entreat your honour To fcan this thing no further; leave it to time: 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, Must be to loath her. Oh curfe of marriage! 'Tis destiny unfhunnable, like death. Even then, this 9 forked plague is fated to us, 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; I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind -- 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!— Def. How now, my dear Othello? 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. 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? 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. |