Des. My fear interprets then.- What, is he dead ?
Oth. 9 Had all his hairs been lives, my great re-

venge
Had stomach for them all.

Def. Alas, he is betray'd, and I undone.
Oth. Out, ítrumpet! Weep'ít thou for him to my

face?
Def. Oh banish me, my lord, but kill me not.
Oih. Down, strumpet!
Des. Kill me to-morrow, let me live to-night.
Oth. Nay, if you

strive-
Def. But half an hour.
Oth. Being done, there is no pause.
Def. But while I say one prayer.
Oib. 'It is too late.

[He smothers ber. Æmilia without the door. Æmil. My lord, my lord! What ho! my lord,

my lord!

Oth. What noise is this? Not dead ? not yet quite

dead?
I, that am cruel, am yet merciful;
I would not have thee linger in thy pain.
So, fo.

I Had all his hairs been lives, -] This thought appears to have been very common, as it occurs frequently in dramatic performances prior to Shakespeare's Othello. So in the Devil's Charter, by Barnaby Barnes, 1607.

• Know Caiar, had I now as many lives
“ As there are stoncs, or hairs u on my head,

“ I would,” &c. STEVENS. " It is too late.] After this speech of Otheil, the elder quarto adds an invocation from Desdemona, confisting only of a sacred name, thrice repeated. As this muit be supposed .o. have been uttered while the is yet struggling with death, I think an editor may fairly be excused from inserting such a circumstance of supererogatory horror, especially as it is found in but one of the old copies. Steevens.

This alteration was probably made by the author, in consequence of a statute of the 21st of James I. to reform prophand eurfing and swearing. HAWKINS.

Emil.

li 4

T H E L

Ε L
Æmil. within.) What ho! my lord, my lord !
Otb. Who's there?
Æmil. Oh, my good lord, I would speak a word

with you.

Oth. Yes~'tis Æmilia.-By and by. She's dead.
'Tis like, she comes to speak of Cassio's death;
The noise was high.-Ha! no more moving?
Still as the grave.-Shall she come in? Were't good?
I think, she stirs again.--No. What's the best?
If she come in, she'll

, sure, speak to my wife :-
My wife! my wife! What wife? I have no wife.
Oh insupportable ! oh heavy hour!
Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse
Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration.
Æmil. I do beseech

you,

I may speak with you. . Oh, good my lord !

Oth. I had forgot thee; oh, come in, Æmilia. Soft.-By and by. Let me the curtains draw. Where art thou? What's the matter with thee now?

(Unlocks tbe door.

Enter Emilia.

Æmil. Oh, my good lord, yonder foul murder's

done.
Oth. What? now?
Æmil, But now, my lord ?

Oth. It is the very error of the moon;
She comes more near the earth than she was wont,
And makes men mad.

Æmil. Caffio, my lord, hath kill'd
A young Venetian, called Roderigo.

Otb. Roderigo kill'd? and Cassio kill'd ?
Emil. No, Caffio is not kill'd.
Otb. Not Caffio kill'd? Then murder's out of

tune,
And sweet revenge grows harsh, ,

Def

,

Def. : Oh falsiy, fally murderd !
Æmil. Alas ! what cry is that?
Otb. That! what?

Æmil. Out, and alas ! that was my lady's voice. Help!

help, ho! help! oh lady, speak again! Sweet Desdemona! oh sweet mistress, speak!

Des. A guiltless death I die.
Æmil. Oh, who hath done this deed ?

Des. No body; I myself; farewell :
Commend me to my kind lord. Oh, farewell. [Dies.

Oth. Why, how should she be murder'd ?
Æmil. Alas! who knows?
Otb. You heard her say herself it was not I.
Æmil. She said so; I must needs report the truth,

Oth. She's like a liar gone to burning hell; 'Twas I that kill'd her.

Æmil. Oh, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil.

Oib. She turn’d to folly, and she was a whore.
Æmil. Thou dost bely her, and thou art a devil.
Otb. She was 3 false as water,

Æmil, Thou art rafh as fire, to say
That she was false.--Oh, she was heavenly true!

Oth. Cassio did tup her; ask thy husband else:
Oh, I were damn'd beneath all depth in hell,

* Ob falsly, fallly murder'd!] If Othello's only attempt on the life of Desdemona was by smothering her, and the inftrument of suffocation was removed before her breath was entirely suppressed, she might speak again (as she does) and afterwards recover. But the represents herself as murder'd, and the means he took to destroy her, prove effe&ual in her death. I suspect that some play-house direction has been omitted ; and that when he says,

I would not bave thee linger in thy pain.

So, fo. He then tabs her, repeating the two laft words, as he repeats the blow. So Virgil :

fic, fic, juvat ire sub umbras.” Steevens. 3 — falfe as water. As water that will support no weight, Ros keep any impresion. Johnson.

But

But that I did proceed upon just grounds
To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all.

Æmil. My husband ?
Oth. Thy husband.
Æmil. That she was false to wedlock ?

Oth. Ay, with Caffio. Had she been true,
If heaven would make me fuch another world,
Of one entire and perfect chrysolite,
I'd not have fold her for it.

Æmil. My husband ?

Oth. Ay, 'twas he that told me first; An honest man he is, and hates the slime That sticks on filthy deeds.

Æmil. My husband ?

Oth. What needs this iteration, woman? I say, thy husband. [Æmil

. Oh mistress ! 4 villainy has made mocks

with love.
My husband say that she was false ?

Oth. He, woman;
I say, thy husband; do'st understand the word ?
My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago.]

Æinil. If he say so, may his pernicious soul
Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart.
Slie was too fond of her most filthy bargain.

Oth. Ha!

Æmil. Do thy' worst.
This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven,
Than thou waft worthy her.

Oth. Peace, you were best.
Æmil. 3 Thou hast not half that power to do me

harm,
As I have to be hurt. Oh gull! oh dolt !

4.-villciny kas made mocks with love.] Villainy has taken advantage to play upon the weakness of a violent passion.

JOHNSON. :3 Tucu haft net half that pozver to do me harm,

As I kave to be hurt. -] Power for will : for will fignifying both ability and inclination, and power signifying

ability,

As ignorant as dirt ! thou hast done a deed -
I care not for thy sword, I'll make thee known,
Though I lost twenty lives.--Help! help, ho! help!
The Moor hath kill'd my mistress : murder! murder!

Enter Montano, Gratiano, Iago, and others.
Mon. What is the matter ? How now, general ?
Æmil. Oh, are you come, Iago ? you have done

well, That men must lay their murders on your neck.

Gra. What is the matter?

Æmil. Disprove this, villain, if thou be’st a man; He says, thou toldst him that his wife was false: I know, thou didit not; thou’rt not such a villain. Speak, for my heart is full.

Iago. I told him what I thought; and told no more Than what he found himself was apt and true.

Æmil. But did you ever tell him she was falle?
lago. I did.

Æmil. You told a lie; an odious, damned lie :
Upon my soul, a lie ; a wicked lie.
She false with Cassio!-Did you say with Cassio ?
Iago. With Cassio, mistress. Go to; 6 charm
tongue.

Æmil. ability, he uses power for inclination. But the Oxford Editor; not underftanding his author's phraseology any better when he had ended than when he had begun with him, alters, As I have to be hurt, to, As I have to bear hurt : which yet does not mend the matter, had the poet here used power in the sense of ability,

WARBURTON. The Oxford Editor faw well the meaning of his author, but weakened his expresion. She means to say, I have in this çauje power to endure more than thou haft power to inflict.

JOHNSON. 6-charm your tongue ) I know not whether I have read, or whether my own thoughts have suggested, an alteration of this paffage. It seems to me not improbable, that Shakeipeare wrote clam your tongue ; to chim a bell, is to cover the clapper with felt, which drowns the blow, and hinders the found.

Johnson.

-charms

6 charm your