No, I will speak as liberal as the north". Emil. Gra. I will not. [IAGO offers to stab his Wife. Fie! Your sword upon a woman? Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou speak'st of, I found by fortune, and did give my husband; (More than, indeed, belong'd to such a trifle) Iago. Villainous whore! Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas! I found it, And I did give 't my husband. Iago. Filth, thou liest. Emil. By heaven, I do not; I do not, gentlemen. O murderous coxcomb! what should such a fool Do with so good a woman'? Oth. [IAGO stabs EMILIA, then runs out3. Are there no stones in heaven, But what serve for the thunder?-Precious villain"! Gra. The woman falls: sure, he has kill'd his wife. No, I will speak as liberal as the NORTH.] Our reading is here that of the folio: the quartos differ from each other, as well as from the folio, but that of 1630 substantially supports the folio: it is, "I'll be in speaking liberal as the north." while the line in the quarto, 1622, runs thus: "I'll be in speaking liberal as the air." This instance among others, may serve to show that all three copies were printed from different manuscripts. Do with so good a WOMAN?] "Do with so good a wife," only in the folio. 3 Iago stabs Emilia, then runs out.] The old stage-direction in the quartos is (for there is none in the folio), "The Moor runs at Iago: Iago kills his wife," but his exit is not marked until after Emilia's next speech. It appears afterwards that Montano disarms Othello. PRECIOUS villain!] This is a place where the quarto, 1630, affords a different and an inferior reading to the two older editions: it has "pernicious villain." At all events, pernicious does not suit the measure. Emil. Ay, ay. O, lay me by my mistress' side! Mon. "Tis a notorious villain. Take you this weapon, Oth. [Exeunt MONTANO and GRATIANO. But every puny whipster gets my sword. So speaking as I think, I die,-I die. Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber, It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook's temper.O here it is.-Uncle, I must come forth. [Dies. Gra. [Within.] If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear: Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer. Oth. Look in upon me, then, and speak to me, Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee. Re-enter GRATIANO. Gra. What is the matter? Oth. Behold! I have a weapon; A better never did itself sustain 7 Which I have here recover'd from the Moor.] This line shows that Othello had "run at Iago," according to the old stage-direction of the quartos, and that Montano, interposing, had "recovered" his sword of him. "Here" in this line is omitted in the folio only. 8 Willow, willow, willow.-] These words and the preceding part of the speech, are not in the quarto, 1622. In the last line of it, the folio reads "Alas! I die," instead of "I die-I die," of the quartos. 9 - and speak to me,] The folio alone, "and speak with me.” VOL. VII. SS Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day, From the possession of this heavenly sight! O Desdemona! Desdemona! dead? O! O! 03! Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO', and Officers, with IAGO, prisoner. Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man? Oth. That's he, that was Othello: here I am. 1 Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd wench !] This and the six previous lines are not in the quarto, 1622, but are in the folio and quarto, 1630 : the latter, however, omits "Now," in this line. 2 Even like thy chastity.-0, cursed slave!] So the two quartos: the folio repeats "cursed," to the detriment of the metre. 3 O Desdemona, Desdemona ! dead? O ! O! O!] Our reading is here that of both the quartos; the folio has the line thus, with an injurious, though by no means unprecedented abridgment of the name :— "O Desdemon? dead? Desdemon! dead? O! 0!” Enter Lodovico, Montano, Cassio,] The stage-direction of the quartos, informs us that Cassio was "carried in a chair," but as the words are not in the folio, we may infer that the practice of our old stage in this respect was not uniform. In modern times Cassio walks in lame, and supported, with the handkerchief about his leg. Lod. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth. Oth. I look down towards his feet';-but that's a fable: If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. [OTHELLO wounds IAGO. Lod. Wrench his sword from him. I bleed, sir; but not kill'd. Iago. Lod. O thou Othello! that wert once so good, Fall'n in the practice of a damned slave, What shall be said to thee? Oth. Why, any thing : An honourable murderer, if you will; For nought I did in hate, but all in honour. Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy. Did you and he consent in Cassio's death? Oth. Ay. Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil, Lod. What! not to pray? Gra. Torments will ope your lips. Oth. Well, thou dost best. Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n, Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter, Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo; And here another: the one of them imports 5 towards his feet;] To see (observes Johnson) if, according to the common opinion, his feet were cloven. 6 — of a DAMNED slave,] The folio reads "of a cursed slave,” in opposition to the two other authorities. 7 - I ask you pardon.] The folio alone has " I ask your pardon,” and in this part of the scene there are some other trifling variations not requiring especial notice, and not at all affecting the sense. The death of Cassio to be undertook By Roderigo. Oth. O villain! Cas. Most heathenish, and most gross! Lod. Now, here's another discontented paper, Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems, Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain; But that, belike, Iago in the interim Came in and satisfied him. Oth. How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief, That was my wife's? Cas. O, the pernicious caitiff! I found it in my chamber; And he himself confess'd, but even now, That there he dropp'd it, for a special purpose, Oth. O fool! fool! fool! Lod. You must forsake this room, and go with us: Your power and your command is taken off, And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave, If there be any cunning cruelty, That can torment him much, and hold him long, — in the INTERIM] "Interim" is the word in the folio and in the quarto, 1630: it is nick in the quarto, 1622. In the next line the folio reads, “O thou pernitious caitiff!” "And he himself confess'd, but even now,] The folio and quarto, 1630, read "confess'd it but even now," and the quarto, 1622, "confess'd it even now.” The sense clearly requires the omission of it. - Come; bring HIM away.] The folio omits "him," found in the other old copies. |