Des. O most lame and impotent conclusion !-Do not learn of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband.How say you, Cassio ? is he not a most profane and liberal counsellor ??

Cas. He speaks home, madam ; you may relish him more in the soldier, than in the scholar.

Iago. [Aside.] He takes her by the palm : Ay, well said, whisper : with as little a web as this, will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do; I will gyve thee 3 in thine own courtship. You say true ; 'tis so, indeed : if such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft, which now again you are most apt to play the sir in. Very good ; well kissed! an excellent courtesy !4 'tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingers to your lips? would, they were clyster-pipes for your sake !--[Trumpet.] The Moor, I know his trumpet.

C'as. 'Tis truly so.
Des. Let's meet him, and receive him.
Cas. Lo, where he comes !

Enter OTHELLO, and Attendants
Oth. O my fair warrior!
Des. My dear Othello ?

Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content,
To see you here before me. O my soul's joy !
If after every tempest come such calms,
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death !
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas
Olympus-high, and duck again as low
As hell's from heaven ! If it were now to die,
'Twere now to be most happy ; for, I fear,
My soul hath her content so absolute,
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.

Des. The heavens forbid,
But that our loves and comforts should increase,
Even as our days do grow !

Oth. Amen to that, sweet powers ! I cannot speak enough of this content, It stops me here ; it is too much of joy : the want of natural affection, and the predominance of a critical censoriousness in Iago, of which he allows himself to be possessed.

(2) Profane-gross of language. Liberal, for licentious. JOHNSON. [3] Gyve-j.e. catch, shackle. POPE. [4] Spoken when Cassio kisses his hand, and Desdemona coortsies.

JOHNSON

STEEVENS.

And this, and this, the greatest discords be, [Kissing her. That e'er our hearts shall make!

lago. O, you are well-tun'd now ! But I'll set down the pegs that make this music, As honest as I am.

[Aside. Oth. Come, let's to the castle. News, friends; our wars are done, the Turks are drown'd. How do our old acquaintance of this isle ? Honey, you shall be well desir'd in Cyprus, I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet, I prattle out of fashion, and I dote In mine own comforts.- I proythee, good lago, Go to the bay, and disembark my coffers: Bring thou the master to the citadel; He is a good one, and his worthiness Does challenge much respect.-Come,-Desdemona, Once more well met at Cyprus.

[Exe. OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants. Iago. Do thou meet me presently at the harbour. Come thither. If thou be'st valiant as they say) base men, being in love, have then a nobility in their natures more than is native to them, - list me. The lieutenant to-night watches on the court of guard.–First, I must tell thee this-Desdemona is directly in love with him.

Rod. With him ! why, 'tis not possible. Iago.Lay thy finger-thus, 5 and let thy soul be instructed. Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, but for bragging, and telling her fantastical lies : And will she love hirn

still for prating ? let not thy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed ; and what delight shall she have to look on the devil ? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be,-again to inflame it, and to give satiety a fresh appetite,--loveliness in favour ; sympathy in years, manners, and beauties ; all which the Moor is defective in. Now, for want of these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature will instruct her in it, and compel her to some second choice. Now, sir, this granteå, (as it is a most pregnant and unforced position,) who stands so eminently in the degree of this fortune, as Cassio does? a knave very voluble ; no further conscionable, than in putting on the

to a wiser man.

[5] Lay thy finger thus-on thy mouth, to stop it while thou art listening

JOHNSON

mere form of civil and humane seeming, for the better compassing of his salt and most hidden loose affection? why, none ; why, none : A slippery and subtle knave ; a finder out of occasions ; that has an eye can stamp and counterfeit advantages, though true advantage never present itself : A devilish knave ! besides, the knave is handsome, young; and hath all those requisites in him, that folly and green minds look after : A pestilent complete knave ; and the woman hath found him already.

Rod. I cannot believe that in her ; she is full of most blessed condition.6

Iago. Blessed fig's end! the wine she drinks is made of grapes : If she had been blessed, she would never have loved the Moor: Blessed pudding ! Didst thou not see her paddle with the palm of his hand ? didst not mark that?

Rod. Yes, that I did ; but that was but courtesy.

Iago. Lechery, by this hand ; an index, and obscure prologue to the history of lust and foul thoughts. They met so near with their lips, that their breaths embraced together. Villainous thoughts, Roderigo ! when these mutualities so marshal the way, hard at hand comes the master and main exercise, the incorporate conclusion : Pish !-But, sir, be you rul'd by me : I have brought you from Venice. Watch you to-night ; for the command, I'll lay't upon you. Cassio knows you not ;-I'll not be far from you : Do you find some occasion to anger Cassio, either by speaking too loud, or tainting his discipline ; or from what other course you please, which the time shall more favourably minister. Rod. Well.

Iago. Sir, he is rash, and very sudden in choler; and, haply, with his truncheon may strike at you. Provoke him, that he may ; for, even out of that, will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny ; whose qualification shall come into no true taste again, but by the displanting of Cassio. So shall you have a shorter journey to your desires, by the means I shall then have to prefer them ; and the impediment most profitably removed, without the which there were no expectation of our prosperity.

Rod. I will do this, if I can bring it to any opportunity. Iago. I warrant thee. Meet me by and by at the citadel : I must fetch his necessaries ashore. Farewell. Rod. Adieu.

[Exit. Iago. That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it ;

That she loves him, 'tis apt, and of great credit :
The Moor-howbeit that I endure him not,-
Is of a constant, loving, noble nature;
And, I dare think, he'll prove to Desdemona
A most dear husband. Now I do love her too ;
Not out of absolute lust, (though, peradventure,
I stand accountant for as great a sin,)
But partly led to diet my revenge,
For that I do suspect the lusty Moor
Hath leap'd into my seat: the thought whereof
Doth, like a poisonous mineral,? gnaw my inwards ;
And nothing can or shall content iny soul,
Till I am even with him, wife for wife ;
Or, failing so, yet that I put the Moor
At least into a jealousy so strong
That judgment cannot cure. Which thing to do,
If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trash
For his quick hunting, stand the putting on,
I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip ; 8
Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb, '-
For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too ;
Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me,
For making him egregiously an ass,
And practising upon his peace and quiet
Even to madness. 'Tis here, but yet confus'd ;
Knavery's plain face is never seen, 1 till us’d. [Exit.

SCENE II. A Street, Enter a Herald with a proclamation ; People following.

Her. It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and valiant general, that, upon certain tidings now arrived, importing the mere2 perdition of the Turkish fleet, every man put himself into triumph ; some to dance, sone to make bonfires, each man to what sport and revels his addiction leads him ; for, besides these beneficial news, it is the celebration of his nuptials : So much was his pleas. ure should be proclaimed, All offices are open ;3 and

[7] This is pliilosophical. Mineral poisons kill by corrosion. JOHNSON. 18 A phrase from the art of wrestling. JOHNSON [9] Rank garb, I believe means, grossly, i. e. without mincing the matter.

STEEVENS. (1) An honest man acts upon a plan, and forecasts his designs ; but a knave depends upon temporary and local opportunities and never knows his own parpose, but at the time of execution. JOHNSON.

[2] Mere in this place signifies entire. STEEVENS.

(3) All rooms or places in the castle, at which refreshments are prepared, or served out. So in Macbeth :

- Sent forth great largess to your offices.!! STEEVENS.

there is full liberty of feasting, from this present hour of five, till the bell hath told eleven. Heaven bless the isle of Cyprus, and our noble general, Othello ! [Exit.

SCENE III. A Hall in the Castle. Enter Othello, DesdeMONA, CASSIO,

and Attendants.
Oth. Good Michael, look you to the guard to-night :
Let's teach ourselves that honourable stop,
Not to out-sport discretion.

Cas. Iago hath direction what to do ;
But, notwithstanding, with my personal eye
Will I look to't.

Oth. Iago is most honest.
Michael, good-night : To-morrow, with our earliest,
Let me have speech with you.—Come, my dear love,
The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue ; [To DES.
That profit's yet to come 'twixt me and you.-
Good-night. [Exeunt OTH. Des. and Attendants.

Enter IAGO.
Cas. Welcome, Iago : we must to the watch.

Iago. Not this hour, lieutenant ; 'tis not yet ten o'clock : Our general cast us thus early, for the love of his Desdemona ; whom let us not therefore blame ; he hath not yet made wanton the night with her : and she is sport for Jove.

Cas. She's a most exquisite lady.
Iago. And, I'll warrant her, full of game.
Cas. Indeed, she is a most fresh and delicate creature.

lago. What an eye she has ! methinks it sounds a parley of provocation.

Cas. An inviting eye; and yet methinks right modest. Iago. And, when she speaks, is it not an alarm to love? Cas. She is, indeed, perfection.

Iago. Well, happiness to their sheets! Come, lieutenant, I have a stoup of wine ; and here without are a brace of Cyprus gallants, that would fain have a measure to the health of the black Othello.

Cas. Not to-night, good lago; I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking : I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment.

lago. O, they are our friends ; but one cup: I'll drink

for you.

30

VOL. VIII.