Ingo. But for a satisfaction of my thought, No farther harm.

361 Oth. Why of thy thought, lago? Iago. I did not think, he had been acquainted with i it.

: С Oth. Oh, yes, and went between us very oft. lago. Indeed!

'; Oih. Indeed! ay, indeed. Discern'ít chou aughun

that? Is he not honeft? lago. Honest, my Lord?

Yet Otb. Honest ? ay, honest. Tago. My Lord, for aught I know, Otb. What dost thou think?

. Jago. Think, my Lord! Oib. Think, my Lord! why dost thou écha

me ; As if there were some monster in 'thy thought, Too hideous to be shewn? Thou doft mean some

thing:
I heard thee say but now, thou lik’dst not that,-
When Casio left my wife. What did'lt not like?
And when I told thee, he was of my counsel,
In my whole course of wooing, thou cry’dft, indeed
And didft contract and purle thy brow together,
As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit. If thou dost love me,
Shew me thy thought.

Iago. My Lord, you know, I love you.

Olh. I think, thou doit :
And for I know, thou art full of love and honesty,
And weigh'st thy words before thou giv'st them

breach,
Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more.
For such things, in a false diDoyal knave,
Are tricks of custom ; but, in a man that's just,

They're

They're close dilations working from the heart, That passion cannot rule.

lago. For Michael Cafio, I dare be sworn, I think, that he is honest,

Oib. I think so too. lago. Men should be what they seem; Or, those that be not, 'would they might seem none! Oib. Certain, men should be what they seem. Iago. Why, then, I think, Cassio's an honest man,

Oib. Nay, yet there's more in this; I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings, As thou doft ruminate ; and give thy worst of

thoughts The worst of words.

Iago. Good my Lord, pardon me. Though I am bound to every act of duty, I am not bound to that, all slaves are free to. Utter my thoughts !-- -Why, say, they're vile and

false ;

9 They're cold dilations work- tions, except that the earlier ing from the heart,

quarto has close denotements ; That passion cannot rale.] i. e. which was the authour's first ex. thefe

ftops and breaks are cold di pression, afterwards changed by lations, or cold keeping back a him, not to cold dilation, for secret, which men of phlegmatic cold is read in no ancient copy ; conftitutions, whose hearts are nor, I believe, to close dilutions, not fway'd or govern'd by their butto close delations ; to cccult and paffions, we find, can do : while secret accusations, werking invomore sanguine tempers reveal luntarily

from the heart, which tho' themselves at once, and without resolved to conceal the fault, canreserve. But the Oxford Editor not rule its passion of resentment. for cold dilations, reads distilla 8 Or, those that be not, 'would tions.

WARBURTON. they might seem None!) I know not why the modern There is no sense in this reading. editors are satisfied with this I suppose Shakespear wrote, reading, which no explanation

'would they might seem can clear. They might easily have found, that it is introduced I believe the meaning is, without authority. The old co. would they might no longer seem, pies uniformly give, close dila. or bear the tape of men.

As

KNAVES.

WARB.

As where's that Palace, whereinto foul things
Sometimes intrude not? Who has a breast so

pure,
But some uncleanly apprehensions
9 Keep leets and law-days, and in feflions sit i
Wich meditations lawful?

Olh. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago,
If thou but think'st him wrong'd, and mak'st his ear
A ftranger to thy thoughts.

Iago. I do beseech you,
· Though, Iperchance, am vicious in my guess, ,
As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuse ; and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not; I intreat you then,
From one that so ? improbably conceits,
Your wisdom would not build yourself a trouble
Out of my scattering and unsure observance.
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhoo:), honesty, and wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

Olb. What doft thou mean?
lago. Good name in man and woman, dear my

Lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

9 Keep leets and law-days,-) uneafy : in propriety, therefore, i.e. govern. A metaphor, wretch- it should either have been, though edly forced and quaint. WARB. I am not vicious, or because I am

Rather visit than govern, but vicious. It appears then we visit with authoritative intrusion should read, I THOUGH I, perchance, am

I do beseech you, vicious in my guess,] Not to THINK I, perchance, am via mention that, in this reading, the cious in miy guess. fentence is abrupt and broken, it Which makes the sense pertinent is likewise highly absurd. I be- and perfect.

WARBURTON. feech you give yourself no unea

-- imperfeally conceits,] finess from my unsure observance, In the old quarto it is, though I am vicious in my guess, -improbably conceits, For his being an ill guesser was a Which I think preferable. reason why Othello should not be

Who

2

1

Who steals my purse, steals trash ; 'tis something, no

thing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his; and has been save to thousands; But he, that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that, which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. I'll know thy thoughts

lago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody.

Orb. Ha!

lago. Oh, beware, my Lord, of jealousy;
It is a green-ey'd monster, 3 which doch make
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger ;
But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er,
Who doats, yet doubts ; suspects, yet strongly loves!

Oth. Oh misery !

Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough ; 4 But riches fineless is 5 as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

3

"Which doth mock him into it, as we see by his reThe meat it feeds on. -] ply, which is only i.e. loaths that which nourishes Ob mifery! WARB. and fustains it. This being a I have received the emendamiserable ftate, lago bids him be- tion; because to mock, does not ware of it. The Oxford Editor signify to loath ; and because, reads,

when lago bids Othello beware of -which doth make jealousy, the green eyed monster, it The meat it feeds on

is natural to tell why he should implying that its suspicionsare un-' beware, and for caution he gives real and groundless, which is the him two reasons, that jealousy very contrary to what he would often creates its own cause, and here make his General think, that, when the causes are real, as appears from what follows, jealousy is misery.

That cuckold lives in bliss, &c. 4 But riches fineles;-) UnIn a word, the villain is for fix. bounded, endless, unnumbered ing him jealous: and therefore treasures. bids him beware of jealousy, not

-as poor as winter, ] that it was an unreasonable but a Finely expressed : Winter produmiserable state, and this plunges cing no fruits,

WARB. 6

Good

5

Good heaven! the souls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Otb. Why? why is this?
Think’st thou, I'd make a life of jealoufy ?
To follow still the changes of the moon
With fresh suspicions ? No; to be once in doubt,
Is once to be resolv'd. Exchange me for a goat,
When I shall curn the business of my soul
6 To such exsuffolate and blown farmises,
Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous,
To say, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,
Is free of speech, lings, plays, and dances well;
7 Where virtue is, there are most virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear, or doubt of her revolt;
For she had eyes, and chose me, No, Iago,
I'll see, before I doubt ; when I doubt, prove :
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
Away at once with love, or jealousy.

Iago. I am glad of this ; for now I shall have reason

6 To such ex/ flate and blown ous ? The old Quarto reads, 4

Furmijes, ] This odd and little nearer the truth, far-fetch'd word was made yet Where virtue is, these are more uncouth in all the editions more virtuous. before Hanmer's, by being print- But Shakespear wrote, ed, er Suflicate. The allusion is Where virtue is, these MAKB to a bubble.. Do not think, fays more virtuous. the Moor, that I shall change the i. e, where virtue is, the civil noble designs that now employ accomplishments of polite life my thoughts, to fofpicions which, make that virtue more illustrious, like bubbles blown into a wide as coming off victorious from all extent, have only an empty shew the temptations which such acwithout solidity, or that in con- complishments throw in the way. sequence of such empty fears, I

WARBURTON. will life with thy inference against The old reading will, I think, the virtue of my wife.

approve itself to every under7 Where virtue is, these are standing that has not an interest

Most virtuous.] But how in changing it. An action in itcan a virtuous conduct make the self indifferent, grows virtuous indifferent actions of such a cha- by its end and application. racter, virtuous, or molt virtu

TO