ACT III. SCENE I.

Before the Cafle.

Enter CASSIO, and fome Musicians.

CAS. Mafters, play here, I will content your

pains,

Something that's brief; and bid-good-morrow,
[Mufick.

general.'

Enter Clown.

CLO. Why, mafters, have your inftruments been
at Naples, that they speak i'the nofe thus?"
1. Mus. How, fir, how!

CLO. Are thefe, I pray you, call'd wind inftru-
ments?

1. Mus. Ay, marry, are they, fir.

CLO. O, thereby hangs a tail.

1. Mus. Whereby hangs a tale, fir?

and bid-good-morrow, general.] It is the ufual practice of the waits, or nocturnal minstrels, in feveral towns in the North of England, after playing a tune or two, to cry "Good-morrow, maister fuch a one, good-morrow dame," adding the hour, and ftate of the weather. It should feem to have prevailed at Stratfordupon-Avon. They formerly ufed hautboys, which are the windinftruments here meant. RITSON.

8 Why, mafters, have your inftruments been at Naples, that they
fpeak i'the nose thus?] So, in The Merchant of Venice:

"And others, when the bagpipe fings i'the nofe,-."
STEEVENS.

The venereal disease first appeared at the fiege of Naples.

abelais somewhere Speaks of a blow over the with a Naples coul-staff."

CLO. Marry, fir, by many a wind inftrument that I know. But, mafters, here's money for you: and the general fo likes your mufick, that he defires. you, of all loves,' to make no more noife with it. 1. Mus. Well, fir, we will not.

CLO. If you have any mufick that may not be heard, to't again: but, as they fay, to hear mufick, the general does not greatly care.

1. Mus. We have none fuch, fir.

CLO. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away: Go; vanifh into air; away.

3

[Exeunt Muficians. CAS. Doft thou hear, my honest friend?

CLO. No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you.

CAS. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets. There's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman that attends the general's wife, be stirring, tell her, there's one Caffio entreats her a little favour of fpeech: Wilt thou do this?

CLO. She is stirring, fir; if she will stir hither, I fhall feem to notify unto her.

9

Enter IAGO.

[Exit.

CAS. Do, good my friend.-In happy time, Iago.
IAGO. You have not been a-bed then?

of all loves,] The folio reads-for love's fake. The phrafe in the text occurs alfo in The Merry Wives of Windjor. See Vol. III. p. 380, n. 3. STEEVENS

2

3

for I'll away:] Sir T. Hanmer reads, and bie away.

JOHNSON. Ivanish into air;] So, the folio and one of the quartos. The eldest quarto reads-Vanish away. STEEVENS. 4thy quillets.] See p. 305, n. 5. MALONE.

CAS. Why, no; the day had broke Be fore we parted. I have made bold, Iago, To fend in to your wife: My fuit to her Is, that the will to virtuous Desdemona Procure me fome accefs.

LAGO.

I'll fend her to you prefently;

And I'll devife a mean to draw the Moor
Out of the way, that your converse and business
May be more free.

[Exit. CAS. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew A Florentine more kind and honeft."

Enter EMILIA.

6

EMIL. Good morrow, good lieutenant: I am forry For your displeasure; but all will foon be well. The general, and his wife, are talking of it; And the fpeaks for you ftoutly: The Moor replies, That he, you hurt, is of great fame in Cyprus, And great affinity; and that, in wholesome wisdom,

A Florentine more kind and honeft.] In confequence of this line, a doubt has been entertained concerning the country of lago. Caffio was undoubtedly a Florentine, as appears by the first scene of the play, where he is exprefsly called one. That Iago was a Venetian, is proved by a fpeech in the third scene of this act, and by what he fays in the fifth act, after having ftabbed Roderigo:

"Iago. Alas, my dear friend and countryman, Roderigo! "Gra. What, of Venice?

"Lago. Yes."

All that Caffio means to fay in the paffage before us is, I never experienced more honefty and kindness even in one of my own countrymen, than in this man.

Mr. Steevens has made the fame obfervation in another place.

It was made in edit. 1778. STEEVENS.

MALONE.

6 For your difpleafure;] i. e. the difpleasure you have incurred. from Othello. STEEVENS.

He might not but refufe you: but, he protefts, he

loves you;

And needs no other fuitor, but his likings,
To take the faf'ft occafion by the front,"
To bring you in again.

If

CAS.

you

Yet, I beseech you,

think fit, or that it may be done,

Give me advantage of fome brief discourse
With Defdemona alone.

EMIL.

Pray you, come in; I will bestow you where you fhall have time To speak your bofom freely.

CAS.

I am much bound to you.'

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Room in the Cafile.

Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen.

8

OTH. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot;
And, by him, do my duties to the ftate:
That done, I will be walking on the works,
Repair there to me.

IAGO.

Well, my good lord, I'll do't. OTH. This fortification, gentlemen,-shall we

fee't?

GENT. We'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt.

To take the fafft occafion by the front,] This line is wanting in the folio. STEEVENS.

↑ I am much bound to you.] This fpeech is omitted in the firft quarto. STEEVENS.

8 -to the state:] Thus the quarto, 1622. Folio,-to the fenate. MALONE.

Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA.

DES. Be thou affur'd, good Caffio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf.

EMIL. Good madam, do; I know it grieves my husband,

As if the cafe were his."

DES. O, that's an honeft fellow.-Do not doubt,

Caffio,

But I will have my lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

CAS.

Bounteous madam,

Whatever shall become of Michael Caffio,
He's never any thing but your true fervant.

DES. O, fir, I thank you: You do love my lord;
You have known him long; and be you well affur'd,
He fhall in ftrangenefs ftand no further off
Than in a politick distance.

That policy may either last so long,3

Or feed upon fuch nice and waterish diet,

Or breed itself fo out of circumftance,

9 As if the cafe were his.] The folio reads,-As if the cause were his. STEEVENS.

2 O, fir, I thank you:] Thus the quarto, 1622. The folio reads—I know't, I thank you. MALONE.

3 That policy may either laft fo long,] He may either of himself think it politick to keep me out of office fo long, or he may be fatisfied with fuch flight reafons, or fo many accidents may make him think my re-admiflion at that time improper, that I may be quite forgotten. JOHNSON.