When it hath blown his ranks into the air;s
And, like the devil, from his very arın
Puff’d his own brother;- And can he be angry?
Something of moment, then: I will go meet him;
There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry.
Des. I pr’ythee, do so.—Something, sure, of
state,

[Exit Iago.
Either from Venice; or some unhatch'd practice,
Made démonstrable here in Cyprus to him,-
Hath puddled his clear spirit: and, in such cases,
Men's natures wrangle with inferior things,
Though great ones are their object. 'Tis even so;
For let our finger ache, and it indues?
Our other healthful members ev’n to that sense
Of pain: Nay, we must think, men are not gods;
Nor of them look for such observances
As fit the bridal."-Beshrew me much, Emilia,
I was (unhandsome warrior as I am,)
Arraigning his unkindness with my soul;
But now I find, I had suborn'd the witness,
And he's indited falsely.
Emil. Pray heaven, it be state matters, as you

think; And no conception, nor no jealous toy, Concerning you.

Des. Alas, the day! I never gave him cause,

5

I have seen the

cannon, When it hath blown, &c.] In lago's speech something is sup

: pressed. He means to say, I have seen his ranks blown into the air, and his own brother puff'd from his side,-and mean while have seen him cool and unruffled. And can he now be angry?

sume unhutchi'd practice,] Some treason that has not taken effect.

7 For let our finger ache, and it indues-] I believe it should be rather, Subdues our other healthful members to a sense of pain.

JOHNSON the bridal.] i. e. the nuptial feast ; a Saxon word.

(unhandsome warrior as I am,)] Unhandsome warrior, is evidently unfair assailant.

8

9

Emil. But jealous souls will not be answer'd so; They are not ever jealous for the cause, But jealous for they are jealous: 'tis a monster, Begot upon itself, born on itself. Des. Heaven keep that monster from Othello's

mind! Emil. Lady, amen.

Des. I will go seek him.-Cassio walk hereabout: If I do find bim fit, I'll move your suit, And seek to effect it to my uttermost. Cas. I humbly thank your ladyship.

[Exeunt DesdeMONA and Emilia.

Enter BIANCA, Bian. Save you, friend Cassio! Cas.

What make you from home? How is it with you, my most fair Bianca? I'faith, sweet love, I was coming to your house.

Bian. And I was going to your lodging, Cassio. What! keep a week away? seven days and nights? Eight score eight hours? and lovers' absent hours, More tedious than the dial eight score times ? O weary reckoning! Cas.

Pardon me, Bianca; I have this while with leaden thoughts been press’d; But I shall, in a more continuate time, Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,

[Giving her DESDEMONA's Handkerchief. Take me this work out.? 'Bian.

O, Cassio, whence came this? This is some token from a newer friend. To the felt absence now I feel a cause:

1

in a more continuate time,] A more continuate time is time less interrupted, time which I can call more my own.

Is it come to this? Well, well.
Cas.

Woman, go to!
Throw your vile guesses in the devil's teeth,
From whence you have them. You are jealous now,
That this is from some mistress, some remembrance:
No, in good troth, Bianca.
Bian.

Why, whose is it? Cas. I know not, sweet: I found it in my chamber. I like the work well; ere it be demanded, (As like enough, it will,) I'd have it copied: Take it, and do't; and leave me for this time.

Bian. Leave you! wherefore?

Cas. I do attend here on the general;
And think it no addition, nor my wish,
To have him see me woman'd.
Bian.

Why, I pray you?
Cas. Not that I love
Bian.

But that you do not love me. I pray you, bring me on the way a little; And say, if I shall see you soon at night.

Cas.' 'Tis but a little way, that I can bring you, Fór I attend here: but I'll see you soon. Bian. 'Tis very good; I must be circumstanc’d.

[Exeunt.

you not.

lago. Will you think so? Oth,

Think so, lago?

I must be circumstanc'd.] Rather, I must give way to circumstances.

5

What,

Iago.
To kiss in private?
Oth.

An unauthoriz'd kiss.
Iago. Or to be naked with her friend abed,
An hour, or more, not meaning any harin?

Oth. Naked abed, Iago, and not mean harm?
It is hypocrisy against the devil:*
They that mean virtuously, and yet do so,
The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven.

Iago. So they do nothing, 'tis a venial slip:
But if I give my wife a handkerchief,

Oth. What then?
Iago. Why, then 'tis hers, my lord; and, being

hers,
She may, I think, bestow't on any man.

Oth. She is protectress of her honour too; May she give that?

lago. Her honour is an essence that's not seen;
They have it very oft, that have it not:
But, for the handkerchief,
Oth. By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot

it:
Thou said’st,-0, it comes o'er my memory,
As doth the raven o'er the infected house,
Boding to all, he had my handkerchief.

Iago. Ay, what of that?
Oth.

That's not so good, now. Iago. What, if I had said, I had seen him do you

wrong? Or heard him say,--As knaves be such abroad,

4 It is hypocrisy against the devil:] Hypocrisy against the devil, means hypocrisy to cheat the devil. As common hypocrites cheat men, by seeming good, and yet living wickedly, these men would cheat the devil, by giving him flattering hopes, and at last avoiding the crime which he thinks them ready to commit. JOHNSON.

boding to all —] The raven was thought to be a constant attendant on a house, in which there was infection,

5

Who having, by their own importunate suit
Or voluntary dotage of some mistress,
Convinced or supplied them, cannot choose
But they must blab-
Oth.

Hath he said any thing?
lago. He hath, my lord; but be you well assur’d,
No more than he'll unswear.
Oth.

What hath he said? lago. 'Faith, that he did, -I know not what he

did.
Oth. What? what?
Iago. Lie-
Oth. With her?
Iago.

With her, on her; what you will. Oth. Lie with her! lie on her!-We say, lie on her, when they belie her: Lie with her! that's fulsome.—Handkerchief, - confessions,—handkerchief.--To confess, and be hanged? for his labour. -First, to be hanged, and then to confess :-I tremble at it. Nature would not invest herself in such shadowing passion, without some instruction." It is not words, that shake me thus:--Pish!

7

• Convinced or supplied them,] Dr. Farmer is of opinion that supplied has here the same meaning as supplicated. But Mr. Steevens says that Supplied is the old spelling of suppled, i. e. softened.

To confess, and be hanged -] This is a proverbial saying.

without some instruction.] Othello alludes to Cassio's dream, which had been invented and told him by Iago. When many

confused and very interesting ideas pour in upon the mind all at once, and with such rapidity that it has not time to shape or digest them, if it does not relieve itself by tears (which we know it often does, whether for joy or grief) it produces stupefaction and fainting.

Othello, in broken sentences and single words, all of which have a reference to the cause of his jealousy, shows, that all the proofs are present at once to his mind, which so over-powers it, that he falls into a trance, the natural consequence.

SIR J. REYNOLDS.