Foul difproportions, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me, I do not in pofition
Diftinctly speak of her; tho' I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country forms,
And, haply, fo repent.

Oth. Farewel, farewel;

If more thou doft perceive, let me know more:
Set on thy wife t'obferve. Leave me, Iago.
Iago. My Lord, I take my leave.

Oth. Why did I marry?

This honeft creature, doubtless,

[Going.

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Iago. My Lord, I would, I might entreat your honour

To fcan this thing no farther; leave it to time;
Altho' 'tis fit that Caffio have his place,
For, fure, he fills it up with great ability;
Yet if you please to hold him off a while,
You fhall by that perceive him, and his means.
Note, if your lady ftrain his entertainment
With any strong, or vehement importunity;
Much will be feen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought too bufy in my fears,
As worthy cause I have to fear, I am;
And hold her free, I do befeech your honour.
Oth. Fear not my government.
Iago. I once more take

8

6 You shall by that perceive

him, and his means;] You fhall difcover, whether he thinks his beft means, his moft powerful intereft, is by the folicitation of your lady.

7ftrain his entertainment]

my

leave.

[Exit.

Prefs hard his re-admiffion to his pay and office. Entertainment was the military term for admiffion of foldiers.

8 Fear not my government.] Do not distrust my ability to contain my paffion.

SCENE

Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty,
And knows all qualities, 9 with a learned fpirit,
Of human dealings. If I prove her haggard,
2 Tho' that her jeffes were my dear heart-strings,
3 I'd whiftle her off, and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune. Haply, for I'm black,
And have not those Toft parts of converfation
That chamberers have; or, for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years, yet that's not much;
She's gone, I am abus'd, and my relief

Must be to loath her. Oh the curfe of marriage!
That we can call thefe delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,
For other's ufe. Yet 'tis the plague of Great ones;
Prerogativ'd are they lefs than the bafe;

'Tis deftiny unfhunnable, like death.

4

Ev'n then, this forked plague is fated to us,

9with a learned jirit,] Learned, for experienced.

WARBURTON. The conftruction is, He knows with a learned Spirit all qualities of hi man dealings.

2

If I prove her haggard,] A haggard hawk, is a wild hawk, a bawk unreclaimed, or irreclaim able.

2 Tho' that her jefes were my dear heart-firings,] Jees are fhort ftraps of leather tied about the foot of a hawk, by which the is held on the fift. HANMER. 3 I'd awhile her off, and let ber down the acind

To prey at fortune.-] The falconers always let fly the hawk against the wind; if the flies with the wind behind her the feldom returns. If therefore a hawk was for any reason to be difmiffed, fhe was let down the wind, and from that time fhifted for herself, and prey'd at fortune. This was told me by the late Mr. Clark.

When we do quicken. Defdemona comes!

Enter Desdemona and Emilia.

If the be falfe, oh, then heaven mocks itself:
I'll not believe't.

Def. How now, iny dear Othello?

Your dinner, and the generous Inlanders,
By you invited, do attend your presence.
Oth. I am to blame.

Def. Why do you speak fo faintly?

Are you not well?

Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here.

Def. Why, that's with watching, 'twill away again; Let me but bind it hard, within this hour

It will be well.

Oth. Your napkin is too little,

[She drops her handkerchief.

Let it alone: Come, I'll go in with you.
Def. I am very forry, that you are not well.

[Exeunt.

Manet Emilia.

Emil. I am glad, I have found this napkin;
This was her first remembrance from the Moor;
My wayward husband hath a hundred times
Woo'd me to fteal it. But fhe fo loves the token,
For he conjur'd her, she should ever keep it,
That the referves it evermore about her,

To kifs and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,
And giv't Iago;

What he'll do with it, heav'n knows, not I:

I nothing know, but for his fantasy.

VOL. VIII.

Dd

Enter

f

Enter Iago.

Iago. How now? what do you here alone?
Emil. Do not you chide; I have a thing for you,
Iago. You have a thing for me?

It is a common thing

Emil. Ha?

Iago. To have a foolish wife.

Emil. Oh, is that all? What will you give me now For that fame handkerchief?

Fago. What handkerchief?

Emil. What handkerchief?

Why, that the Moor firft gave to Desdemona;
That which fo often you did bid me steal.
Iago. Haft ftolen it from her?

Emil. No; but fhe let it drop by negligence; And, to th' advantage, I, being here, took 't up. Look, here 'tis.

Iago. A good wench, give it me.

Emil. What will you do with 't, you have been fo earneft

To have me filch it?

Iago. Why, what is that to you? [Snatching it. Amil. If 't be not for fome purpose of import, Give 't me again. Poor lady! fhe'll run mad When the fhall lack it.

Iago. Be not you known on't:

[Exit Æmil

I have ufe for it. Go, leave me
I will in Caffio's lodging lofe this napkin,
And let him find it. Trifles light as air
Are, to the jealous, confirmations ftrong.
As proofs of holy Writ. This may do fomething,

5-to th' advantage, &c.] I being of fortunely here, took it up. 6 Pe not you known on't:] Should it not rather be read,

Be not you known in't?

The folio reads,

Be not unknown on't. The fenfe is plain, but of the expreffion I cannot produce any example.

The

The Moor already changes with my poifons:
Dang'rous conceits are in their nature poifons,
Which at the first are scarce found to ciftafte;
But, with a little act upon the blood,
Burn like the mines of fulphur.-I did fay fo.

Look, where he comes! Not Poppy, nor Mandragora,

Nor all the drowsy Syrups of the world,

7 Shall ever med'cine thee to that fweet Sleep, Which thou owedft yesterday.

Oth. Ha! Falfe? To me! to me!

Iago. Why, how now, General? No more of that. Oth. Avant! be gone! thou'ft fet me on the rack. I swear, 'tis better to be much abus'd,

Than but to know 't a little.

Iago. How, my Lord?

Oth. What fenfe had I of her ftoll'n hours or luft?
I faw 't not, thought it not, it harm'd not me;
I flept the next night well; was free, and merry;
I found not Caffio's kiffes on her lips:

He, that is robb'd, not wanting what is ftoll'n,
Let him not know 't, and he's not robb'd at all.
Iago. I am forry to hear this.

Oth. I had been happy, if the general Camp,

1 Shall ever medicine thee to debt of nature. WARBURTON. that fweet fleep, Which thou HADST yesterday.] The old quarto reads,

To owe is, in our authour, oftener to poffef, than to be indebted, and fuch was its meaning here; but as that fenfe was grow ing lefs ufual, it was changed unneceffarily by the editors to badft; to the fame meaning, more intelligibly expreffed. Dd2

Which thou OWEDST yesterday. And this is right, and of much greater force than the common reading; not to fleep, being finey called defrauding the day of a

Pioneers