SCENE I.-Venice. A Street.

Enter RODERIGO and IAGO.

a The differences of the readings of the folio of 1623, which we adopt, with few exceptions, as our text, and those of the quarto of 1622, which is the basis of every other modern text, are so numerous, that it would be out of our power, without crowding our pages beyond all reasonable limits, to indicate every slight variation. The more important we shall of course point out; and the reader may rely that we have followed the folio in all minute deviations from the common text. The line to which this note belongs is an example of one, out of many, of these slight changes. It is ordinarily written,

"Tush, never tell me, I take it much unkindly."The folio omits tush. Was this accidental? We think not. The reading,

"Never tell me, I take it much unkindly,"

is somewhat more in Roderigo's vein.

b Steevens writes these lines thus, after the quarto of 1622:

Rod. Thou told'st me, thou didst hold him in thy hate.

"'Sblood, but you will not hear me;

If ever I did dream of such a matter,
Abhor me."

Steevens adds, "The folio suppresses this oath 'ablood," but he does not tell us what the folio does besides. It accommodates the rhythmical arrangement of the sentence to the suppression of the oath, giving the lines as we print them. This is certainly not the work of some botcher coming after the author. Such instances of right feeling and good taste, in the omission of offensive expressions, constantly occur throughout this play, in the folio edition. In the quarto cuch offensive expressions are as constantly found. The modern editions cling to the quarto in this particular, upon the supposition that in the folio the passages were struck out of the copy by the Master of the Revels. The Master of the Revels must have been an exceedingly capricious person if he thus exercised his office in 1623, (the date of the folio,) and thus neglected it in 1622 (the date of the quarto). We have not a doubt, seeing that the structure of the verse is always accommodated to the alteration, that every such change was made by the author of the play. It was not that the Master of the Revels was scrupulous in the use of his authority with the folio, and negligent with the quarto, but that both the quarto and the folio were printed at a period when the statute of 1604, for restraining the profane use of the sacred name in stage-plays, had fallen into neglect. But the quarto was printed from an early copy of the play, which existed before the statute came into operation. The folio contains the author's additions and corrections. This would be a sufficient reason, we think, if there were no other reason, for preferring the text of the folio in this as well ac in other matters.

261

Iago. Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,

In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Off-capp'd to him: and, by the faith of man,
I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,
Evades them; with a bombast circumstance,
Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war,
Nonsuits my mediators. For, certes, says he,
I have already chose my officer.b
And what was he?

Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,°

& Off-capp'd. So the folio; the quarto, oft capp'd. The reading of the quarto was adopted by the variorum editors, and was used as an example of the antiquity of the academical phrase to-cap, meaning to take off the cap. We admit that the word cap is used in this sense by other early English authors; we have it in Drant's Horace,' 1567. But, we would ask, is oft capp'd supported by the context? As we read the whole passage, three great ones of the city wait upon Othello; they off-capp'd-they took cap-in-hand-in personal suit that he should make lago his lieutenant; but he evades them, &c. He has already chosen his officer. Here is a scene painted in a manner well befitting both the dignity of the great ones of the city and of Othello himself. The audience was given, the solicitation was humbly made, the reasons for refusing it courteously assigned. But take the other reading, oft capp'd; and then we have Othello perpetually haunted by the three great ones of the city, capping to him and repeating to him the same prayer, and he perpetually denying them with the same bombast circumstance. Surely this is not what Shakspere meant to represent.

b These lines, following the quarto, are ordinarily printed thus:

"But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,
Evades them, with a bombast circumstance,
Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;

And in conclusion, nonsuits

My mediators; for, certes, says he,
I have already chose my officer."

Circumstance is circumlocution. The passage, as it appears to us, has been entirely mistaken. lago does not mean to say that Othello made a long rigmarole speech to the three great ones, and then in conclusion nonsuited the mediators by telling them he had already chosen his officer. But, in the spirit of calumny, he imputes to Othello that, having chosen his officer before the personal suit was made to him for lago, he suppressed the fact; evaded the mediators; and nonsuited them with a bombast circumstance. We follow the punctuation of the folio which distinctly separates, for, certes, says he, from nonsuits my mediators. Othello, according to Iago's calumnious assertion, says the truth only to himself. CA Florentine. "It appears," says Hanmer, "from many passages of this play, rightly understood, that Cassio was a Florentine, and Iago a Venetian.' We may as well dispose of this question at once, to avoid the repetition in subsequent notes. Iago here calls Cassio a Florentine. But there are some who maintain that Cassio was not therefore a Florentine. It is not to be forgotten that Iago, throughout the whole course of his extraordinary character, is represented as utterly regardless of the differences between truth and falsehood. The most absolute lie, -the half lie.-the truth in the way of telling it distorted into a lie, are the instruments with which Iago constantly works. This ought to be borne in mind with reference to his assertion that Cassio was a Florentine. But in the second act we find, in the modern editions, the following lines spoken by a gentleman of Cyprus:

"The ship is here put in.

A Veronese; Michael Cassio,

Lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello.
Is come on shore."

Fere the ship is the Veronesé. But, although the text looks plausible, the editors stumble at it because Verona is an inland city. They settle it, however, in the usual way, by saying that Shakspere knew nothing of the topography of

A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife,
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster; unless the bookish
theorick,

Wherein the tongued consuls can propose
As masterly as he mere prattle without practice,
Is all his soldiership. Eut he, sir, had the
election :

And I,-of whom his eyes had seen the proof
At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds
Christen'd and heathen,-must be be-lee'd and
calm'd

By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
And I,-bless the mark! his Moor-ship's an-
cient.

Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.

Iago. Why, there's no remedy, 't is the curse of service;

Preferment goes by letter and affection,
And not by old gradation, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge
yourself,

e

Here Cassio is the Veronesé. But we retain the word Tonessa, because we apprehend that it must be taken as a feminine, and as such applicable to the ship, and we alter the punctuation accordingly. The city of Verona, subject to Venice, might furnish ships to the Republic. In the third act Cassio, when Iago is proffering his services to him, says, "I humbly thank you for 't. I never knew A Florentine more kind and honest."

One meaning of his words is, that Iago being a Florentine, Cassio never knew one of that country more kind and honest. The other meaning is, that Cassio never knew even a Florentine, even one of his own countrymen, more kind and honest. This is Malone's interpretation; and "lago," he adds, "is a Venetian," because he says, speaking of Desdemona, "I know our country disposition well;"

and again, calls Roderigo, of Venice, his countryman. These assertions, be it again observed, rest upon the authority of Ingo, the liar. We do not, however, think that it is proved, as Tieck maintains, that Iago is the Florentine, and Cassio the Veronese; but we distinctly agree with him that lago meant to speak disparagingly of Cassio when he called him a Florentine. He was an "arithmetician," a "countercaster," a native of a state whose inhabitants, pursuing the peaceful and gainful occupations of commerce, had armies of mercenaries. Cassio, for this reason, upon the showing of lago, was one "that never set a squadron in the field." According to Tieck, this imputation of being a Florentine must solve the enigma of the next line

"A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife." But we are of opinion that it is not necessary to find any mystical meaning in these words; and that fago distinctly refers to Bianca.

a Tungued. So the folio. The quarto gives us toged. b Christen'd. In the quarto Christian.

c Be-lee'd and calm'd. Iago uses terms of navigation to express that Cassio had out-sail'd him

Rod.

I would not follow him then.
Iago. O sir, content you;

I follow him to serve my turn upon him :
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,
For nought but provender; and when he's old,
cashier'd;

Whip me such honest knaves: Others there are
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,
Do well thrive by them, and, when they have
lin'd their coats,

Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;

And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,
It is as sure as you are Roderigo,
Were I the Moor I would not be Iago.
In following him I follow but myself;
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
But seeming so, for my peculiar end :
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In complement extern, 't is not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

Rod. What a fall Fortune does the Thicklips1owe,

If he can carry 't thus ! b

Iago. Call up her father, Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen, And though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy,

a In complement extern. Johnson interprets this-" In that which I do only for an outward show of civility." Surely this interpretation, by adopting the secondary meaning of complement (compliment), destroys lago's bold avowal, which is, that when his actions exhibit the real intentions and motives of his heart, in outward completeness, he might as well wear it upon his sleeve.

b This is ordinarily printed, following the quarto,"What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe." This is simply, how fortunate he is. The reading of the folio, which we adopt, conveys a much more Shaksperian idea. If the Moor can carry it thus-appoint his own officer, in spite of the great ones of the city who capp'd to him, and, moreover, can secure Desdemona as his prize,-he is so puffed up with his own pride and purposes, and is so successful, that fortune owes him a heavy fall. To owe is used by Shakspere not only in the ancient sense of to own, to possess, but in the modern sense of to be indebted to, to hold or possess for another. Fortune here owes the thicklips a fall, in the same way that we say, "He owes him a good or an evil turn." The reading which we adopt is very much in Shakspere's manner of throwing out a hint of coming calamities. The commentators do not even notice this reading.

■ Chances. The quarto reads changes, which most have adopted. When Roderigo suggests that fortune owes Othello a fall, Iago eagerly jumps at the chances of vexation, which the alarm of Desdemona's father may bring upon him.

b We adopt the parenthetical punctuation of the folio, which, if it had been followed, might have saved the discussion as to Shakspere's carelessness in making the fire spied "by night and negligence."

c For shame. This is not used as a reproach, but meansfor decency put on your gown.

d Knavery. The quarto bravery.

My house is not a grange."

Rod.

Most grave Brabantio, In simple and pure soul I come to you. Iago. Sir, you are one of those that will not serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service, and you think we are ruffians, you 'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse: you'll have your nephewsb neigh to you: you'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans.

Bra. What profane wretch art thou?

Jago. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs.

Shakspere, in Measure for Measure, gives the feeling of loneliness (which Brabantio here expresses) in a few words :"At the moated grange resides this dejected Mariana." Mr. Tennyson, in his exquisite poem upon that theme, gives us the idea of desolation more fully:

"With blackest moss the lower-pots

Were thickly crusted, one and all,
The rusted nails fell from the knots
That held the peach to the garden-wall.
The broken sheds look'd sad and strange,
Unlifted was the clinking latch,
Weeded and worn the ancient thatch
Upon the lonely moated grange."

b Nephews. The word was formerly used to signify a grandson, or any lineal descendant. In Richard III. (Act I., Scene 1.) the Duchess of York calls her grand-daughter, niece. Nephew here is the Latin nepos.

First,

The seventeen lines beginning, "If 't be your pleasure," are not found in the quarto of 1622. We cannot, therefore, consult that quarto here, as in other instances, when a doubtful reading occurs. We have two difficulties here. what is the odd-even of the night! It is explained to be the interval between twelve at night and one in the morning. But then, secondly, an auxiliary verb is wanting to the proper construction of the sentence; and Capell would read, “be transported." We can only give the passage as we find it.

We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe That, from the sense of all civility,

I thus would play and trifle with your reverence · Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,

a

I say again, hath made a gross revolt;
Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes,
In an extravagant and wheeling stranger,
Of here and every where: Straight satisfy your
self:

If she be in her chamber, or your house,
Let loose on me the justice of the state
For thus deluding you.

Bra.

Strike on the tinder, hoa! Give me a taper; call up all my people: This accident is not unlike my dream ; Belief of it oppresses me already : Light, I say! light!

[Exit from above. Farewell; for I must leave you:

Iago. It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place, To be produc'd (as, if I stay, I shall) Against the Moor: For, I do know, the state, (However this may gall him with some check,) Cannot with safety cast him. For he 's embark'd With such loud reason to the Cyprus' wars, (Which even now stand in act,) that for their souls, Another of his fathom they have none To lead their business in which regard, Though I do hate him as I do hell pains, Yet, for necessity of present life,

I must show out a flag and sign of love,
Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely
find him,

Lead to the Sagittary the raised search;
And there will I be with him. So, farewell. [Erit.

Enter, below, BRABANTIO, and Servants, with
torches.

Bra. It is too true an evil: gone she is ;
And what's to come of my despised time
Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,
Where did'st thou see her ?--O, unhappy girl!-
With the Moor say'st thou ?-Who would be a
father?--

How did'st thou know 't was she?-O, she de-
ceives me c

In this passage conjecture has been busy. Some of the commentators propose to change tying to laying, and In to On. Mr. Collier, after the Corrector of his folio of 1632, alters! wheeling to wheedling. We say wrapped in him; why not, then, tied in him? As to wheedling, it is wholly inappropriate as applied to Othello. Roderigo says she is gone off with a stranger-an erratic and shifting man, that will have no fit home for her.

b The Sagittary. This is generally taken to be an inn. It was the residence at the arsenal of the commanding officers of the navy and army of the republic. The figure of an archer, with his drawn how, over the gates, still indicates the place. Probably Shakspere had looked upon that sculpture. c The quarto reads, "Thou deceiv'st mo.”