Des. Emilia, come.-Be it as your fancies teach you; Whate'er you be, I am obedient. [Exit with EMILIA. Oth. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again. Iago. My noble lord, Oth. What dost thou say, lago? Iago. Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, Know of your love? Oth. He did, from first to last. Why dost thou ask? Iago. But for a satisfaction of my thought; No further harm. Oth. Why of thy thought, Iago? Iago. I did not think he had been acquainted with her. Oth. O yes; and went between us very oft. Oth. Indeed! ay, indeed.-Discern'st thou aught in that? Think, my lord! Oth. What dost thou think? Iago. Oth. By Heaven, he echoes me, As if there were some monster in his thought Too hideous to be shown.-Thou dost mean something; I heard thee say but now-Thou lik'dst not that, When Cassio left my wife. What didst not like? And, when I told thee, he was of my counsel 1 "The meaning of the word wretch is not generally understood. It is now in some parts of England a term of the fondest and softest tenderness. It expresses the utmost degree of amiableness, joined with an idea, which perhaps all tenderness includes, of feebleness, softness, and want of protection." Sir W. Davenant, in his Cruel Brother, uses the word twice with the same meaning:-" Excellent wretch! with a timorous modesty she stifleth up her utterance." 2 Ere I cease to love thee, the world itself shall be reduced to its primitive chaos. In my whole course of wooing, thou cry'dst, Indeed? Iago. My lord, you know I love you. And-for I know thou art full of love and honesty, breath Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more ; Are tricks of custom; but, in a man that's just, They are close denotements,' working from the heart, That passion cannot rule. Iago. I dare be sworn, I think that he is honest. Oth. I think so too. Iago. For Michael Cassio, Men should be what they seem; Or, those that be not, 'would they might seem none!2 I pray thee, speak to me as to thy thinkings, As thou dost ruminate; and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words. Iago. Though I am bound to every act of duty, Good my lord, pardon me; Why, say, they are vile and I am not bound to that all slaves are free to.3 Utter my thoughts? false, 1 Thus the earliest quarto. The first folio reads—“ close dilations ;” which Johnson says was intended for "cold delations," i. e. occult and secret accusations, working involuntarily from the heart. The second folio reads "cold dilations;" which Warburton explains "cold keeping back a secret," which men of phlegmatic constitutions, whose arts are not swayed or governed by their passions, we find can do; while more sanguine tempers reveal themselves at once, and without reserve.' Upton says dilations comes from the Latin dilationes, delayings, pauses. 2 I believe the meaning is, "would they might no longer seem or bear the shape of men."-Johnson. 3 "I am not bound to do that which even slaves are not bound to do.” As where's that palace, whereinto foul things Keep leets, and law-days, and in session sit Oth. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago, If thou but think'st him wronged, and mak'st his ear A stranger to thy thoughts. Iago. I do beseech you,— Though I, perchance, am vicious in my guess, To spy into abuses; and, oft, my jealousy You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble What dost thou mean? Oth. Iago. Good name, in man and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls. Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing. 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave 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. By Heaven, I'll know thy thought. Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody. Oth. Ha! Iago. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster, which doth make 2 1 i. e. conjectures. Thus the quarto 1622. The folio reads: 66 -and of my jealousy Shapes faults that are not, that your wisdom, From one that so imperfectly conceits, Would take no notice." 2 The old copy reads mock. The emendation is Hanmer's. The slight alteration of the text renders it more clear and poetical. The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss, Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; But riches, fineless,' is as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he shall be poor. Good Heaven, the souls of all my tribe defend Oth. Why! why is this? Think'st thou, I'd make a life of jealousy, With fresh suspicions? No; to be once in doubt, Iago. I am glad of this, for now I shall have reason 1 i. e. endless, unbounded. Warburton observes that this is finely expressed-winter producing no fruits. No instance of this word has elsewhere occurred. "It seems to me (says Mr. Todd), that all the critics have overlooked the meaning of the passage. Exsufficates may be traced to the low Latin exsufflare, to spit down upon, an ancient form of exorcising; and, figuratively, to spit out in abhorrence or contempt. See Du Cange, in v. exsuflare. Exsufficate may thus signify contemptible; and Othello may be supposed to mean, that he would not change the noble designs, that then employed his thoughts, for contemptible and despicable surmises."-Johnson's Dict. in v. exsuffolate. 3 i. e. such as you have mentioned in describing the torments of Jealousy. VOL. VII. 58 Receive it from me.-I speak not yet of proof. In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks They dare not show their husbands; their best con science Is-not to leave undone, but keep unknown. Oth. Dost thou say so? Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And, when she seemed to shake, and fear your looks, She loved them most. Oth. Iago. And so she did. Why, go to, then ; She that, so young, could give out such a seeming, He thought 'twas witchcraft.-But I am much to blame; I humbly do beseech you of For too much loving you. Oth. your pardon, I am bound to thee forever. Iago. I see this hath a little dashed your spirits. Iago. Trust me, I fear it has. I hope you will consider, what is spoke Comes from my love;-but I do see you are moved.— I am to pray you not to strain my speech To grosser issues,3 nor to larger reach, Than to suspicion. Oth. I will not. Iago. Should you do so, my lord, My speech should fall into such vile success1 1 Self-bounty for inherent generosity. 2 An expression from falconry: to seel a hawk is to sew up his eyelids. Close as oak means as close as the grain of oak. 3 Issues for conclusions. 4 Success here means consequence or event. So in Sidney's Arcadia, p. 39, ed. 1613:-"Straight my heart misgave me some evil success." |