Shapes faults that are not,-I entreat you then, 6 You'd take no notice; nor build yourself a trouble To let you What dost thou mean? 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 ey'd monster, which doth mock The meat it feeds on:" That cuckold lives in bliss, Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er, Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves! Oth. O misery! 6 Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; conjects,] To conject, i. e. to conjecture, is a word used by other writers. The meat it feeds on :] i. e. loaths that which nourishes and. sustains it. But others read, which doth make The meat it feeds on. Implying that its suspicions are unreal and groundless, which is the very contrary to what he would here make his general think. 8 But riches, fineless, is as poor as winter, Oth. Why! why is this? Think'st thou, I'd make a life of jealousy, With fresh suspicions? No: to be once in doubt, To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company, Iago. I am glad of this; for now I shall have rea son To show the love and duty that I bear you 8 But riches, fineless,] Unbounded, endless, unnumbered. 9 To such exsufflicate-] Whether our poet had any authority for the word exsufflicate, which I think is used in the sense of swollen, and appears to have been formed from sufflatus, I am unable to ascertain: but I have not thought it safe to substitute for it another word equally unauthorised. MALONE. blown surmises, Matching thy inference.] That is, such as you have mentioned in describing the torments of jealousy. 2 Where virtue is, these are more virtuous:] An action in itself indifferent, grows virtuous by its end and application. Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks Is-not to leave undone, but keep unknown. Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And, when she seem'd1 to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them most. Oth. Iago. And so she did. Why, go to, then ; She that, so young, could give out such a seeming, To seel her father's eyes up, close as oak, 5 He thought, 'twas witchcraft:-But I am much to blame ; 3 Out of self-bounty,] Self-bounty for inherent generosity. 4 And when she seem'd-This and the following argument of Iago ought to be deeply impressed on every reader. Deceit and falsehood, whatever conveniences they may for a time promise or produce, are, in the sum of life, obstacles to happiness. Those, who profit by the cheat, distrust the deceiver, and the act by which kindness is sought, puts an end to confidence. The same objection may be made with a lower degree of strength against the imprudent generosity of disproportionate marriages. When the first heat of passion is over, it is easily succeeded by suspicion, that the same violence of inclination, which caused one irregularity, may stimulate to another; and those who have shewn, that their passions are too powerful for their prudence, will, with very slight appearances against them, be censured, as not very likely to restrain them by their virtue. JOHNSON. 5 To seel her father's eyes up, close as oak,] The oak is the most close-grained wood of general use in England. Close as oak, means, close as the grain of oak. To seel is an expression from falconry. I humbly do beseech you of your pardon, Oth. I am bound to thee for ever. Iago. I see, this hath a little dash'd your spirits. Oth. Not a jot, not a jot. 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 mov'd: I am to pray you, not to strain my speech 6 Than to suspicion. Oth. I will not. Iago. Should you do so, my lord, My speech should fall into such vile success As my thoughts aim not at. Cassio's my worthy friend: My lord, I see you are mov'd. Oth. No, not much mov'd :— I do not think but Desdemona's honest. Iago. Long live she so! and long live you to think so! Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself,Iago. Ay, there's the point:-As,-to be bold with you, Not to affect many proposed matches, Of her own clime, complexion, and degree; 7 To grosser issues,] Issues, for conclusions. a will most rank,] Will, is for wilfulness. It is so used by Ascham. A rank will, is self-will overgrown and exuberant. May fall to match you with her country forms, Oth. Farewell, farewell: If more thou dost perceive, let me know more ; [Going. Oth. Why did I marry-This honest creature, doubtless, Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Iago. My lord, I would, I might entreat your honour To scan this thing no further; leave it to time: 8 [Exit. Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty, • You shall by that perceive him and his means:] You shall discover whether he thinks his best means, his most powerful interest, is by the solicitation of your lady. 9 strain his entertainment-] Press hard his re-admission to his pay and office. Entertainment was the military term for admission of soldiers. * Fear not my government.] Do not distrust my ability to contain my passion. 2 with a learned spirit,] The construction is, He knows with a learned spirit all qualities of human dealings. 3- If I do prove her haggard,] A haggard hawk, is a wild hawk, a hawk unreclaimed or irreclaimable. |
