Can hold the mortife? what fhall we hear of this? Seems to caft water on the burning bear, value of these readings; yet furely the mortife of a fhip is in greater peril when the watry mountain inelts upon it, than when it melts from it. When the waves retreat from a veffel, it is fafe. When they break over it, its ftructure is endangered. So, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre: 66 a fea "That almost burst the deck." STEEVENS. The quarto, 1622, reads-when the huge mountaine meslt; the letters, which perhaps belongs to mountain, having wandered at the prefs from its place. I apprehend, that in the quarto reading (as well as in the folio,) by mountains the poet meant not land-mountains, which Mr. Steevens feems by his quotation to have thought, but thofe huge furges, (refembling mountains in their magnitude,) which with • high and monitrous main feem'd to caft water on the burning bear." So, in a fubfequent scene: "And let the labouring bark climb hills of feas, 66 Again, in Troilus and Creffida: 66 and anon behold "The strong-ribb'd bark through liquid mountains cuts." MALONE. My remark on Mr. Mafon's preceding note will show that I had no fuch meaning as Mr. Malone has imputed to me. All I aimed at was to parallel the idea in the quarto, of one mountain melting, instead of many. STEEVENS. 6the foaming Shore,] The elder quarto reads-banning fhore, which offers the bolder image; i. e. the fhore that execrates the ravage of the waves. So, in King Henry VI. P. I: Fell, banning hag, enchantrefs, hold thy tongue." 66 STEEVENS. 7 And quench the guards of the ever-fixed pole:] Alluding to the ftar Artophylax. JOHNSON. The elder quarto reads-ever-fired pole. STEEVENS. I never did like moleftation view MON. If that the Turkish fleet Be not infhelter'd and embay'd, they are drown'd; It is impoffible they bear it out. 3. Enter a third Gentleman. GENT. News, lords! our wars are done; The defperate tempeft hath fo bang'd the Turks, That their defignment halts: A noble fhip of Ve nice Hath feen a grievous wreck and fufferance On most part of their fleet. MON. How! is this true? 3. GENT. The fhip is here put in, A Veronefé; Michael Caffio,8 8 The hip is here put in, A Veronefé; Michael Caffio, &c.] [Old copies-Veroneffa.] Mr. Heath is of opinion, that the poet intended to inform us, that Othello's lieutenant Caffio was of Verona, an inland city of the Venetian ftate; and adds, that the editors have not been pleased to fay what kind of fhip is here denoted by a Verone Ja. By a Veroneffu, or Veronefé, (for the Italian pronunciation must be retained, otherwife the measure will be defective,) a fhip of Verona is denoted; as we fay to this day of fhips in the river, fuch a one is a Dutchman, a Jamaica-man, &c. I fubjoin Mr. Warton's note, as a confirmation of my own. STEEVENS. The true reading is Veronefé, pronounced as a quadrifyllable: The thip is here put in, A Veronefe. It was common to introduce Italian words, and in their proper pronunciation then familiar. So Spenfer in The Faery Queen, B. III, c. xii. 10: "With fleeves dependant Albanefé wife.” Mr. Heath obferves, that "the editors have not been pleased to inform us what kind of fhip is here denoted by the name of a Vero neffa." But even fuppofing that Veroneja is the true reading, there is no fort of difficulty. He might juft as well have inquired, what Lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello, MON. I am glad on't; 'tis a worthy governor. 3. GENT. But this fame Caffio,-though he speak of comfort, Touching the Turkish lofs,-yet he looks fadly, And prays the Moor be fafe; for they were parted With foul and violent tempeft. MON. 'Pray heaven he be; For I have serv'd him, and the man commands kind of a ship is a Hamburgher. This is exactly a parallel form. For it is not the fpecies of the hip which is implied in this appellation. Our critick adds, "the poet had not a fhip in his thoughts.-He intended to inform us, that Othello's lieutenant, Caffio, was of Verona. We fhould certainly read : The fhip is here put in. A Veronefe, Michael Caffio, (&c.) This regulation of the lines is ingenious. But I agree with Sir T. Hanmer, and I think it appears from many parts of the play, that Caffio was a Florentine. In this fpeech, the third gentleman, who brings the news of the wreck of the Turkish fleet, returns his tale, and relates the circumftances more diftinctly. In his former fpeech he fays, "A noble ship of Venice faw the distress of the Turks." And here he adds, "The very fhip is juft now put into our port, and fhe is a Veronefe." That is, a fhip fitted out or furnished by the people of Verona, a city of the Venetian ftate. T. WARTON. I believe we are all wrong. Verona is an inland city. Every inconfiftency may, however, be avoided, if we read-The Veroneffa, i. e. the name of the thip is the Veronea. Verona, however, might be obliged to furnifh fhips towards the general defence of Italy. STEEVENS. The emendation propofed by Mr. Steevens is acute; but Shakfpeare's acquaintance with the topography of Italy (as appears from The Tempeft) was very imperfect. HENLEY. In Thomafes Hiftory of Italy, already quoted, the people of Verona are called the Veroneft. This fhip has been already defcribed as a fhip of Venice. It is Like a full foldier. Let's to the fea-fide, ho! As well to fee the veffel that's come in, As to throw out our eyes for brave Othello; Even till we make the main,' and the aerial blue, An indiftinct regard. GENT. Come, let's do fo; For every minute is expectancy Of more arrivance. Enter CASSIO. CAS. Thanks to the valiant of this warlike isle,' That fo approve the Moor; O, let the heavens Give him defence against the elements, For I have loft him on a dangerous fea! MON. Is he well fhipp'd? Cas. His bark is ftoutly timber'd, and his pilot Of very expert and approv'd allowance;3 now called "a Veronefé;" that is, a fhip belonging to and furnished by the inland city of Verona, for the ufe of the Venetian ftate; and newly arrived from Venice. "Befides many other towns, (fays Contareno,) caftles, and villages, they [the Venetians,] poffefs feven faire cities; as Trevigi, Padoua, Vicenza, Verona, Brefcia, Bergamo, and Crema." Commonwealth of Venice, 1599. MALONE. 8 Like a full foldier.] Like a complete foldier. So before, p. 387: "What a full fortune doth the thick-lips owe." MALONE. Even till we make the main, &c.] This line and half is wanting in the eldest quarto. STEEVENS. 2 warlike le,] Thus the folio. The first quarto readsworthy ifle. STEEVENS. 3 Of very expert and approv'd allowance;] I read, Very expert, and of approv'd allowance. JOHNSON. Expert and approv'd allowance is put for allo'd and approv'd expertnefs. This mode of expreffion is not unfrequent in Shakspeare. STEEVENS. Therefore my hopes, not furfeited to death, [WITHIN.] A fail, a fail, a fail! ▲ Therefore my hopes, not furfeited to death, Stand in bold cure.] I do not understand these lines. I know not how hope can be furfeited to death, that is, can be increased, till it be deftroyed; nor what it is to stand in bold cure; or why hope fhould be confidered as a difeafe. In the copies there is no variation, Shall we read: Therefore my fears, not furfeited to death, This is better, but it is not well, Shall we strike a bolder stroke, and read thus? Therefore my hopes, not forfeited to death, Stand bold, not fure. JOHNSON. Prefumptuous hopes, which have no foundation in probability, may poetically be faid to furfeit themselves to death, or forward their own diffolution. To ftand in bold cure, is to erect themfelves in confidence of being fulfilled. A paraliel expreffion occurs in King Lear, A&t III. fc. vi: Again: "This reft might yet have balm'd his broken senses, "Stand in hard cure." his life, with thine, &c. Stand in affured lofs. In bold cure means, in confidence of being cured. STEEVENS. Dr. Johnfon fays, "he knows not why hope fhould be confidered as a difeafe." But it is not hope which is here defcribed as a disease; thofe mifgiving apprehenfions which diminish hope, are in fact the disease, and hope itself is the patient. A furfeit being a difeafe arifing from an exceffive overcharge of the ftomach, the poet with his ufual licence uses it for any species of excefs.-Therefore, fays Caffio, my hopes, which, though faint and fickly with apprehenfion, are not totally deftroyed by an excess of defpondency, erect themselves with fome degree of confidence that they will be relieved, by the safe arrival of Othello, from those ill-divining fears under which they now languish. The word furfeit having occurred to Shakspeare, led him to confider fuch a hope as Caffio entertained, not a fanguine, but a faint and languid hope, (" ficklied o'er with the pale caft of thought,") as a difeafe, and to talk of its cure. |