Enter OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and Attendants. OTH. Good Michael, look you to the guard to- Let's teach ourselves that honourable stop, CAS. Iago hath direction what to do; Отн. Iago is most honest. Michael, good night; To-morrow, with our earliest, Let me have speech with you.-Come, my dear love; The purchase made, the fruits are to enfue; [To DESDEMONA. That profit's yet to come 'twixt me and you.[Exeunt OTH. DES. and Attend. Good night. Enter IAGO. CAS. Welcome, Iago: We must to the watch. LAGO. Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten o'clock: Our general caft us thus early, for the 8 Our general cast us-] That is, appointed us to our stations. To caft the play, is, in the flyle of the theatres, to affign to every actor his proper part. JOHNSON. We have just now been affured by the Herald, that there was "full liberty of feafting &c. till eleven.” Perhaps therefore caft us only means difmiffed us, or got rid of our company. So, in one of the following fcenes: " You are but now caft in his mood;" i. e. turn'd out of your office in his anger; and in the first scene it means to difmifs. So, in The WITCH, a MS. tragi-comedy, by Middleton: love of his Defdemona: whom let us not therefore blame; he hath not yet made wanton the night with her; and she is sport for Jove. CAS. She's a moft exquifite lady. IAGO. And, I'll warrant her, full of game. CAS. Indeed, fhe is a moft fresh and delicate creature. IAGO. What an eye she has! methinks, it founds a parley of provocation.8 CAS. An inviting eye; and yet, methinks, right modeft. IAGO. And, when the fpeaks, is it not an alarm' to love? 2 CAS. She is, indeed, perfection.' IAGO. Well, happiness to their sheets! Come, lieutenant, I have a ftoop of wine; and here without are a brace of Cyprus gallants, that would fain have a measure to the health of the black Othello. "She caft off "My company betimes to-night, by tricks," &c. STEEVENS. 8 —a parley of provocation.] So, the quarto, 1622. Folioto provocation. MALONE. 9 —an alarm-] The voice may found an alarm more properly than the eye can found a parley. JOHNSON. The eye is often faid to speak. Thus we frequently hear of the language of the eye. Surely that which can talk may, without any violent ftretch of the figure be allowed to found a parley. The folio reads-parley to provocation. RITSON. So, in Troilus and Crefida: "There's language in her eye" &c. See Vol. XI. p. 382, n. 3. STEEVENS. 2 is it not an alarm to love?] The quartos read-'tis an alarm to love. STEEVENS. 3 She is, indeed, perfection.] In this and the seven short speeches preceding, the decent character of Caffio is moft powerfully contrafted with that of the licentious lago. STEEVENS. CAS. Not to-night, good Iago; I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking: I could well wifh courtesy would invent fome other cuftom of entertainment. LAGO. O, they are our friends; but one cup: I'll drink for you. 4 CAS. I have drunk but one cup to-night, and that was craftily qualified too, and, behold, what innovation it makes here: I am unfortunate in the infirmity, and dare not task my weakness with any more. IAGO. What, man! 'tis a night of revels; the gallants defire it. in. CAS. Where are they? IAGO. Here at the door; I pray you, call them CAS. I'll do't; but it diflikes me. [Exit CASSIO. LAGO. If I can faften but one cup upon him, With that which he hath drunk to-night already, He'll be as full of quarrel and offence As my young mistress' dog. Now, my fick fool, Roderigo, Whom love has turn'd almost the wrong ward, fide out To Desdemona hath to-night carous'd 4 craftily qualified-] Slily mixed with water. JOHNSON. Three lads of Cyprus,] The folio reads-Three elfe of Cyprus. STEEVENS. The very elements of this warlike ifle,- Am I to put our Caffio in fome action That may offend the ifle:-But here they come: Re-enter CASSIO; with him MONTANO, and Gentlemen. CAS. 'Fore heaven, they have given me a roufe already." Mox. Good faith, a little one; not paft a pict, as I am a foldier." LaGo. Some wine, ho! The very elements - As quarrelfome as the ara es eram; as quick in oppofition as fire and water. Jos ↑ If coniòquence de but approve my dream,] Every scheme fubfitting only in the imagination may be termed a 27. -given me a roule &.] A roufe appears to be of liquor rather too large. So, in Hawler; and in The Chritian turn'd Tæri, az w. We drank a mexi to them.” See pico, n. 3. STEVENS. If Montano was Othello's neutemel government of Curs, as we are told in the Pezicas No is not ven caracterifically employed in the pro where he is rising with people already for her, and m Gebeler offer who commands a midnight guare, a evo STESVENS And let me the canakin clink, clink; [Sings. A foldier's a man; A life's but a fpan;2 Why then, let a foldier drink. Some wine, boys! [Wine brought in. CAS. 'Fore heaven, an excellent fong. IAGO. I learn'd it in England, where (indeed) they are most potent in potting: your Dane, your German, and your fwag-bellied Hollander,— Drink, ho!-are nothing to your English. Cas. Is your Englishman fo expert in his drinking?s LAGO. Why, he drinks you, with facility, your Dane dead drunk; he fweats not to overthrow your Almain; he gives your Hollander a vomit, ere the next pottle can be fill'd. 3 A life's but a fpan;] Thus the quarto. The folio reads, in England, where (indeed) they are moft potent in potting:] Les meilleurs buveurs en Angleterre, is an ancient French proverb. STEEVENS. -most potent in potting: your Dane, your German, &c.] Enquire at ordinaries: there must be fallets for the Italian, tooth-picks for the Spaniard, pots for the German!" Prologue to Lyly's Midas, 1592. MALONE. 5 -fo expert in his drinking?] Thus the quarto, 1622. Folio-fo exquifite. This accomplishment in the English is likewife mentioned by Beaumont and Fletcher in The Captain: "Lod. Are the Englishmen "Such ftubborn drinkers? "Pifo. —————— not a leak at sea "Can fuck more liquor; you shall have their children "Able to knock a Dane down." STEEVENS. |