CLO. Marry, fir, by many a wind inftrument that I know. But, mafters, here's money for you: and the general fo likes your mufick, that he defires you, of all loves,' to make no more noife with it. 1. Mus. Well, fir, we will not. CLO. If you have any mufick that may not be heard, to't again: but, as they say, to hear mufick, the general does not greatly care. 1. Mus. We have none fuch, fir. CLO. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away: Go; vanifh into air; away. [Exeunt Muficians. CAS. Doft thou hear, my honest friend? CLO. No, I hear not your honeft friend; I hear you. CAS. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets." There's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman that attends the general's wife, be ftirring, tell her, there's one Caffio entreats her a little favour of fpeech: Wilt thou do this? CLO. She is ftirring, fir; if she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify unto her. Enter IAGO. [Exit. Cas. Do, good my friend.—In happy time, Iago. LAGO. You have not been a-bed then? 9 — of all loves,] The folio reads-for love's fake. The phrafe in the text occurs alfo in The Merry Wives of Windjor. See Vol. III. p. 380, n. 3. STEEVENS 2 for I'll away:] Sir T. Hanmer reads,—and hie away. JOHNSON. vanish into air;] So, the folio and one of the quartos. The eldeft quarto reads-Vanish STEEVENS. away. 3 thy quillets.] See p. 305, n. 5. MALONE. CAS. Why, no; the day had broke Before we parted. I have made bold, Iago, To fend in to your wife: My fuit to her Is, that fhe will to virtuous Desdemona Procure me fome accefs. LAGO. I'll fend her to you prefently; And I'll devife a mean to draw the Moor [exit. CAS. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew A Florentine more kind and honeft." Enter EMILIA. EMIL. Good morrow, good lieutenant: I am forry For your displeasure; but all will foon be well. The general, and his wife, are talking of it; And the fpeaks for you ftoutly: The Mour replies, That he, you hurt, is of great fame in Cyprus, And great affinity; and that, in wholesome wifdom, A Florentine more kind and honeft.] In confequence of this line, a doubt has been entertained concerning the country of Iago. Caffio was undoubtedly a Florentine, as appears by the firft fcene of the play, where he is exprefsly called one. That Iago was a Venetian, is proved by a fpeech in the third fcene of this act, and by what he fays in the fifth act, after having stabbed Roderigo: Iago. Alas, my dear friend and countryman, Roderigo! "Gra. What, of Venice? lago. Yes." All that Caffio means to fay in the paffage before us is, I never experienced more honefty and kindness even in one of my own countrymen, than in this man. Mr. Steevens has made the same observation in another place. MALONE. It was made in edit. 1778. STEEVENS. 6 Fr your difpleafure;] i. e. the difpleafure you have incurred from Othello. STEEVENS. He might not but refufe you: but, he protefts, he loves you; And needs no other fuitor, but his likings, CAS. Yet, I beseech you,— If you think fit, or that it may be done,Give me advantage of fome brief discourse With Desdemona alone. EMIL. Pray you, come in; I will bestow you where you fhall have time To fpeak your bofom freely. CAS. I am much bound to you." SCENE II. [Exeunt. A Room in the Cafile. Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen. OTH. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot; IAGO. Well, my good lord, I'll do't. OTH. This fortification, gentlemen,-shall we fee't? GENT. We'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt. To take the faf'ft occafion by the front,] This line is wanting in the folio. STEEVENS. ↑ I am much bound to you.] This fpeech is omitted in the first quarto. STEEVENS. 8 to the ftate:] Thus the quarto, 1622. Folio,-to the fenate. MALONE. SCENE III. Before the Caftle. Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA. DES. Be thou affur'd, good Caffio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf. EMIL. Good madam, do; I know it grieves my husband, As if the cafe were his." DES. O, that's an honeft fellow.-Do not doubt, Caffio, But I will have my lord and you again As friendly as you were. CAS. Bounteous madam, Whatever fhall become of Michael Caffio, He's never any thing but your true fervant. DES. O, fir, I thank you: You do love my lord; You have known him long; and be you well affur'd, He fhall in ftrangenefs ftand no further off Than in a politick diftance. CAS. Ay, but lady, That policy may either laft fo long,' Or feed upon fuch nice and waterish diet, 9 As if the cafe were his.] The folio reads,-As if the cause were his. STEEVENS. 2 O, fir, I thank you:] Thus the quarto, 1622. The folio reads-I know't, I thank you. MALONE. 3 That policy may either laft fo long,] He may either of himself think it politick to keep me out of office fo long, or he may be fatisfied with fuch flight reafons, or fo many accidents may make him think my re-admitlion at that time improper, that I may be quite forgotten. JOHNSON. That, I being abfent, and my place fupplied, DES. Do not doubt that; before Emilia here, I give thee warrant of thy place: affure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it 4 To the last article: my lord fhall never reft; With Caffio's fuit: Therefore be merry, Caffio; Than give thy cause away. CAS. Madam, not now; I am very ill at eafe, 4 I'll watch him tame,] It is faid, that the ferocity of beafts, infuperable and irreclaimable by any other means, is fubdued by keeping them from fleep. JOHNSON. Hawks and other birds are tamed by keeping them from fleep, and it is to the management of these that Shakspeare alludes. So, in Cartwright's Lady Errant: 66 we'll keep you, "As they do hawks, watching untill you leave "Your wildness." Again, in Monfieur D'Olive, 1606: " - your only way to deal with women and parrots, is to keep them waking." Again, in Sir W. D'Avenant's Juft Italian, 1630: "They've watch'd my hardy violence fo tame." Again, in The Booke of Haukynge, Huntyng, &c. bl. 1. no date: "Wake her all nyght, and on the morrowe all daye, and then she will be previ enough to be reclaymed." STEEVENS. |