Farewel the plumed troop, and the big wars, 9 Farewel the plumed troop, and the big wars, Farewel the neighing steed, &c.] In a very ancient drama entitled Common Conditions, printed about 1576, Sedmond, who has lost his sister in a wood, thus expresses his grief; "But farewell now, my coursers brave, attraped to the ground! "Farewell! adue all pleasures eke, with comely hauke and hounde! "Farewell, ye nobles all, farewell eche marsial knight, "Farewell, ye famous ladies all, in whom I did delight! "Adue, my native soile, adue, Arbaccus kyng, "Adue, eche wight, and marsial knight, adue, eche living thyng!" One is almost tempted to think that Shakspeare had read this old play. Malone. I know not why we should suppose that Shakspeare borrowed so common a repetition as these diversified farewels from any preceding drama. A string of adieus is perhaps the most tempting of all repetitions, because it serves to introduce a train of imagery, and as well as to solemnify a speech or composition. Wolsey, like Othello, indulges himself in many farewels; and the "Valete, aprica montium cacumina ! "Valete, opaca vallium cubilia!" &c. are common to poets of different ages and countries. I have now before me an ancient MS. English Poem, in which sixteen succeeding verses begin with the word farewel, applied to a variety of objects and circumstances: "Farewell prowesse in purpell pall" &c. Steevens. 1 The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,] In mentioning the fife joined with the drum, Shakspeare as usual, paints from the life; those instruments accompanying each other being used in his age by the English soldiery. The fife, however, as a martial instrument, was afterwards entirely discontinued among our troops for many years, but at length revived in the war before the last. It is commonly supposed that our soldiers borrowed it from the Highlanders in the last rebellion: but I do not know that the fife is peculiar to the Scotch, or even used at all by them. It was first used within the memory of man among our troops by the British guards, by order of the Duke of Cumberland, when they were encamped at Maestricht, in the year 1747, and thence soon adopted into other English regiments of infantry. They took it from the Allies with whom they served. This instrument, accompanying the drum, is of considerable antiquity in the European armies, particularly the German. In The royal banner; and all quality, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!2 a curious picture in the Ashmolean Musuem at Oxford, painted 1525, representing the siege of Pavia by the French King where the Emperor was taken prisoner, we see fifes and drums. In an old English treatise written by William Garrard before 1587, and published by one Captain Hitchcock in 1591, intituled The Art of Warre, there are several wood cuts of military evolutions, in which these instruments are both introduced. In Rymer's Fadera, in a diary of King Henry's siege of Bulloigne, 1544, mention is made of the drommes and viffleurs marching at the head of the King's army. Tom. XV, p. 53. The drum and fife were also much used at ancient festivals, shows, and processions. Gerard Leigh, in his Accidence of Armorie, printed in 1576, describing a Christmas magnificently celebrated at the Inner Temple, says, we entered the prince his hall, where anon we heard the noyse of drum and fife," p. 119. At a stately masque on Shrove-Sunday, 1510, in which King Henry VIII was an actor, Holinshed mentions the entry "of a drum and fife apparelled in white damaske and grene bonnettes." Chron. III, 805, col. 2. There are many more instances in Holinshed and Stowe's Survey of London. From the old French word viffleur, above cited, came the English word whiffler, which anciently was used in its proper literal sense. Strype, speaking of a grand tilting before the court in Queen Mary's reign, 1554, says, from an old journal, that King Philip and the challengers entered the lists, preceded by "their whifflers, their footmen, and their armourers." Eccles. Memor. III, p. 211. This explains the use of the word in Shakspeare, where it is also literally applied. King Henry V, Act IV, sc. ult: behold the British beach "Pales in the flood with men, with wives and boys, "Seems to prepare his way." By degrees, the word whiffler hence acquired the metaphorical meaning, which it at present obtains in common speech, and became an appellation of contempt. Whiffler, a light trivial character, a fellow hired to pipe at processions. T. Wharton. In the old dramatick piece, entitled, Wine, Beer, Ale, and Tobacco, 2d edit. 1630, Tobacco says to Beer: 66 it will become your duty to obey me." To which Wine replies: "You our sovereign! a mere whiffler!" Again, in Ram-Alley, or Merry Tricks, 1611: he was known "But only for a swaggering whiffler." Steevens. 2 Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!] Sir. W. D'Avenant does not appear to have been scrupulous of adopting almost Shakspeare's own words. So, in Albovine, 1629 : And O you mortal engines, whose rude throats? Oth. Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore; Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof; [Taking him by the Throat. Or, by the worth of mine eternal soul, Iago. Is it come to this? Oth. Make me to see it; or (at the least) so prove it, That the probation bear no hinge, nor loop, To hang a doubt on: or, woe upon thy life! Iago. My noble lord, Oth. If thou dost slander her, and torture me, Never pray more: abandon all remorse; On horror's head horrors accumulate: Do deeds to make heaven weep,7 all earth amaz’d, "Then glorious war, and all proud circumstance Steevens. Fletcher has parodied this passage of Othello, in his Prophetess, which was first represented in May, 1622 : 3 and to keep "My faith untainted, farewel pride, and pomp, "Farewel, for ever!" Malone. whose rude throats-] So, Milton, Paradise Lost, B. VI : "From those deep-throated engines," &c. The quarto, 1622, reads-whose wide throats. Steevens. 4 mine eternal soul,] Perhaps the quarto, 1622, more forcibly reads man's eternal soul, Shakspeare might have designed an opposition between man and dog. Steevens. 5 Thou hadst been better have been born a dog,] Thus, in Chapman's translation of the sixth Iliad: 66 that had been better born "A dog, than such a horrid dame." Steevens. 6 abandon all remorse;] All tenderness of nature, all pity; in which sense, as Mr. Steevens has justly observed, the word was frequently used in Shakspeare's time. See p. 338, n. 5. The next line shows it is used in this sense here. Malone. 7 Do deeds to make heaven weep,] So, in Measure for Measure: For nothing canst thou to damnation add, Iago. O grace! O heaven defend me! God be wi' you; take mine office.-O wretched fool, O monstrous world! take note, take note, O world, I thank you for this profit; and, from hence, Iago. I should be wise; for honesty 's a fool, Oth. By the world,1 I think my wife be honest, and think she is not; "Plays such fantastick tricks before high heaven 3 That liv'st-] Thus the quarto. The folio-that lov'st Steevens. 9 since] Thus the quarto. The folio-sith, an antiquated word, with the same meaning. It occurs again in p. 335, 1. 8. Steevens. 1 2 By the world, &c.] This speech is not in the first edition. -- Pope. Her name, &c.] The folio, where alone this speech is found-My name. Mr. Pope and all the subsequent editors read -Her name: but this, like a thousand other changes introduced by the same editor, was made without either authority or necessity. Shakspeare undoubtedly might have written-Her name; but the word which the old copy furnishes, affords also good sense. Othello's name or reputation, according to the usual unjust determination of the world, would be sullied by the infidelity of his wife. Besides, how could either transcriber or printer have substituted My for Her? Malone. I have adopted Mr. Pope's emendation, which, in my judgment, is absolutely necessary. Othello would scarce have said-" My name," and immediately after-" mine own face." The words-" mine own," very plainly point out that an opposition was designed between the once unsullied reputation of Desdemona, and the blackness of his own countenance. The same thought occurs in Titus An dronicus: 66 your swart Cimmerian "Doth make your honour of his body's hue." VOL. XVI, Gg As Dian's visage, is now begrim'd and black I'll not endure it. Would, I were satisfied! Iago. I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion: I do repent me, that I put it to you. You would be satisfied? Oth. Would? nay, I will. Iago. And may: But, how? how satisfied, my lord? Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on? Behold her tupp'd?4 Oth. Death and damnation! O! Iago. It were a tedious difficulty, I think, To bring them to that prospect: Damn them then, It is impossible, you should see this, Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys, I may add-Would a man have compared his own reputation to the face of a goddess? The query with which Mr. Malone's note concludes, is easily answered. In three late proof sheets of this work, a couple of the most accurate compositors in general, had substituted palace, less, and catch, instead of tragedy, more, and ensnare. 3 If there be cords, or knives, Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams, I'll not endure it.] So, in Pericles: Steevens. "If fires be hot, knives sharp, or waters deep, 4 Behold her tupp'd?] A ram in Staffordshire and some other counties is called a tup. So, in the first Act: 66 an old black ram "Is tupping your white ewe." Steevens. The old copies have-topp'd. Mr. Theobald made the correction. Malone. 5 Were they as prime as goats,] Prime is prompt, from the Celtic or British prim. Hanmer. So, in The Vow-Breaker, or the Faire Maide of Clifton, 1636 "More prime than goats or monkies in their prides." Again, in Churchyard's Dreame, 1593: "Colde fortune may torment me sore, |