For, as I think, they do command him home, Des. By my troth, I am glad on't'. Oth. Des. Oth. I am glad to see you mad. Oth. Devil! Des. Indeed. My lord? How, sweet Othello? [Striking her. I have not deserv'd this. Lod. My lord, this would not be believ'd in Venice, Though I should swear I saw it. "Tis very much; Make her amends, she weeps. Oth. Des. I will not stay to offend you. Lod. Truly an obedient lady. I do beseech your lordship, call her back. [Going. What would you with her, sir? Lod. Who, I, my lord? Oth. Ay; you did wish, that I would make her turn: Sir, she can turn, and turn, and yet go on, And turn again; and she can weep, sir, weep; 1 BY MY TROTH, I am glad on't.] The reading of the folio is, "Trust me, I am glad on't." Other variations hardly seem to require notice. 2 Each drop she FALLS-] To fall is here a verb active, as in " Richard II." See Vol. iv. p. 181, where other instances are pointed out. 3 I am commanded HOME.] The quarto, 1622, "I am commanded here." As Steevens expressed a doubt, whether the folio was right in reading "home," it may be mentioned, that it is fully confirmed by the quarto, 1630. I'll send for you anon.-Sir, I obey the mandate, [Exit DESDEMONA. Cassio shall have my place. And,—sir, to-night, He is much chang'd. Iago. sure. What he might be,-if, what he might, he is not,— Lod. What strike his wife? Iago. 'Faith, that was not so well; yet would I knew, That stroke would prove the worst. Lod. Is it his use? Or did the letters work upon his blood, Iago. Alas, alas! It is not honesty in me, to speak What I have seen and known. You shall observe him; And his own courses will denote him so, That I may save my speech. Do but go after, And mark how he continues. Lod. I am sorry, that I am deceiv'd in him. [Exeunt. This the NOBLE nature] Thus both the quartos: the folio, "Is this the nature." As far as a ten-syllable verse is concerned, "noble " is certainly too much; but instances of lines of twelve syllables have been numerous, and the epithet is an important addition to the sense. ૨ ૧ ૨ SCENE II. A Room in the Castle. Enter OTHELLO and EMILIA. Oth. You have seen nothing then? Emil. Nor ever heard; nor ever did suspect. Oth. Yes, you have seen Cassio and her together. Emil. But then I saw no harm; and then I heard Each syllable that breath made up between them. Oth. What did they never whisper? Emil. Oth. Nor send you out o' the way? Emil. Never, my lord. Never. Oth. To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing? Emil. Never, my lord. Oth. That's strange. Emil. I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, Let heaven requite it with the serpent's curse, There's no man happy; the purest of their wives Oth. Bid her come hither:-go.— 5 [Exit EMILIA. She says enough;—yet she's a simple bawd, And yet she'll kneel, and pray; I have seen her do't. - the purest of THEIR WIVES] "The purest of her sex," is the reading of the quarto, 1622, only. Re-enter EMILIA, with DESDEMONA. Des. My lord, what is your will? Pray, chuck, come hither. Oth. Some of your function, mistress; [To EMILIA. Leave procreants alone, and shut the door; Cough, or cry hem, if any body come: Your mystery, your mystery;-nay, despatch. [Exit EMILIA. Des. Upon my knees, what doth your speech im Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves Should fear to seize thee: therefore, be double-damn'd; Swear thou art honest. Des. Heaven doth truly know it. Oth. Heaven truly knows, that thou art false as hell. Des. To whom, my lord? with whom? How am I false? Oth. O Desdemona!-away, away, away! Des. Alas, the heavy day!-Why do you weep? Am I the occasion of these tears', my lord? If, haply, you my father do suspect An instrument of this your calling back, осса But not the words.] So the two quartos: the folio omits the hemistich. 7 Am I the OCCASION of these tears,] The folio alone has motive for " sion." At the end of the speech, the quarto, 1622, has left in both instances for "lost." Both the quartos have "Why," which completes the metre. Lay not your blame on me: if you have lost him, Oth. Had it pleas'd heaven All kinds of sores, and shames, on my bare head; Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes; To knot and gender in!-turn thy complexion there, Des. I hope, my noble lord esteems me honest. Oth. O! ay; as summer flies are in the shambles, That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed?! Who art so lovely fair, and smell'st so sweet, That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er been born! 8 had HE RAIN'D] So the quarto, 1630, correcting the misprint of the quarto, 1622, "had he ruin'd." The folio has it, "had they rain'd." Three lines lower, the word "utmost " is only in the folio. A fixed figure, for the time of scorn To point his slow UNMOVING FINGER at,] This is the reading of the two quartos, excepting that the earliest has fingers for "finger." The folio has, "The fixed figure,” and “and moving," for "unmoving." It may be very reasonably doubted, whether the text is not more or less corrupt in all the old copies, and it has been suggested, among other changes, that we ought to read, "hand of scorn," instead of "time of scorn;" but such an alteration is not supported by any ancient authority. 1 Ay, THERE, look grim as hell!] The old copies have here for "there,” but "there" seems fully warranted by what precedes, "turn thy complexion there;" and it was probably an error of the press. 2 O thou weed] The quartos "O thou black weed," and in the next line, Why for "Who," together with some minor changes. |