And live upon the vapour of a dungeon, Than keep a corner in the thing I love, For others' uses. Yet 'tis the plague of great ones; 'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death; Even then this forked plague is fated to us, Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA. If she be false, O, then, heaven mocks itself!- Des. How now, my dear Othello? Your dinner, and the generous islanders By you invited, do attend your presence. Oth. I am to blame. Des. Why is your speech so faint? are you not well? Oth. I have a pain upon my forehead here. Des. Faith, that's with watching; 'twill away again: Let me but bind it hard, within this hour It will be well. Oth. Your napkin is too little; [He puts the Handkerchief from him, and it drops. you. Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with [Exeunt ОTH. and DBS. Emil. I am glad I have found this napkin; • If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself!-]i.e. If she be false, heaven disgraces itself by creating woman after its own image. To have made the resemblance perfect, she should have been good as well as beautiful.-STEEVENS. P generous-] i. e. Noble: it has here the power of the Latin generosus. -STEEVENS. My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it :] This and several other passages tend to prove, that a larger space of time is comprised in the action of this play than the scenes include.-JOHNSON and M. MASON. To kiss, and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,' And give it Iago; What he'll do with it, heaven knows, not I; I nothing, but to please his fantasy. Enter LAGO. Iago. How now! what do you here alone? Iago. To have a foolish wife. Emil. O, is that all? What will you give me now For that same handkerchief? Iago. Emil. What handkerchief? What handkerchief? Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona; Iago. Hast stolen it from her? Emil. No, faith; she let it drop by negligence; And, to the advantage, I, being here, took't up.' Look, here it is. Iago. A good wench; give it me. Emil. What will you do with it, that you have been so To have me filch it? Iago. [earnest Why, what's that to you? [Snatching it. Emil. If it be not for some purpose of import, Give it me again: Poor lady! she'll run mad, When she shall lack it. Iago. Be not you known of't;' I have use for it. I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, [Exit EMILIA. ta'en out,] That is, copied. Her first thoughts are, to have a copy made of it for her husband, and restore the original to Desdemona. But the sudden coming in of Iago, in a surly humour, makes her alter her resolution, to please him.-BLACKSTONE. to the advantage, &c.] I being opportunely here, took it up.-JonNSON. Be not you known of't;] i. e. Seem as if you knew nothing of the matter. -STEEVENS. As proofs of holy writ. This may do something. Burn like the mines of sulphur.-I did say so :—" Enter OTHELLO. Look, where he comes! Not poppy, nor mandragora,* Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep Which thou ow'dst' yesterday. Oth. To me? Ha ha! false to me? Iago. Why, how now, general? no more of that. Oth. Avaunt! be gone! thou hast set me on the rack:I swear, 'tis better to be much abus'd, Than but to know't a little. Iago. How now, my lord? Oth. What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust? He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen, Oth. I had been happy, if the general camp, "I did say so:] i. e. I have just said that jealousy is a restless commotion of the mind; and look where Othello approaches, to confirm the justice of my observation.-STEEVENS. x — mandragora,] i. e. The mandrake. It has a soporifick quality, and the ancients used it when they wanted an opiate of the most powerful kind. ow'dst] i. e. To owe is here, as in many other places, to possess. * Pioneers and all,] That is, the most abject and vilest of the camp. Pioneers were generally degraded soldiers, appointed to the office of pioneer, as a punishment for misbehaviour.-GROSS. The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war! Iago. Is it possible?—My lord, 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, all earth amaz'd, Iago. O grace! O heaven defend me! 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. a - As Dian's visage, is now begrim'd and black As mine own face.-If there be cords, or knives, 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? 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, But, sith I am enter'd in this cause so far,— There are a kind of men so loose of soul, That in their sleeps will mutter their affairs; One of this kind is Cassio: In sleep I heard him say,-Sweet Desdemona, us hide wary, And then, sir, would he gripe, and wring my hand, ea MALONE. prime-] i. e. Prompt. a living reason —] i. e. A reason founded on fact and experience.- |