an interpolation, corrupting the sense:-Cassio indeed, might sue to be despised, but it is absurd to say he would sue to deceive. 352. "When this advice is free, I give," &c. I Dr. Johnson's interpretation of this passage, believe, is right, notwithstanding the plausibility of Mr. Henley's. "This parallel course." This expression will, undoubtedly, admit of Dr. Johnson's explanation, a course that goes level or even with his design; but I suppose the poet meant no more by "parallel" than straight, direct, not deviating or circuitous: it seems to be derived from what he had learnt of goemetry, a straight or right line being the shortest between two given points, and a parallel to a straight line being also straight, he is led to confound the ideas of straight and parallel, 353. "That she repeals him." By repealing him, I believe is meant, urging the remission or pardon of his offence. 354. "How poor are they, that have not patience!" "Patience" a trisyllable. "Though other things grow fair against the sun, "Yet fruits, that blossom first, will first be ripe." That which Sir T. Hanmer found difficult, appears to have been not easy to Dr. Johnson; and his explanation is not at all satisfactory :-Iago's argument seems to be this,-why should you re quire the sudden accomplishment of a design that must proceed by degrees-a plan, arranged like ours, would furnish ground for confidence, even were there as yet no obvious symptoms of success; but we already have an earnest of it, in Cassio's disgrace; and though all measures, wisely ordered, will advance with surety towards their object, yet those will be the first to attain it, which first display the visible effects of their operation. 355. "I'll set her on." This hemistic is useless, and were better omitted. ACT III. SCENE I. 356. "Something that's brief," &c. The line wants brevity: we might read, "Be't brief; and bid good morrow, general." 358. "You have not been a-bed, then ?" This hemistic, and the disorder in the lines that follow, might be corrected thus: Iag. "You have not been a-bed, then, good lieutenant." Cas. "Why no; the day had broke before we parted: Iag. "I have made bold to send in to your wife; My suit to her is, that she will procure me "Some access to the virtuous Desdemona." "I'll go and send her to you presently; "And I'll devise," &c, "May be more free." Cas." I humbly thank you for't." [Exit Iago. "I ne'er knew Florentine more kind and honest." 359. "And great affinity, and that in wholesome wisdom." The conjunction "that" should be omitted, by an ellipsis common enough, and warrantable. "He might not but refuse you: but, he protests, he loves you." This excessive redundance might thus be reduced: "He must refuse; but he protests he loves you." "To speak your bosom freely." Thus, in Macbeth: 66 Let us speak "Our free hearts each to other." 360. SCENE II. Well, my good lord, I'll do't." The word "well" has no business here: Oth. "Repair there to me." Iag. My good lord, I'll do't." "We'll wait upon your lordship." This hemistic, perhaps, was preceded by words like these: "So please you, we will wait," &c. SCENE III. "As if the case were his." Perhaps, "As much, indeed, as if the case were his.' 361," To the last article: my lord shall never rest." We might, without violence, obtain smoothness by reading, 66 To the last article: he shall never rest." 362. "Than give thy cause away. Emil. " Madam, here comes "My lord." Cas. 66 Madam, I'll take my leave.' These two madams are intruders into the text, and should both take their leave. Desd. "Than give thy cause away." Emil. " Here comes my lord." Why, stay and hear me speak." Iag. 66 Ha! I like not that." I would regulate: Oth. "What dost thou say?" Iag. 66 -- Nothing, my lord; or-if— "I know not what' The abruption, here, is natural. "Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it, "That he would steal away," &c. Of what use is "it," here, except to load the line, and injure the construction. 363. "How now, my lord?" If the frequent hemistics in this play are often the result of incorrigible depravation, they will sometimes, I believe, be found to proceed from mere carelessness or unskilfulness of the transcriber, and ought to have been composed by the editor; such seems to have been the case with those that follow: "How now, my lord; I have been talking "A suitor here, a man that languishes Oth. " Who is it you mean?" Ay, sooth; so humbled, "That he has left," &c. We might restore the measure thus : Ay, sooth, he did, so humbled that he hǎs left "Part of his griefs with me; I suffer with him ; Oth. Not now, sweet Desdemona, "Some other time." Desd. " But shall't be shortly, then ?" Oth. "The sooner, sweet, for you.' Oth. "No, not to-night." Desd. Oth. 36.4. To-morrow, dinner, then ?" "I shall not dine at home; I am to meet "The captain, in the citadel, to-morrow." His trespass Is not almost a fault." Hardly is a fault-almost is not a fault :-the phrase, however it came here, is a Scotticism, |