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I am not satisfied with either Dr. Johnson's or Mr. Steevens's explanation of this passage; the meaning whereof I take to be this,-Othello is reflecting on the pain and perturbation of his mind, which cannot be composed or healed but by removing or destroying the cause of it; yet, says he, I'll not shed her blood, &c. Antigonus meditates, on a similar occasion, in a similar way: "Nor night, nor day, no rest-it is but weak

ness

“To bear the matter thus, mere weakness; if "The cause were not in being;-part o' the cause; "She, the adultress-say that she were gone; "Given to the fire;-a moiety of my rest Might come to me again."

Winter's Tale, Act 2, Scene 3.

Or perhaps by cause is only meant, general principle, the cause of conjugal fidelity-it is not, says Othello, any motive of personal or peculiar resentment that urges me to her destruction, but the common cause of injured husbands"She must die, else she'll betray more men."

490. "Put out the light, and then put out the light."

I am much surprised at the doubt expressed by Dr. Farmer, as to the truth of Dr. Warburton's explanation; it is the sense which, at the first view of it, the passage suggested to me, and which, till now, I should have thought, would strike every attentive reader of Shakspeare. 492. "That can thy light relume."

To relume light is strange tautology, if not nonsense-the reading of the first quarto, return,"

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appears to be the best: perhaps we should read "the" instead of "thy."

"That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd thy rose."

Again the reading of the first quarto is preferable, "the rose."-When I have taken away the bloom and beauty of this plant, I cannot give it life again. This is not an address either to Desdemona or her beauty, but a reflection and argument respecting the act of her destruction; and the quarto, consistently with this sense, reads, not "I'll smell thee on the tree," but "I'll smell it on the tree."-Desdemona herself was the tree, her life and freshness the rose.-Still, however, the line is exuberant: perhaps it was written thus: "That can the light return: once pluck'd, the

rose,

"I cannot give it vital grouth again,

"It needs must wither; I'll smell it on the tree." 493. "This sorrow's heavenly."

I wish, with Dr. Johnson, that we might reject this passage; but what follows wants regulation-will this do?

Desd.

"It strikes where it does love-she wakes." Who's there?"

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"Is it my lord, Othello ?"

Oth. 66

Ay, Desdemonă."

Desd. "And will you come to bed, my lord?"

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Oth.

Desd. "

Have you

"Pray'd to-night, Desdemona ?"
Ay, my lord."

"Solicit for it straight."

We might add, to fill the verse,

2

There is, dear, need."

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494. If you say so, (I hope) you will not kill

me."

These words, "I hope," are interpolated:
"If you say so, you will not kill me."
Oth. "
Humph."

"When your eyes roll so: Why I should fear, I know not,

"Since guiltiness I know not; but yet, I feel, I fear."

These lines are too long for any art of utterance: perhaps we should read,

"When your eyes roll so; why I fear, I know not,

"Since guilt I know not, yet I feel, I fear."

A passage resembling this we find in As You Like It:

"I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do not; "As those that fear; they hope, and know they fear."

'Ay, and for that thou diěst."

There seems to be wanting at the beginning of Desdemona's speech, some words like these:

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Nay, say not so,

"That death's unnatural," &c.

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495. I will so: What's the matter?"

There is great disorder here, that might be removed thus:

Oth.

"I will so: what's the matter?”

That handkerchief

"Which I so loved, and gave thee, thou gav'st

"To Cassíó."

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Desd. "

- No, by my life and soul;

"Send for the man; ask him."

Oth.

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- Sweet soul! take heed

"Of perjury; thou'rt now on thy deathbed."

496. "Let him confess a truth."

It surely ought to be "the truth;" but further regulation is wanting:

"Let him confess the truth."

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Oth. Desd. "

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Oth.

497.

That he hath us'd thee."

How?

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He will not say só."

Why, no; not now; his mouth is stopp'd:
Iago,

"Honest Iago, hath ta'en order for it.”

"O banish me, my lord," &c.

The banishment of " my lord" from the text would restore the metre:

"O banish me, but kill me not.”

Oth. "

Down, strumpet."

498. "It is too late."

The exuberance, here, might thus be reduced:

It is too late.'

Emil. (without) "My lord! what ho, my

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lord!

The first quarto reads "was here," and perhaps rightly-the sense appears to be, 'tis like she

comes to speak, &c. the noise that was here prevented my hearing her words, perhaps he was about to say." The noise was here," for "the noise that was here" is an ellipsis not at all un

common:

"The noise was here.-Ha! no more moving! still!

"Still as the grave," &c.

499. "Should yawn at alteration."

I would regulate the text thus:

"Should yawn at alteration."
I beseech you,

Emil."

"That I may speak with you.-O, good, my lord.'

Again :

"What? now?"

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But now, my lord."

I would propose:

"O, good my lord, yonder's foul murder

done.'

Oth. "Said'st thou ! what! murder! now?"
Emil. "
But now, my lord.'

"And makes men mad.”

500. Emil. "

Cassio, my lord, hath kill'd "A young Venetián call'd Roderigo."

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Oth. Roderigo kill'd? and Cassio?"
Emil. "

No, my lord,

"Cassio's not kill'd."

Oth.

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Not Cassio kill'd? then murder "Is out of tune; and sweet revenge grows harsh."

Desd. "O falsely murder'd."

Emil. "

Ha! what cry was that?”

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