If my offence be of such mortal kind, That neither service past, nor present sorrows, Can ransome me into his love again, But to know so must be my benefit; Des. Alas! thrice-gentle Cassio, My advocation is not now in tune; My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him, As I have spoken for you all my best, And stood within the blank of his displeasure," Than for myself I dare: let that suffice you. Iago. Is my lord angry? Emil. He went hence but now, And, certainly, in strange unquietness. Iago. Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon, When it hath blown his ranks into the air; 5 And, like the devil, from his very arm Puff'd his own brother; - And can he be angry? 2 And shut myself up in some other course, To fortune's alms.] Being discarded from the military line, he purposes to confine or shut himself up, as he formerly had, within the limits of a new profession. 3 4 anger. in favour,] In look, in countenance. within the blank of his displeasure,] Within the shot of his 5 I have seen the cannon, When it hath blown, &c.] In Iago's speech something is suppressed. He means to say, I have seen his ranks blown into the air, and his own brother puff'd from his side, — and mean while have seen him cool and unruffled. And can he now be angry? Des. I pr'ythee, do so. - Something, sure, of state,- Our other healthful members ev'n to that sense 8 As fit the bridal. - Beshrew me much, Emilia, But now I find, I had suborn'd the witness, Emil. Pray heaven, it be state matters, as you think: And no conception, nor no jealous toy, Concerning you. Des. Alas, the day! I never gave him cause. Emil. But jealous souls will not be answer'd so; But jealous for they are jealous: 'tis a monster, Des. Heaven keep that monster from Othello's mind! Emil. Lady, amen. Des. I will go seek him. - Cassio, walk hereabout: If I do find him fit, I'll move your suit, And seek to effect it to my uttermost. 6 some unhatch'd practice,] Some treason that has not taken effect. 7 For let our finger ache, and it indues-] I believe it should be rather, subdues our other healthful members to a sense of pain. 9 JOHNSON. 6 the bridal.] i. e. the nuptial feast: a Saxon word. (unhandsome warrior as I am)] Unhandsome warrior, is evidently unfair assailant. Cas. I humbly thank your ladyship. [Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA. Enter BIANCA. Bian. Save you, friend Cassio! Cas. What make you from home? How is it with you, my most fair Bianca? Cas. Pardon me, Bianca; I have this while with leaden thoughts been press'd; Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca, [Giving her DESDEMONA's Handkerchief. Take me this work out.2 Bian. O, Cassio, whence came this? This is some token from a newer friend. Cas. Throw your vile guesses in the Woman, go to !+ devil's teeth, You are jealous now, That this is from some mistress, some remembrance; No, in good troth, Bianca. Bian. Why, whose is it? Cas. I know not, sweet: I found it in my chamber. I like the work well; ere it be demanded, 1 - in a more continuate time,] A more continuate time is time less interrupted, time which I can call more my own. 2 Take me this work out.] The meaning is not, "Pick out the work, and leave the ground plain ;" but, "Copy this work in another handkerchief." "Go to, woman."-MALONE. (As like enough, it will,) I'd have it copied : Take it, and do't; and leave me for this time. Bian. Leave you! wherefore? Cas. I do attend here on the general; And think it no addition, nor my wish, To have him see me woman'd. I pray you, bring me on the way a little; And say, if I shall see you soon at night. Cas. 'Tis but a little way, that I can bring you, For I attend here: but I'll see you soon. Bian. 'Tis very good; I must be circumstanc'd." Iago. Or to be naked with her friend abed, 3 I must be circumstanc'd.] Rather I must give way to cir cumstances. It is hypocrisy against the devil:] Hypocrisy against the devil means hypocrisy to cheat the devil. As common hypocrites cheat men, by seeming good, and yet living wickedly, these men would cheat the devil, by giving him flattering hopes, and at last avoiding the crime which he thinks them ready to commit. JOHNSON. They that mean virtuously, and yet do so, The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven. Iago. So they do nothing, 'tis a venial slip : But if I give my wife a handkerchief, Oth. What then? Iago. Why, then, 'tis hers, my lord; and, being hers, She may, I think, bestow't on any man. Oth. She is protectress of her honour too; May she give that? Iago. Her honour is an essence that's not seen ; They have it very oft, that have it not: But, for the handkerchief, Oth. By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot it: Thou said'st, - O, it comes o'er my memory, As doth the raven o'er the infected house, Boding to all, he had my Iago. Ay, what of that? Oth. handkerchief. That's not so good, now. Iago. What, if I had said, I had seen him do you wrong ? Or heard him say, - As knaves be such abroad, Oth. Iago. He hath, my lord; Iago. 'Faith, that he did, Iago. Lie Hath he said any thing? but be you well assur'd, What hath he said? I know not what he did. 5 boding to all,-] The raven was thought to be a constant attendant on a house, in which there was infection. Convinced or supplied them,] Dr. Farmer is of opinion that supplied has here the same meaning as supplicated. But Mr. Steevens says, that supplied is the old spelling of suppled, i. e. softened. |