Othello for not promoting him according to his defire, and that the former has a very affectionate tendre for the commander's new married lady, it appears plain that the amorous simpleton is made an abfolute tool to the deep designs of lago, who, not caring to appear himself as the Moor's enemy, fets on the glib-tongued coxcomb to alarm Brabantio with the elopement of his daughter; this scene is well written, but the passages hereafter pointed at, are egregiously offensive, and if performers will not voluntarily omit them, ought to be condemned into obscurity, at least from the stage, by public repulses. Iago's second speech to Brabantio under the window, beginning, "Sir, you are robb'd," is most grossly conceived; and what immediately fucceeds these words of the same character, if poffible, worse, " because we come to do you service, you think us ruffians" Iago's departure and leaving Rodorigo to be the old Senator's guide is very politic. Upon appearing, with Othello we find the doubledealing Ancient, working into Othello's confidence by specious proffeffions of attachment to his inclination and interest; which prepares us for his future infidious transactions; while the Moor's contempt of Brabantio's resentment, shows that true dignified security of mind, which confcious innocence bestows -the following scenes till he appears before the fenate are rather trifling, save that a message from the state faves Othello the disgrace of going as a prifoner. The fenate scene has ever been deemed an impor tant one, and indeed with confiderable justice; the Othello. the paternal feelings of Brabantio and the generous confidence of Othello are well supported; but the charge of gaining Desdemona by spells and medicines, however consonant to a Venetian law, against fuch practices, I could wish had been rejected by our author, for the fame reason I urged against witches; the great probability of fuch characters, and chimerical notions impressing irrational ideas upon weak minds; indeed Brabantio's reason for fuppofing that his daughter could not have been won by any fair means to a match so seemingly preposterous, is strong, but not a sufficient apology for his charge, which shows him like some modern fenators to be none of the wisest-King James wrote a book of Demonology but can any man in his fenfes call it a rational, though a royal production. In his first address to the fenate, we perceive the Moor apologizing with all the smoothness and flow of eloquence for his deficiency in that respect, he is nervous concife and figurative, therefore his modest opinion of himself seem strong symptoms of affectation, we find Brabantio in his reply possessed with the true old womanish, credulous obstinacy; sticking close to conjuration, which indeed the duke very properly reproves. Othello's narration, though literally fine, fubjects him to an imputation of self sufficiency; that he might relate his story for the entertainment of Desdemona, and that she might conceive an affection for one concerned in so many great and interesting events, is very consistent with him as a polite warrior, and with her as an admirer of military at Othello atchievements rising almost into the strain of romance; but for the moor to aim fo much at recapitulation of what must be known to most, if not all of the statefmen who employed him as a general, shews as if Shakespeare unbridled fancy, and studied more giving the performer a fine speech, than preserving delicacy of character, yet whatever objection we raise is much, if not entirely softened, by the great pleasure it always gives in recital. Desdemona's appearance and candid declaration in favour of the moor, gives a very fatisfactory rer futation to her father's mysterious allegations; what follows concerning Cyprus, we can by no means fee any necessity for; as every part of the plot might have been preserved with equal force, by keeping the characters all through at Venice; we have declared ourselves so unclassical as not to be the friends of strict limitation, but cannot countenance the introduction of a fea-voyage, where there is no occafion for it; Othello might have appeared as much in his military capacity, by receiving orders to make dispositions at home against a Turkish invasion, as by going abroad. The ensuing scene between Iago and Rodorigo shews the former in a more extended light of knavery, and his manner of working upon the shallow fopling is happily executed; however, we can by no means approve such a character as Rodorigo in tragical composition; he is only to be laughed at, and that cannot be deemed a proper feeling for serious pieces; besides through the whole he is literally a non-essential, and as he says himself, that he is not a hound that hunts, but one that " fills 3 4 Othello. " fills up the cry; "- would he were stationed more suitably, not only because he disgraces more important concerns by his levity, but also because his conferences with Iago are upon an offenfive fubject, and furnish many nauseous ideas, set forth in gross expreffion. i Iago's foliloquy, which concludes the first act, is a master-piece of villainous machination, finely written for a judicious actor, and very artfully throws out his chief motive of resentment against the general; but if his expression of jealousy had been more obliquely worded, it would have been more commendable. It is very judicious to retrench confiderably those trissing scenes at the beginning of the second act; but why the following speeches of Montano and a gentleman should be omitted I know not, since à storm is mentioned, nothing could be put in their mouths as spectators of distracted elements, more natural or more consistently poetical than these lines; Mon. Methinks the wind hath spoke aloud at land : What ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them, Gen. A fegregation of the Turkish fleet; For do but stand upon the foaming shore, The chiding billows seem to pelt the clouds; The wind-shak'd surge, with high and monstrous main, Seems to cast water on the burning bear, I never did like moleftation yiew : On th' enchafed floed. Had Othello Had the preceding passages belonged to capital characters, they would have been carefully retained; but in theatrical paring it seems a rule, to render the smaller parts as inconsiderable as possible, from a paltry, selfish notion that thereby they become a better foil to the principal ones, this makes prompters books such miferable,, mutilated objects, as they are in many places; and at the fame time wrongs both the author and public taste; besides the preceding speeches are abfolutely effential to raise a preparative anxiety for the safety of Othello. 1 Iago's treatment of Emilia, and his reflections on wives in general, not only before strangers, but even before Desderhona, is brutally unpolite; a miferable shift to give time for Othello's arrival; befides the line after this, " Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk, admits no juftifications yet is retained in speaking by the same wife authorities which exclude the above quotation, so pregnant with beautiful propriety. The last line of a fermer speech is alfo fulsome; it comes after this, "Saints in your injuries-devils being offended;" and all the ancient's poetical reflections have a most plenti-` ful lack of defirable meaning; they do indeed verify his own remark of coming forth brains and all; to be plain, the whole of this scene, till lago's remarks on Desdemona's freedom with Caffio, is either trifling or abominable; what depravity of imagination could tempt Shakespeare to introduce the words in Iago's fide-spcech after these, "Your " fingers to your lips," it is impossible to conceive for they are not only indecent, but other wife improper, as they imply an uneasiness at the fa |