Oth. Are you sure of that? Des. My lord? Oth. [Reads.] "This fail you not to do, as you will"— Lod. He did not call; he's busy in the paper. Is there division 'twixt my lord and Cassio? Des. A most unhappy one: I would do much To atone them, for the love I bear to Cassio. Oth. Fire and brimstone! For, as I think, they do command him home, Des. By my troth, I am glad on't3. Lod. My lord, this would not be believ'd in Venice, Oth. Des. I will not stay to offend you. Lod. Truly an obedient lady. I do beseech your lordship, call her back. [Going. Oth. Mistress! Oth. Ay; you did wish, that I would make her turn: TO ATONE them,] i. e. To reconcile them, or at one them. We have had many previous examples of the use of this word. See Vol. ii. p. 430; Vol. iii. p. 225; Vol. iv. p. 240 and 694; Vol. v. p. 289. BY MY TROTH, I am glad on't.] The reading of the folio here is, "Trust me, I am glad on't." Other variations hardly require notice. Each drop she FALLS] To "fall" is here a verb active, as in "Richard II.” Vol. iii. p. 280, where other instances are pointed out. Sir, she can turn, and turn, and yet go on, [Exit DESDEMONA. Cassio shall have my place. And,―sir, to-night, Lod. Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate Whom passion could not shake? whose solid virtue He is much chang'd. Iago. What! strike his wife? Lod. Lod. Is it his use? It is not honesty in me, to speak What I have seen and known. You shall observe him; And his own courses will denote him so, That I may save my speech. Do but go after, And mark how he continues. Lod. I am sorry, that I am deceiv'd in him. [Exit. [Exeunt. 7 I am commanded HOME.] The 4to, 1622, "I am commanded here." As Steevens expressed a doubt whether the folio was right in reading “home," it may be mentioned that it is confirmed by the 4to. 1630. 8 This the nature] In both the 4tos. noble is repeated before "nature." It is decidedly too much for the verse, and it is omitted in the folio 1623, which we believe to be right: noble was caught from the preceding line. SCENE II. A Room in the Castle. Enter OTHELLO and EMILIA. Oth. You have seen nothing then? Emil. Nor ever heard; nor ever did suspect. Emil. Oth. Nor send you out o' the way? Emil. Never, my lord. Never. Oth. To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing? Emil. Never, my lord. Oth. That's strange. Emil. I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, There's no man happy; the purest of their wives' Oth. Bid her come hither:-go.— [Exit EMILIA. She says enough;—yet she's a simple bawd, A closet-lock-and-key of villainous secrets: And yet she'll kneel, and pray; I have seen her do't. Re-enter EMILIA, with DESDEMONA. Des. My lord, what is your will ? Oth. Des. What is your pleasure? 9 Pray, chuck, come hither. the purest of THEIR WIVES] "The purest of her sex," is the reading of the 4to, 1622, only-perhaps a difference of recitation. Oth. Look in my face. Des. Let me see your eyes: What horrible fancy's this? Oth. Some of your function, mistress; Leave procreants alone, and shut the door; Cough, or cry hem, if any body come: Your mystery, your mystery;-nay, dispatch. [TO EMILIA. [Exit EMILIA. Des. Upon my knees, what doth your speech import? I understand a fury in your words, But not the words '. Oth. Why, what art thou? Des. And loyal wife. Oth. Your wife, my lord; your true Come, swear it, damn thyself; Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves Des. Heaven doth truly know it. Oth. Heaven truly knows, that thou art false as hell. Des. Alas, the heavy day!-Why do you weep? Am I the occasion of these tears, my lord ? If, haply, you my father do suspect An instrument of this your calling back, Lay not blame your on me: if you Why, I have lost him too. Oth. have lost him, Had it pleas'd heaven To try me with affliction; had he rain'd' But not the words.] So the two 4tos: the folio omits the hemistich. 2 Am I the oCCASION of these tears,] The folio alone has motive for "occasion." At the end of the speech, the 4to, 1622, has left in both instances for "lost." The 4tos. have "Why," which completes the metre. 3 - had HE RAIN'd] So the 4to, 1630, correcting the misprint of the 4to, 1622, "had he ruin'd:" the folio has it, "had they rain'd." Three lines lower, the word "utmost " is only in the folio. To point his slowly moving finger at *; Or keep it, as a cistern, for foul toads To knot and gender in!-turn thy complexion there, Des. I hope, my noble lord esteems me honest. That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er been born! Des. Alas! what ignorant sin have I committed? Oth. Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, 4 A fixed figure, for the HAND of scorn To point his SLOWLY MOVING FINGER at ;] This is the text as offered to us in the corr. fo. 1632, and we may reasonably believe it to have been what the poet wrote. How much superior it is to the old texts will be seen by the following quotations: the first is from the 4to, 1622. "A fixed figure for the time of scorn To point his slow unmoving fingers at." The 4to, 1630, only differs by having "finger" for fingers. In the folio, 1623, the passage stands thus: "The fixed figure for the time of scorn To point his slow, and moving finger at." Rowe altered time to "hand," and he appears to have been warranted in doing so, at least by the old practice of recitation on the stage. In the 4to, 1622, two interjections, "oh, oh!" are added (which no doubt originated with the performer), before " Yet could I bear that too," &c. 5 Ay, THERE, look grim as hell!] The early copies have here for "there," but "there" seems fully warranted by what precedes, "turn thy complexion there;" and that it was an error of the press may be said to be shown by the corr. fo. 1632, where here is amended to "there." Oh thou weed!] The 4tos, "Oh thou black weed," and in the next line, Why for "Who," together with some minor changes. 7 Committed!-Oh thou public commoner!] This and the three next lines are wanting in the 4to, 1622, but are in the 4to, 1630, and in the folio. |