4 Wherein of antres vaft, and defarts idle, Rough quarries, rocks, and hills, whofe heads touch heav'n, It was my hint to speak; fuch was the process; 4 Wherein of antres vaft, &c.] Difcourfes of this nature made the subject of the politeft converfations, when voyages into, and difcoveries of, the new world were all in vogue. So when the Baftard Faulconbridge, in King John, defcribes the behaviour of upftart greatness, he makes one of the effential circumftances of it to be this kind of table-talk. The fabion then running altogether in this way, it is no wonder a young lady of quality fhould be ftruck with the hiftory of an adventurer. So that Rymer, who profeffedly ridicules this whole circumftance, and the noble author of the Characteristics, who more obliquely fneers it, only expofe their own ignorance, WARBURTON. Whoever ridicules this account of the progress of love, fhews his ignorance, not only of hifto And ry, but of nature and manners, It is no wonder that, in any age, or in any nation, a lady, reclufe, timorous, and delicate, fhould defire to hear of events and scenes which she could never fee, and fhould admire the man who had endured dangers, and performed actions, which, however great, were yet magnified by her timidity. Wherein of antres vaft, and de farts idle, &c.] Thus it is in all the old editions; But Mr. Pope has thought fit to change the epithet. Defarts idle; in the former editions; (fays he) doubtlefs, a corruption from wilde.But he must pardon me, if I do not concur in thinking this fo doubtless. I don't know whether Mr. Pope has obferved it, but I know that Shakespeure, especially in defcriptions, is fond of ufing the more uncommon word, in a poetick latitude, And idle, in feveral other paffages, he employs in thefe acceptations, wild, felef, uncultivated, &C. THEOB, Every mind is liable to abfence and inadvertency, elfe Pope could never have rejected a word fo poetically beautiful. 5 antres-] French, GrotPOPE. toes. Rather caves and dens. 6 It was my HINT to speak ;—] This implies it as done by a trap And of the Canibals that each other eat, The Anthropophagi; and 7 men whofe heads -But ftill the houfe-affairs would draw her thence, 8 "'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful" She wifh'd, fhe had not heard it ;-yet fhe wifh'd, me, And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her, And that would woo her. On this hint I spake, SCEN E IX. Enter Defdemona, Iago, and Attendants. Duke. I think this tale would win my daughter too. Good Brabantio, Take up this mangled matter at the best. Bra. I pray you, hear her speak; If the confefs that fhe was half the wooer, Def. My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty; To you I'm bound for life and education, How to refpect you. You're the Lord of duty; Bra. God be with you. I have done. I here do give thee that with all my heart, For thy escape would teach me tyranny, To hang clogs on them. I have done, my Lord. Duke.? Let me fpeak like yourself; and lay a fen tence, Which, as a grife, or ftep, may help these lovers "Into your favour". * When remedies are paft, the griefs are ended The robb'd, that fmiles, fteals fomething fromthethief; We lofe it not, fo long as we can fmile; 9 Let me Speak like YOUR felf;] It should be, like OUR felf, i, e. Let me meditate between you as becomes a prince and common father of his people: For the prince's opinion, here delivered, was quite contrary to Brabantio's fentiment. WARBURTON. Hanmer reads, Dr. Warburton's emendation is Hanmer's makes any alteration. The Duke feems to mean, when he fays he will speak like Brabantio, that he will speak fententiofly. The paffages marked thus (") are wanting in the folio, but found in the quarto. But the free comfort which from thence he hears ;] But the moral precepts of confolation, which are liberally beftowed on occafion of the fentence. But 2 But words are words; I never yet did hear, That the bruis'd heart was pieced through the ear, Beseech you, now to the affairs o' th' State. Duke. The Turk with a mighty preparation makes for Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude of the place is best known to you; and though we have there a fubftitute of moft allowed fufficiency; yet opinion, a fovereign mistress of effects, throws a more fafe voice on you; you must therefore be content to flubber the glofs of your new fortunes, with this more ftubborn and boifterous expedition. Oth. The tyrant custom, most grave senators, I find in hardnefs; and do undertake Moft humbly therefore bending to your State, 2 But words are words; I never yet did hear, That the bruis'd heart was pierced through the ear.] The Duke had by fage fentences been exhorting Brabantio to patience, and to forget the grief of his daughter's ftol'n marriage, to which Brabantio is made very pertinently to reply to this effect: My lord, I apprehend very well the wisdom of your advice; but tho' you would comfort me, words are but words; and the heart, already bruis'd, was never pierc'd, or wounded, through the ear. It is obvious that the text must be reftor'd thus, With That the bruis'd beart was pieced through the ear. i, e. That the wounds of forrow were ever cur'd, or a man made heart-whole meerly by words of confolation. WARBURTON. 3-thrice-driven bed of down.] A driven bed, is a bed for which the feathers are felected, by driving with a fan, which feparates the light from the heavy. 4 I crave fit difpofition for my wife, Due reference of place, and ex bibition, &c.] I defire that a proper difpofition be made for my wife, that the may have precedency, and revenue, accom modation, |