As where's that Palace, whereinto foul things
Sometimes intrude not? Who has a breast so pure,
But some uncleanly apprehensions
9 Keep leets and law-days, and in feffions sit
With meditations lawful?

Olh. Thou doit conlpire against thy friend, Iago, If thou but hink'st him wrong'd, and mak'it his ear A ftranger to thy thoughts.

Iago. I do beseech you,
. Though, Iperchance, am vicious in my guess,
As, I confefs, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuse ; and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not; I intreat you then,
From one that so ? improbably conceits,
Your wisdom would not build yourself a trouble
Out of my scattering and unsure observance.
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honesty, and wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

Olb. What dost chou mean?
lago. Good name in mao and woman, dear my

Lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls,

I do befeech you,

? Keep leets and law-dars,–] uneafy : in propriety, therefore, i.e. govern. A metaphor, wretch- it should either have been, i bough edly forced and quaint. WARB. I am not vicious, or because I am

Rather visit than govern, but vicious, It appears ' then we visit with authoritative intrusion, should read, · Though I, per hancı, am

vicious in my guess,] Not to Think I, perchance, am vi. mention that, in this reading, the cious in my guess. fentence is abrupt and broken, it Which makes the sense pertinent is likewise highly absurd. I be- and perfect. WARBURTON. feech you give yourself no unea

imperfe&tly conceits, finess from my unsure observance, In the old quarto it is, though I am vicious. in my guess. -improbably conceits, For his being an ill guesser was a Which I think preferable. reason why Orbelle should not be

Who

Who steals my purse, fteals trash ; 'tis something, no

thing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his; and has been Nave to thousands; But he, that filches from mé my good name, Robs me of that, which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. I'll know thy thoughts

Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody: Oth. Ha!

lago. Oh, beware, my Lord, of jealousy; It is a green-ey'd monfter,' 3 which doth make The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss, Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger ; But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er, Who doats, yet doubts ; suspects, yet strongly loves!

Oib. Oh misery ! lago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough ; 4 But riches fineless is s as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he shall be

poor.

3

which doth mock him into it, as we see by his reThe meat it feeds on. -] ply, which is only i.e. loaths that which nourishes Ob mifery! WARB, and sustains it. This being a I have received the cmendamiserable state, lago bids him be- tion; because to mock, does not ware of it. The Oxford Editor fignify to loalh ; and because, reads,

when lazo bids Othello beware of -which doth make jealousy, the green eyed monster, it The meat it feeds on

is natural to tell why he should implying that its suspicionsare un- beware, and for caution he gives real and groundless, which is the him two reasons, that jealousy very contrary to what he

uld often creates its own cause, and here make his General think, that. when the causes are real, as appears

from what follows, jealousy is misery. I bat cuckold lives in bliss, &c. 1.4 But riches fineles;-) UnIn a word, the villain.is for fix. bounded, endless, unnumbered ing him jealous: and therefore treasures. bids him beware of jealousy, not

-as poor as winter, ] that it was an unreasonatlé but a Finely expreffed : Winter produmiferable flate, and this plunges cing no fruits.

WARB.

5

Good heaven! the fuuls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Otb. Why? why is this?
Think'st thou, I'd make a life of jealousy?
To follow still the changes of the moon
With fresh suspicions ? No; to be once in doubt,
Is once to be resolv'd. Exchange me for a goat,
When I shall turn the business of my soul
6 To such exsuffolate and blown surmises,
Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous,
To say, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,
Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well;
7 Where virtue is, these are most virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear, or doubt of her revolt;
For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago,
I'll fee, before I doubt ; when I doubt, prove:
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
Away at once with love, or jealousy.

Iago. I am glad of this ; for now I shall have reason

6 To fucb exfuffulate and blown ous ? The old Quarto reads, a

surmises, ] This odd and little nearer the truth, far-fetch'd word was made yet Where virtue is, these are more uncouth in all the editions

more virtuous. before Hanmer's, by being print. But Shakespear wrote, ed, exfufflicate. The allufion is Where virtue is, these MAKE to a bubble. Do not think, says more virtuous. the Moor, that I fhall change the i. l. where virtue is, the civil noble designs that now employ accomplishments of polite life my thoughts, to fufpicions which, make chat virtue more illustrious, like bubbles blown into a wide as coming off victorious from all extent, have only an empty shew the temptations which fuch acwithout solidity, or that in con. complishments throw in the way, sequence of such empty fears, I

WARBURTON. will close with thy inference against The old reading will, I think, the virtue of my wifc.

approve itself to every under7 Where virtue is, these are standing that has not an intereft

MOST virtuous] But how in changing it. An action in itcan a virtuous conduct make the self indifferent, grows virtuais indifferent actions of such a cha- by its end and application, racter, virtuous, or most virtu

Τα

To Thew the love and duty that I bear you
With franker spirit. Therefore, as I am bound,
Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof,
Look to your wife, observe her well with Casio ;
Wear your eye, thus; not jealous, nor secure.
I would not have your free and noble nature
* Out of self-bounty be abus'd ; lock to't ;
I know' our country-disposition well;
În Venice they do let heaven see the pranks,
They dare not shew their husbands; their best con-

science
Is not co leave't undone, but keep't unknown.

Otb. Dost thou say so?
Tago. She did deceive her father, marrying you ;
And when she seem'd to shake, and fear your looks,
She lov'd them moft.

Oib. And so she did.

lago. Go to, then; She, that, so young, could give out such a Seeming * To seal her father's eyes up, close as oak.

* Out of self-bounty be abus'd ;) generosity of disproportionate Self-bounty, for inherent genero- marriages. When the first heat fity.

WAR BURTON. of passion is over, it is easily fuc9-our country-difpofition ceeded by fufpicion, that the

In Venice) Here lago fame violence of inclination seems to be a Venetian.

which caused one irregularity, And when she seem'd] This may stimulate to another; and * and the following argument of those who have shewn, that their Iago ought to be deeply impref- paflions are too powerful for their fed on every reader. Deceit and prudence, will, with very flight falsehood, whatever conveniences appearances against them, be they may for a time promise or censured, as not very likely to produce, are, in the sum of life, restrain them by their virtue. obstacles to happiness. Those • To seal ber farber's eyes up, who profit by the cheat, distrutt close as oak - There is little the deceiver, and the act by relation between eyes and oak. I which kindness was sought, puts would read, an end to confidence.

She feald her father's eyes up The same objection may be clofe as owls. made with a lower degree of As brindas an owl, is a proverb. strength against the imprudent 7

He

H E L

i He thought, 'twas witchcraft-But I'm much to

blame:
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon,
For too much loving you.

Oth. I'm bound to thee for ever.
Iago. I see, this hath a little dalh'd your spirits.
Oib. Nor a jot, not a jot.

Iago. Trust me, I fear, it has :
I hope, you will consider, what is spoke
Comes from my love. But, I do fee, you're mov'da
I am to pray you, not to strain my speech
3 To groffer ifľues, nor to larger reach,
Than to suspicion.

Oih. I will not.

Tago. Should you do so, my Lord, 4 My speech would fall into such vile success, As my thoughts aim not at. Caffio's my worthy

friend. My Lord, I fee, you're mov'd

Oih. No, not much mov'd. I do not think, but Desdemona's honeft. lago. Long live she fo! and long live you to think

fo! Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itself

Iago. Ay, there's the point; as, to be bold with you, Not to affect many proposed matches Of her own clime, complexion and degree, Whereto we see in all things Nature tends, Foh! one may smell, in such, as will most rank,

3 T, grosser issues,-) Ilues, My Speech would fall into fucb for conclusions.

WARB.

vile excess. + My Speech would fall into If success be the right word, it

such vile success,] Succef, seems to mean consequence of for fucceffion, i. e. conclufion; event, as fucceffo is used in Italian. not prosperous iffue.

s-will most rank,] Will is for WARBURTON. wilfulness. It is so used' by AfI rather think there is a de. cham. A rank will, is felf-will pravation, and would read,

overgrown and exuberant.

Foul