564

It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth make
The meat it feeds on': that cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;
But, O! what damned minutes tells he o'er,

Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves!
Oth. O misery!

Iago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough;
But riches, fineless, is as poor as winter,

To him that ever fears he shall be poor.—

Good heaven, the souls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Oth.

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

To such exsufflicate and blown surmises',

which doth MAKE

The meat it feeds on :] The old copies, including the second quarto, have "which doth mock," &c.; Sir Thomas Hanmer substituted "make," and that reading has since been generally adopted; though Warburton would justify mock, on the ground that it is to be taken in the sense of loath, which Johnson denies. Mock was of old spelt with a final e, and so it is printed in the two quartos and in the folio, and nothing could be much easier than for a compositor to misread "make" mocke. The sense seems indisputably to require "make," viz. that jealousy creates food for itself; and so strongly did Southern feel this, that in his copy of the fourth folio (the property of Mr. Holgate) he has altered mock to "make," in his own hand-writing. We have little difficulty, therefore, in treating It is to be observed, that the quarto, 1630, mocke as a mere error of the press. reads "It is a green-ey'd monster," contrary to the two other ancient authorities, and Southern concurred in this change of the text; but as the alteration does not to us appear necessary, nor even judicious, we adhere to the words of the first quarto and first folio.

5 yet STRONGLY loves!] So the two quartos: the folio "yet soundly loves," and not "yet fondly loves," as some modern editors inform us. Soundly may be a misprint for " fondly," but every copy of the folio, 1623, we have seen has soundly, and moreover, it is so reprinted in every later folio.

• Is ONCE to be resolv'd.] The folio reads merely, "Is to be resolv'd," with much loss of force and meaning.

7 To such EXSUFFLICATE and blown surmises,] The meaning of "exsufflicate" is more obvious than its etymology; and if we had any difficulty, it would be removed, perhaps, by the additional epithet "blown," (blow'd in the folio). "Exsufflicate" is one of the words, the origin of which must not be traced with too much lexicographical curiosity.

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 well3;
Where virtue is, these are more 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 see, 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 it; for now I shall have reason
To show 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 Cassio:
Wear your eye-thus, not jealous, nor secure :
I would not have your free and noble nature,
Out of self-bounty, be abus'd; look to't.

I know our country disposition well:

In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks

They dare not show their husbands; their best con

science

Is, not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown'.

Oth. Dost thou say so?

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And, when she seem'd to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them most.

Oth.
Iago.

And so she did.

Why, go to, then;

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,

8 and dances WELL;] The line is clearly incomplete as it stands in the folio, without "well," which is found in both the quarto impressions. Southern's ear was so sensible of the deficiency, that he added the word in manuscript in his copy of the folio, 1685. His emendations appear to have been merely conjectural, but they are generally happy.

? I am glad of IT;] So both the quartos: the folio, "I am glad of this."

1 Is, not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown.] So the folio, and the quarto, 1630: the quarto, 1622, has leare and keep, and in the preceding line it omits "not."

To seal her father's eyes up, close as oak,

He thought, 'twas witchcraft.-But I am much to

blame;

I humbly do beseech you of your pardon,

For too much loving you.

Oth.

I am bound to thee for ever.

Iago. I see, this hath a little dash'd your spirits.
Oth. Not 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 see you are mov'd :—

I am to pray you, not to strain my speech

To grosser issues, nor to larger reach,

Than to suspicion.

Oth. I will not.

Iago.

My speech should fall into such vile success
As my thoughts aim not at3.

Should you do so, my lord,

Cassio's my worthy friend.

No, not much mov'd.

My lord, I see you are mov'd.

Oth.

I do not think but Desdemona's honest.

Iago. Long live she so; and long live you to think

so!

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 a will most rank,
Foul disproportion, thoughts unnatural.—

But pardon me; I do not in position

2 TO SEAL her father's eyes up,] To seel up was certainly a term of falconry, as Steevens informs us; but the ordinary word seal seems here only intended, and in the two quartos it is so spelt.

3 As my thoughts AIM not at.] This is the reading of both quartos: the folio, "Which my thoughts aim'd not." The quarto, 1622, has "trusty friend," for "worthy friend" of the folio, and quarto, 1630.

Distinctly speak of her, though I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall to match you with her country forms,
And happily repent*.

Oth.

Farewell, farewell.

If more thou dost perceive, let me know more;
Set on thy wife to observe. Leave me, Iago.
Iago. My lord, I take my leave.

[Going. Oth. Why did I marry?—This honest creature,

doubtless,

nour 5

6

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds.
Iago. My lord, I would, I might entreat your ho-
[Returning.
To scan this thing no farther; leave it to time.
Although 'tis fit that Cassio have his place,
(For, sure, he fills it up with great ability)
Yet if you please to hold him off a while,
You shall by that perceive him and his means:
Note, if your lady strain his entertainment
With any strong or vehement importunity;
Much will be seen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought too busy in my fears,
(As worthy cause I have to fear I am)

And hold her free, I do beseech your honour.
Oth. Fear not my government.

Iago. I once more take my leave.

Oth. This fellow's of exceeding honesty, And knows all qualities with a learned spirit

Of human dealings: if I do prove her haggard',

[Exit.

4 And HAPPILY repent.] "Happily" here, of course, means perhaps, and ought properly to have been spelt haply; but a word of three syllables was required by the line. The second "farewell" is from the folio.

5 My lord, I would, I might entreat your honour] In the quarto, 1622, this line is erroneously made the conclusion of Othello's speech.

• Although 'tis fit-] So the folio: the quarto, 1622, "Tho' it be fit ;" and the quarto, 1630, " And though 'tis fit." In the next line but one the folio omits the necessary word "hold."

7 - if I do prove her HAGGARD,]

truly says, an unreclaimed hawk.

A"haggard" is a wild, and, as Johnson See Vol. ii. p. 224, and Vol. iii. p. 375. Mr. Bruce has referred me to the following apposite passage in Sir T. Browne's

Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings,
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind,
To prey at fortune'. Haply, for I am black,
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have; or, for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years;-yet that's not much :-
She's gone; I am abus'd; and my relief
Must be to loath her. O curse of marriage!
That we can call these delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites. I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love,
For others' uses. Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones;
Prerogativ'd are they less than the base;

'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death:
Even then this forked plague is fated to us,
When we do quicken. Desdemona comes1:

Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA.

If she be false, O! then heaven mocks itself.—
I'll not believe it.

Des.

How now, my dear Othello! Your dinner and the generous islanders,

Religio Medici, sect. 10:-" Thus I teach my haggard and unreclaimed reason to stoop to the lure of faith." In the preceding line the folio misprints quantities for "qualities."

• Though that her JESSES were my dear heart-strings,] "Jesses," Hanmer tells us, were short straps of leather tied about the foot of a hawk, by which she was held on the fist.

9 I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind,

To prey at fortune.] The falconers, Johnson observes, always let fly the hawk against the wind; if she flies with the wind behind her, she seldom returns. If, therefore, a hawk was for any reason to be dismissed, she was let down the wind, and from that time shifted for herself, and preyed at fortune.

1 Desdemona comes:] Our text, here and in the next line, is that of both the quartos: the folio has,

"Look where she comes :

If she be false, heaven mock'd itself."

This is evidently wrong. Afterwards, in the question, "Why is your speech so faint?" we also follow the quartos: the folio gives it, "Why do you speak so faintly?" another reading injurious to the measure.