"Tis monstrous.-Iago, who began it?? Mon. If partially affin'd, or leagu’d in office3, Thou dost deliver more or less than truth, Thou art no soldier. Iago. Touch me not so near. I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, general. There comes a fellow, crying out for help, The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot, More of this matter can I not report1: But men are men; the best sometimes forget:- As men in rage strike those that wish them best, From him that fled some strange indignity, 66 court of guard," as we have before seen, (p. 535) was a technical expression in the art of war. 2 Iago, who began IT?] In the two quartos, "it" perhaps accidentally dropped out at the end of the verse: the folio reads, "who began't." As Malone observed, to make out the line it is necessary here, as in some other places, to read "monstrous" as a trisyllable. 3 if partially AFFIN'D, or LEAGUED in office,] For the sense of "affin'd," see p. 499, and Vol. vi. p. 28. The old copies all read "league in office." CAN I NOT report:] The folio alone, " cannot I report." 4 Which patience could not pass. Oth. I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Enter DESDEMONA, attended. Look, if my gentle love be not rais'd up!— I'll make thee an example. Des. What's the matter"? Oth. All's well now, sweeting; come away to bed.-— Sir, for your hurts, myself will be your surgeon.— Lead him off". [MONTANO is led off. Iago, look with care about the town, And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted. Come, Desdemona; 'tis the soldiers' life, To have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife. [Exeunt all but IAGO and CASSIO. Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant? Cas. Ay, past all surgery. Iago. Marry, heaven forbid! Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O! I have lost my reputation. I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.-My reputation, Iago, my reputation! Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that, than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and 5 What's the matter?] The folio, in opposition to the two quartos, inserts "dear" after "matter," to the injury of the line. In the next line it omits now," necessary to the metre, and found in both the quartos. It however regulates the lines differently. 66 • Lead him off.] Malone was "persuaded" that these words were a stagedirection they are in all the old copies as part of the text, and there is no sufficient reason for not continuing them there. 7 - reputation! O!] This third "reputation," and the following interjection, are from the folio. 8 - there is more OFFENCE in that,] So both the quartos: the folio, "there is more sense in that." most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: you are but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in policy than in malice; even so as one would beat his offenceless dog, to affright an imperious lion. Sue to him again, and he's yours. Cas. I will rather sue to be despised, than to deceive so good a commander, with so light, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk'? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow?-O thou invisible spirit of wine! if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee-devil. Iago. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you? Cas. I know not. Iago. Is't possible? Cas. I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore.-O God! that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, revel, pleasure, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! Iago. Why, but you are now well enough: how came you thus recovered? Cas. It hath pleased the devil, drunkenness, to give place to the devil, wrath: one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself. Iago. Come, you are too severe a moraler. As the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good. 9 with so LIGHT,] The folio alone has slight. 1 Drunk?] From this word down to " one's own shadow" is in the folio, and in the quarto, 1630, but not in the first quarto. 2 pleasure,] The folio, pleasance, with some other variations of comparatively little importance. Cas. I will ask him for my place again: he shall tell me, I am a drunkard. Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! O strange!-Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a devil. Iago. Come, come; good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used: exclaim no more against it. And, good lieutenant, I think, you think I love you. Cas. I have well approved it, sir.—I drunk! Iago. You, or any man living, may be drunk at some time, man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife is now the general:-I may say so in this respect, for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the contemplation, mark, and devotement of her parts and graces :-confess yourself freely to her; importune her; she'll help to put you in your place again. She is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, that she holds it a vice in her goodness, not to do more than she is requested. This broken joint between you and her husband entreat her to splinter, and my fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before. Cas. You advise me well. Iago. I protest, in the sincerity of love, and honest kindness. Cas. I think it freely; and, betimes in the morning, I will beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake I am desperate of my fortunes, if they check for me. me here. Iago. You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant; I must to the watch. Cas. Good night, honest Iago. [Exit CASSIO. Iago. And what's he, then, that says I play the villain? 3 This broken joint,] This brawl, only in the quarto, 1622. When this advice is free I give, and honest, In any honest suit: she's fram'd as fruitful As the free elements. And, then, for her His soul is so enfetter'd to her love, That she may make, unmake, do what she list, Even as her appetite shall play the god With his weak function. How am I, then, a villain, And out of her own goodness make the net, Enter RODERIGO. Rod. I do follow here in the chase, not like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is Probal-] Thus all the old editions. There may be (says Steevens) such a contraction of the word probable, but I have not met with it in any other book. 5 They do SUGGEST ] i. e. tempt. We have already had the word so frequently in this sense, that it is not necessary to refer to particular passages. To "put on," in the previous line, means to instigate. That she REPEALS him-] i. e. recalls him; its etymological sense. Το "repeal" a statute is to recall it. 7 That shall ENMESH them all.] The folio, for "enmesh," has en-mash; but the sense corrects the misprint. |