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DUKE of Venice.

Brabantio, a noble Venetian.

Gratiano, Brother to Brabantio.

Lodovico, Kinsman to Brabantio and Gratiano.

Othello, the Moor.

Caffio.

Jago, Standard-bearer to Othello.

Rodorigo, a Gentleman.

Montano, the Moor's Predecessor in the Government of

Cyprus.

Clown, Servant to the Moor.
Herald.

Desdemona, Wife to Othello.

Æmilia, Wife to lago.

Bianca, Mistress to Caffio.

Officers, Gentlemen, Messengers, Musicians, Sailors, and Attendants.

SCENE, for the First Act, in Venice; during the rest of the Play, in Cyprus.

Of this Play the Editions are,

*

1. Quarto,

Preface by Thomas Walkely.

2.

3.

4.

1622. N. O. for Thomas Walkely.
1630. A. M. for Richard Hawkins.
1650. for William Lenk.

5. Folio, 1623.

I have the folio, and the third quarto collated with the second, and the fourth.

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'OTHELLO,

The Moor of VENICE.

ACT I.

N

SCENE I.

A Street in VENICE.

Enter Rodorigo and Jago.

RODORIGO.

EVER tell me. I take it much unkindly,
That thou, lago, who hast had my purse,

As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of

this.

lago. But you'll not hear me.

If ever I did dream of fuch a matter, abhor me.

Rod. Thou toldst me, thou didst hold him in thy

hate.

lag. Despise me,

If I do not. Three Great ones of the city,

In personal fuit to make me his lieutenant,

• Othello, the Moor of Venice.) The story is taken from Cyna thio's Novels.

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Off-capp'd to him; and, by the faith of man,
I know my price, I'm worth no worse a Place.
But he, as loving his own pride and purpofe;
Evades them with a bombast circumstance,
Horribly stuft with epithets of war,
And, in conclufion,

Non-suits my mediators. "Certes, says he,
" I have already chose my officer."
And what was he?

Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Caffio, 2 a Florentine,

A fellow almost damn'd 3 in a fair wife;

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These are the words of Othello, (which lago in this relation repeats,) and signify, that a Florentine was an unfit person for command, as being always a flave to a fair wife; which was the case of lago. The Oxford Editor, fupposing this was faid by lage of Caffio, will have Caffio to be the Florentine; which, he says, is plain from many passages in the Play, rightly understood. But because Caffio was no married man, (tho' I wonder it did not appear he was, from some passages rightly understood) he alters the line thus,

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That never fet a squadron in the field,..
Nor the division of a battle knows

More than a spinster; but the bookish theorick,
• Wherein the toged confuls can propose
As masterly as he. Meer prattle, without practice
Is all his foldiership. He had th' election;
And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof
At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds
Christian and heathen, must be belee'd and calm'd
By Debitor and Creditor. This Counter-cafter
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,

T

And I, Sir, (bless the mark!) his Moor-ship's An

cient.

Rod. By heav'n, I rather would have been his hang

man.

Iago. But there's no remedy; 'tis the curse of fer-
vice;

Preferment goes by letter and affection,
2 And not by old gradation, where each second

4 Wherein the tongued Confuls-] So the generality of the impressions read; but the oldest quarto has it toged; the Senators, that assisted the Duke in Council, in their proper Goruns. -But let me explain, why I have ventured to substitute CounSellors in the room of Confuls: The Venetian nobility conftitute the great Council of the Senate, and are a part of the administration; and summon'd to assist and counsel the Doge, who is Prince of the Senate. So that they may very properly be called Counsellors. Tho' the Government of Venice was democratick at first, under Confuls and Tribunes; that form of power has been totally VOL. VIII.

Stood

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Stood heir to th' first. Now, Sir, be judge yourself, * If I in any just term am affin'd

To love the Moor.

Rod. I would not follow him then.

lago. O Sir, content you;

I follow him to serve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,
For nought but provender; and when he's old, ca-

shier'd;

Whip me fuch, honeft knaves. Others there are,
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but shows of service on their Lords,
Well thrive by them; and when they've lin'd their

coats,

Do themselves homage. These folks have some foul,

And fuch a one do I profess myself.
It is as fure as you are Rodorigo,

Were I the Moor, I would not be lago.
In following him, I follow but myself,
Heav'n is my judge!-Not I, for love and duty,
But, seeming so, for my peculiar end.

where each second

Stood her to th' first.

I read therefore,

Not (as of old) gradationi. e. it does not go by gradation, as it did of old.

of the third quarto and the first folio. The second quarto and all the modern editions have affign'd. The meaning is, Do I stand within any fuch terms of propinquity or relation to the Moor, as that it is my duty to love bim?

WARB.

Old gradation, is gradation established by ancient practice. Where is the difficulty ?

8 If 1 in any just term am affin'd] Affined is the reading

9-honeft knaves.-] Knave is here for fervant, but with a mixture of fly contempt.

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