But kill him rather; I'll after that same villain, [Exeunt MONTANO and GRATIANO. Oth. go all. Emil. What did thy song bode, lady? Hark, can'st thou hear me? I will play the swan, And die in musick ;-Willow, willow, willow.Moor, she was chaste; she lov'd thee, cruel Moor; So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true; So speaking as I think, I die,—I die. 4 [Dies. Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber, It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook's temper;" O, here it is Uncle, I must come forth. Gra. [Within.] If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear; Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer. Oth. Look in upon me then, and speak with me, Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee. Re-enter GRATIANO. Gra. What is the matter? Oth. Behold! I have a weapon; A better never did itself sustain Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day, 4 the ice-brook's temper;] This ice-brook was the brook or rivulet called Salo (now Xalon,) near Bilbilis in Celtiberia. In this the Spaniards plunged all their swords and other weapons while hot from the forge; and to the icy qualities of the waters, they were indebted for their stubborn temper. Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon'd; And he retires;-Where should Othello go?— Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd wench! Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt, This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl? Even like thy chastity. O cursed, cursed slave!-Whip me, ye devils, Dead? O! O! O! Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO, carried in a Chair, and Officers, with IAGO, prisoner. Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man? Oth. That's he, that was Othello; here I am. Lod. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth. Oth. I look down towards his feet; 5-but that's a fable: If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. OTHELLO wounds IAGO. Lod. Wrench his sword from him. I bleed, sir; but not kill'd. Iago. Oth. I am not sorry neither; I'd have thee live; For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die. Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good, 5 towards his feet;] To see if, according to the common opinion, his feet be cloven. Fall'n in the practice of a cursed slave, Oth. Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you For nought I did in hate, but all in honour. Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. From this time forth I never will speak word. Gra. Torments will ope your lips. Oth. Well, thou dost best. Lod. Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n, Which, as I think, you know not: Here is a letter, Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo; And here, another: the one of them imports. By Roderigo. Oth. O villain! Cas. Most heathenish, and most gross Lod. Now here's another discontented paper, Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems, Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain; But that, belike, Iago in the interim Came in and satisfied him. Oth. O the pernicious caitiff!How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief That was my wife's? Cas. 6 in the practice] In the snare, by the stratagem. And he himself confess'd, but even now, Oth. O fool! fool! fool! Cas. There is, besides, in Roderigo's letter,How he upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came That I was cast: And even but now he spake, After long seeming dead,—Iago hurt him, Iago set him on. Lod. You must forsake this room, and go with Your us; power and That can torment him much, and hold him long, Oth. Soft you; a word or two, before you go. it; No more of that:-I pray you, in your letters, Richer than all his tribe; of one, whose subdu'd eyes, 9 of one, whose hand, Like the base Júdean, threw a pearl away, Richer than all his tribe ;] The commentators are at variance on this passage, some considering it as an allusion to the story of Herod and Mariamne, and others to that of a Jew who threw away VOL. IX. Нн Albeit unused to the melting mood, Lod. O bloody period! [Stabs himself. All, that's spoke, is marr'd. Oth. I kiss'd thee, ere I kill'd thee;-No way but this, [Falling upon DESDEMONA. Killing myself, to die upon a kiss. [Dies. Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; For he was great of heart. Lod. [To IAGO, a pearl of great worth, because he could not get his price for it. We shall subjoin a remark of Mr. Steevens, which vindicates the propriety of an edition like the present. Either we are partial to discoveries which we make for ourselves, or the spirit of controversy is contagious; for it usually happens that each possessor of an ancient copy of our author is led to assert the superiority of all such readings as have not been exhibited in the notes, or received into the text of the last edition. On this account, our present republication* (and more especially in the celebrated plays) affords a greater number of these diversities than were ever before obtruded on the publick. A time however may arrive, when a complete body of variations being printed, our readers may luxuriate in an ample feast of thats and whiches; and thenceforward it may be prophecied, that all will unite in a wish that the selection had been made by an editor, rather than submitted to their own labour and sagacity. • Q Spartan dog,] The dogs of Spartan race were reckoned among those of the most fierce and savage kind. The edition of 1803 in 21 volumes. 1 |