I cannot agree with Mr. Steevens in approving of the present reading, nor of course, in his explanation of this passage; but think the quarto right, which reads shoot instead of shut.-To say that a man will shut himself up in a course of life, is language such as Shakspere would never make use of, even in his most whimsical or licentious moments.

One of the meanings of the verb to shoot, is to push suddenly, or to push forward; and in that sense it is used in this place. Cassio means to say, that if he finds he has no chance of regaining the favour of the general, he will push forward into some other line of life, and seek his fortune; but I think it probable we ought to read—And shoot myself upon some other course, instead of up in some other course.

MONCK MASON.

Mr. Mason's explanation is a very forced one.-It appears from the information of Iago, that Cassio had not long been a soldier. Before Othello promoted him, for his good offices in respect to Desdemona, he was a great arithmetician, a countercaster;" and now, being discarded from the military line, he purposes to confine, or shut himself up, as he formerly had, within the limits of a new profession.

751. —some unhatch'd practice,] Some treason that has not taken effect.

762.

JOHNSON.

(unhandsome warrior as I am)] How this came to be so blundered, I cannot conceive. It is plain

Shakspere wrote,

-unhandsome wrangler as I am.

So, in Antony and Cleopatra:

-fie, wrangling queen." WARBURTON.

Unhandsome warrior, is evidently unfair assailant.

JOHNSON.

791. ——more convenient time] The folio has,

more continuate time;

Time less interrupted, time which I can call more my own. It gives a more distinct image than convenient.

The word occurs again in Timon:

፡፡ -breath'd as it were,

JOHNSON.

"To an untirable and continuate goodness."

STEEVENS.

793. Take me this work out.] The meaning is not, Pick out the work, and leave the ground plain; but Copy this work in another handkerchief. JOHNSON. So, in a comedy, by Middleton, called Women bezware of Women:

"To take out other works in a new sampler."

STEEVENS.

So, in Hearne's Liber Niger Scaccarii, vol. ii. p. 578. 581. and 585. "to take out the arms," means to copy them,

Kij

TOLLET.

812.

812. Why, I pray you?] This and the following speech are wanting in the first quarto. STEEVENS. 819. I must be circumstanc'd.] i. e. your civility is now grown conditional. WARBURTON.

Rather, I must give way to circumstances.

MONCK MASON.

ACT IV.

Line 8. NAKED in bed, lago, and not mean harm? It is hypocrisy against the devil:] This observation seems strangely abrupt and unoccasioned. We must suppose that Iago had, before they appeared in this scene, been applying cases of false comfort to Othello; as that though the parties had been even found in bed together, there might be no harm done; it might be only for the trial of their virtue; as was reported of the Romish saint Robert D'Arbrissel and his nuns. To this we must suppose Othello here replies; and like a good Protestant. For so the sentiment does but suit the character of the speaker, Shakspere little heeds how these sentiments are circumstanced.

WARBURTON.

Hypocrisy against the devil, means hypocrisy to cheat the devil. As common hypocrites cheat men, by seeming good, and yet living wickedly; these men would cheat the devil, by giving him fattering hopes,

and

and at last avoiding the crime which he thinks them ready to commit.

JOHNSON. 11. The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven.] The true reading, without question, is this:

The devil their virtue tempts not; they tempt heaven. i. e. they do not give the devil the trouble of throwing temptations in their way: they seek them out themselves, and so tempt heaven by their presumption. WARBURTON.

There is no need for any alteration. The true key to the explanation of this passage may be found in St. Matthew iv. 7. The poet's idea, is, that the devil tempts their virtues, by stirring up their passions, and they tempt heaven, by placing themselves in such a situation as makes it scarcely possible to avoid falling by the gratification of them. HENLEY.

Shakspere had probably in view a very popular book of his time, The Beehive of the Roman Church. "There was an old wife, called Julia, which would take the young men and maides, and lay them together in a bed. And for that they should not one byte another, nor kicke backewardes with their heeles, she did lay a crucifix between them." FARMER.

25. Boading to all-] Thus all the old copies. The moderns less grammatically,

Boding to ill

JOHNSON.

The raven was thought to be a constant attendant on a house, in which there was infection. So, in Marlowe's Jew of Malta, 1633: Kiij

"Thus

"Thus like the sad presaging raven, that tolls "The sick man's passport in her hollow beak, "And in the shadow of the silent night

"Does shake contagion from her sable wing.” MALONE. 32. Convinc'd or supplied them,] I cannot understand the vulgar reading. I read, convinc'd or suppled. My emendation makes the sense of the passage easy and intelligible: that there are some such long-tongued knaves in the world, who, if they through the force of importunity extort a favour from their mistress, or if through her own fondness they make her pliant to their desires, cannot help boasting of their success. convince, here, is not, as in the common acceptation, to make sensible of the truth of any thing by reasons and arguments: but to overcome, get the better of, &c. So in Macbeth, act i.

66 his two chamberlains

"Will I, with wine and wassel so convince."

Again, in the same play, act iv.

46.

Το

THEOBALD.

-to confess and be hang'd-] This is a proverbial saying. And in one of the old collection of small Poems there is an epigram on it. All that remains of this speech, including the words to confess, is wanting in the first quarte, STEEVENS.

49.

shadowing passion-] The modern editions have left out passion.

JOHNSON.