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Bra. Call up my brother.-Oh, 'would you had had

her.

-Some one way, fome another- -Do you know
Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?
Rod. I think, I can discover him, if you please
To get good guard, and go along with me.

Bra. Pray you, lead on. At ev'ry houfe I'll call,
I may command at moft. Get weapons, hoa!
And raise some special officers of might.

On, good Rodorigo, I'll deferve your pains. [Exeunt.

SCENE

IV.

Changes to another STREET, before the Sagittary.

Enter Othello, Iago, and attendants with Torthes.

Iago.HO' in the trade of war I have flain men, Yet do I hold it very ftuff o' th' con

TH

fcience

8

To do no contriv'd murder. I lack iniquity
Sometimes to do me fervice.-Nine or ten times
I thought to've jerk'd him here under the ribs.
Oth. It's better as it is.

Iago. Nay, but he prated,

And fpoke fuch fcurvy and provoking terms
Against your honour;

That, with the little godlinefs I have,

I did full hard forbear him. But I pray, Sir,

Are

you fait married? for,

3 fiuff o' th' confcience] This expreffion to common readers appears harsh. Stuff of the confcience is, fubflance, or effence, of the confcience. Stuff is a

be fure of this,

word of great force in the Tea tonick languages. The elements are called in Dutch, boefd floffen, or bead fluffs.

That

That the Magnifico is much belov'd,
And hath in his effect a voice potential

9 As double as the Duke's: he will divorce you,
Or put upon you what reftraint or grievance
The law, with all his might t'enforce it on,
Will give him cable.

Oth. Let him do his fpight:

My fervices, which I have done the Signory,

9 As double as the Duke's:-] Rymer feems to have had his eye on his paffage, amongst others, where he talks fo much of the impropriety and barbarity in the ftyle of this play. But it is an elegant Grecilm. As double, fignifies as large, as extenfive; for thus the Greeks ufe ds. Diofc. 1. 2. c. 213. And in the fame manner and conftruction, the Latins fometimes ufed duplex. And the old French writers fay, La plus double. Dr. Bentley has been as fevere on Milton for as elegant a Grecifin,

Yet virgin of Proferpina from

Jove. lib. 9. ver. 395. 'Tis an imitation of the Iaplivov in daráμs of Theocritus for an unmarried virgin. WARB.

This note has been much cenfured by Mr. Upton, who denies, that the quotation is in Diofcorides, and difputes, not without reafon, the interpretation of The

ocritus.

All this learning, if it had even been what it endeavours to be thought, is, in this place, fuperfluous. There is no ground of fuppofing, that our author copied or knew the Greek phrafe; nor

VOL. VIII.

does it follow, that, becaufe a word has two fenfes in one language, the word which in another answers to one sense, should anfwer to both. Manus, in Latin, fignifies both a band and troop of foldiers, but we cannot fay, that the captain marched at the head of his hand; or, that he laid his troop upon his faword. It is not always in books that the meaning is to be fought of this writer, who was much more acquainted with naked reafon and with living manners.

Double has here its natural fenfe. The prefident of every deliberative affembly has a double voice. In our courts, the chief juftice and one of the inferiour judges prevail over the other two, because the chief justice has a double voice.

Brabantio had, in his effect, tho' not by law yet by weight and influence, a voice not actual and formal, but potential and operative, as double, that is, a voice that when a queftion was fufpended, would turn the balance as effectually as the Duke's. Potential is used in the fenfe of science; a cauftick is called potential fire.

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Shall out-tongue his complaints. 'Tis yet to know,
Which, when I know that Boafting is an honour,
1 fhall promulgate, I fetch my Life and Being
From men of royal fiege; and my demerits
May speak, and bonnetted, to as proud a fortune
As this that I have reach'd. For know, Iago,
But that I love the gentle Desdemona,

2

I would not my unhoufed free condition.
Put into circumfcription and confine,

For the fea's worth. But look, what light comes yonder?

SCENE V.

Enter Caffio, with torches.

Iago. Those are the raised father, and his friends:

You were beft go in.

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Oth. Not I: I must be found.

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- men of royal fiege; Men who have fat upon royal thrones. The quarto has,

men of royal height. -Speak, UNBONNETTED,-] Thus all the copies read. It fhould be UN BONNETTING, i. e. without putting off the bonnet. POPE.

-and my demerits May Speak unbonnetted to as proud a Fortune

As this that I have reach'd-] Thus all the copies read this paffage. But, to fpeak unbonnetted, is to fpeak with the cap off, which is directly oppofite to the poet's meaning. Othello means to fay, that his birth and fervices fet him upon fuch a rank, that he may fpeak to a fenator of Venice

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My parts, my title and my perfect Soul
Shall manifeft me rightly. Is it they?
Iago. By Janus, I think, no.

Oth. The Servants of the Duke, and my lieutenant. -The goodness of the night upon you, friends! What is the news?

Caf. The Duke does greet you, General,

And he requires your hafte, post-hafte, appearance,
Ev'n on the instant.

Oth. What is the matter, think you?
Caf. Something from Cyprus, as I may

It is a business of some heat.

The Gallies

Have fent a dozen fequent meffengers

This very night, at one anothers heels:

divine;

And many of the Council, rais'd and met,

Are at the Duke's already. You have been hotly call'd for,

When, being not at your lodging to be found,

7 The fenate hath fent out three feveral quefts, To fearch you out.

Oth. 'Tis well I am found by you.

I will but spend a word here in the house,
And go with you.

Caf. Ancient, what makes he here?

s By Janus, I think, no.] There is great propriety in making the double lago fwear by Janus, who has two faces. The addrefs of it likewife is as remarkable, for as the people coming up appeared at different diitances to have different shapes, he might swear by Janus, without fufpicion of any other emblematic meaning.

WARBURTON.
And many of the Confuls
rais'd and met,
Are at the Duke's already -]
Thus all the editions concur in

[Exit Othello.

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Iago. 'Faith, he to-night hath boarded a land-carrack;

If it prove lawful prize, he's made for ever.

Caf. I do not understand. lago. He's married.

Caf. To whom?

Iago. Marry, to- -Come, Captain, will you go?

Enter Othello.

Oth. Have with you.

Caf. Here comes another troop to feek for you.

SCENE VI.

Enter Brabantio, Rodorigo, with officers and torches.

Iago. It is Brabantio: General, be advis'd;

He comes to bad intent.

Oth. Holla! stand there.

Rod. Signior, it is the Moor.

Bra. Down with him, thief!

[They draw on both fides. lago. You, Rodorigo! come, Sir, I am for youOth. Keep up your bright fwords, for the dew will • ruft 'em.

Good Signior, you fhall more command with years, Than with your weapons.

Bra. O thou foul thief! where haft thou ftow'd my
daughter?

Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her;
For I'll refer me to all things of fenfe,

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haps what we now call, a galleon. be advis'd;] That is, be cool; be cautious; be difcreet.

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