They're cold dilations working from the heart, (33) That paffion cannot rule.

lago. For Michael Caffio,

I dare be fworn, I think, that he is honeft.
Oth. I think fo too.

lago. Men fhould be what they seem.

Or those that be not, would they might feem none.! - Oth. Certain, men fhould be what they feem. Lago. Why, then, I think Caffio's an honest man. Oth. Nay, yet there's more in this;

pray thee speak to me as to thy thinkings, As thou doft ruminate; and give thy worst of thoughts

The worst of words.

lago. Good my Lord, pardon me. Tho' I am bound to every act of duty,

I am not bound to that all flaves are free to; Utter my thoughts!---Why, fay, they're vile and false;

As where's that Palace, whereinto foul things
Sometimes intrude not? who has a breaft fo pure,
But fome uncleanly apprehenfions

Keep leets and law-days, and in feffions fit
With meditations lawful?

Oth. Thou doit confpire against thy friend, Iago,

They're clofe denotements working from the heart.

That paffion cannot rule I cannot fee why this reading fhould be preferred into the text; and another degraded, which makes the fentiment admirably fine:

They're old dilations working from the heart,

That paffion cannot rule.

"Thefe ftops and breaks which thou makeft, (fays Othello). are cold dilations, or the cold keeping back a fecret, which men of phlegmatic conftitutions, whofe hearts are not ruled or governed by their paffions, we find, can do; while more fanguine tempers reveal themfelves at once, and without referve." Mc Warburton,

If thou but think'st him wronged, and mak’st his ear A ftranger to thy thoughts.

lago. I do befeech you,

Though I, perchance, am vicious in my gue's,-
(As, I confefs, it is my nature's plague
To fpy into abuse; and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not;) I entreat you then,
From one that fo imperfectly conceits,

Your wildom would not build yourself a trouble
Out of my fcattering and unfure obfervance:
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honefty and wildom,
To let you know my thoughts.

Oth. What doft thou mean?

Iago. Good name in man and woman, dear my Is the immediate jewel of their fouls.

[Lord, Who fteals my purfe, fteals trath; 'tis fomething, nothing; (34)

'Twas mine, 'tis his; and has been flave to thousands; . But he that filches from me my good name,

(34) Who steals my purfe, fteals tramh; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis bis; and has been slave to thousands;]

Of riches, and other temporal poffeflions, being uncertain, and often changing their mafters, we meet with several paffages in the claflies, which might have given our Author a hint for this fentiment:

Nunc ager Umireni fub nomine, nuper Ofelli
Ditus, erit nulli proprias; fed cedet in ufum
Nunc mihi, nunc alii.
Horat. Serm. lib. ii. z

This Lucian feems to have imitated in an epigram:
̓Αγρός. ̓Αχαιμενίδε γενόμεν πολέ, νῦν δὲ Μενίππος,
Καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἑτέρα βήσομαι εἰς ἕτερον.
Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἔχειν μὲ πολὺ μείο, και πάλιν ἔτος
*Οτεται, εἰμὶ δ ̓ ὅλως ἐδένος ἀλλὰ τύχης.

Nil proprium dicas, quod mutarier poteft.

Publ. Syrus.

Apollodorus.

Ουκ διδ ̓ ὅτα πέποιθας ἀργυρίω, πάτερ.
“Ο καιρὸς ὁ τυχῶν τοῖς μὲν εκεκλημένοις
Εδωκε, τῶν κεκτημένων δ ̓ ἀφείλετο.
χρήματα δ' ἀνθρώπων ἀλλοῖς ἄλλος ἔχειν.

Solon.

Robs me of that, which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. I'll know thy thoughts

Lago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand Nor thall not, whilst 'tis in my custody..

Oth. Ha!

Iago. Oh, beware, my Lord, of jealousy ; It is a green-eyed monster, which doth make The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss, Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er, Who doats, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves! Oth. Oh mifery!

Jago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; But riches endless, is as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he fhall be poor. Good Heaven! the fouls of all my tribe defend From jealoufy!

Oth. Why? why is this?

Think'st thou I'd make a life of jealousy?
To follow ftill the changes of the moon
With fresh fufpicions? No; to be once in doubt,
Is once to be refolved. Exchange me for a goat,
When I fhall turn the business of my foul
To fuch exfufflicate and blown furmifes,

Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous,
To fay, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,
Is free of fpeech, fings, plays, and dances well;
Where virtue is, these are most virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits. will I draw
The fmalleft fear or doubt of her revolt;
For fhe had eyes, and chofe me.
No, Iago,
I'll fee before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
Away at once with love or jealoufy.

Jago, I'm glad of this; for now I fhall have reafon

To fhew the love and duty that I bear you
With franker fpirit. Therefore, as I'm bound,
Receive it from me. I fpeak not yet of proof:
Look to your wife, observe her well with Caffio;
Wear your eye thus; not jealous, nor fecure:
I would not have your free and noble nature
Out of felf-bounty be abufed: look to't.
I know our country difpofition well;

In Venice they do let heaven fee the pranks
They dare not thew their husbands; their best
confcience

Is not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown.
Oth. Doft thou say fo?

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when the feemed to thake, and fear your looks, She loved them most.

Oth. And fo fhe did.
Iago. Go to then;

She, that, fo young, could give out fuch a feeming To feal her father's eyes up, close as oak----

He thought 'twas witchcraft-but I'm much to I humbly do befeech you of your pardon, [blame: For too much loving you.

Oth. I'm bound to you

for ever.

Iago. I fee this hath a little dashed your spirits.
Gth. Not a jot, not a jot.

lago. Trust me, I fear it has:

I hope you will confider, what is fpoke

Comes from my love. But, I do fee, you're moved→

I am to pray you, not to strain my speech

To groffer iffues, nor to larger reach,

Than to fufpicion.

Fth. I will not.

Iago. Should you do fo, my Lord, (35)

(35) Should you do fo, my Lord,

My fpeech would fall into fuch vile excess,

Which my thoughts aim not at.] This is Mr Pope's reading,

Caffio's my

My speech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs,
Which my thoughts aim not at.
worthy friend.

My Lord, I fee you're moved

Oth. No, not much moved--

I do not think but Defdemona's honeft.
Jago. Long live fhe fo! and long live you to

think fo!

[you),

Oth. And yet how Nature erring from itselfIago. Ay, there's the point;-as (to be bold with. Not to affect many propofed matches Of her own clime, complexion and degree, Whereto we fee in all things Nature tends: Foh! one may fmell, in fuch, a will moft rank, Foul difproportions, thoughts unnatural. But, pardon me, I do not in pofition Distinctly speak of her; tho' may fear, Her will, recoiling to her better judgment, May fail to match you with her country forms, And, haply, fo repent..

Oth. Farewel, farewel;

If more thou dost perceive, let me know more;

Set on thy wife t' obferve.

Leave me, lago,

my leave.

[Going

Iago. My Lord, I take

Oth. Why did I marry?

This honeft creature, doubtless,

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds.

Iago. My Lord, I would I might entreat your Honour

For,

and I am afraid, as erroneous as it is unauthorized fuppofe Othello were to believe all that lago told him on fufpicion, how would lago's fpeech fall into the worse excefs thereupon ? All the old copies that I have feen, read faces; and this is certainly the Author's meaning. "If you fhould believe all I have faid, my fpeech would fucceed worfe, have more vile confequences in your refentment against your wife, than I had any aim, or purpofe, to excite."