My advocation is not now in tune;

My Lord is not my Lord; nor fhould I know him, Were he in favour, as in humour altered.

So help me every spirit fanctified,

As I have spoken for you all my best;
And ftood within the blank of his displeasure,
For my free speech! You must a-while be patient;
What I can do, I will: and more I will

Than for myfelf I dare. Let that fuffice you.
Iago. Is my Lord angry?

Emil. He went hence but now;
And certainly in ftrange unquietness.

Iago. Can he be angry? I have feen the cannon When it hath blown his ranks into the air, And like the devil from his very arm

Puft his own brother; and can he be angry? Something of moment then; I will go meet him: There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry. [Exit.

Manent DESDEMONA, AMILIA and CASS 10.

Def. I pr'ythee do so.---Something sure, of state
Either from Venice, or, fome unhatched practice,
Made here demonftrable in Cyprus to him,
Hath puddled his clear spirit; and in fuch cafes,
Mens natures wrangle with inferior things,
Tho' great ones are their object. "Tis even fo;
For let our finger ake, and it endues

Our other healthful members with a fenfe
Of pain. Nay, we must think men are not gods;
Nor of them look for fuch observance always,
As fits the bridal. Befhrew me much, Emilia,
I was (unhandfome warrior as I am),
Arraigning his unkindnefs with my foul;
But now I find I had fuborned the witness,
And he's indited falfely.

Emil. Pray Heaven, it be

State-matter as you think; and no conception,
Nor jealous toy concerning you.

Def. Alas the day, I never gave him caufe.

Emil. But jealous fouls will not be answered fo; They are not ever-jealous for a caufe;

But jealous, for they're jealous. It's a monfter
Begot upon itself, born on itself.

Def. Heaven keep that moniter from Othello's mind!

Emil. Lady, amen.

Def. I will go feek him. Caffio, walk hereabout; If I do find him fit, I'H move your fuit, And feek t' effect it to my uttermost.

Caf. I humbly thank your Ladyfhip.

[Exeunt Defdemona and Emilia at one door, Caffio at the other.

SCENE changes to the Street before the Palace. Re-enter CASSIO meeting BIANCA.

Bian. Save you, friend Caffio.

Caf. What makes you from home? How is it with you, my moft fair Bianca ? Indeed, fweet love, I was coming to your houfe.

Bian. And I was going to your lodging, Caffio. What? keep a week away? feven days and nights? Eight fcore eight hours; and lovers abfent hours, More tedious than the dial, eightfcore times? Oh weary reckoning!

Caf. Pardon me, Bianca;

I have this while with leaden thoughts been preffed; But I fhall in a more convenient time

Strike off this fcore of abfence.

Sweet Bianca,

[Giving her Defdemona's handkerchief.

Take me this work out.

Bian. Oh Caffio, whence came this?

"This is fome token from a newer friend:

Of thy felt abfence now I feel a caufe:
Is't come to this? well, well.

Caf. Go to, woman :

Throw your vile gucffes in the devil's teeth,
From whence you have them. You are jealous now,
That this is from fome mistress, fome remembrance?
No, in good troth, Bianca.

Bian. Why, whofe is it?

[ber;

Caf. I know not neither; I found it in my cham-
I like the work well: ere it be demanded,
As like enough it will, I'd have it copied:
Take it and do't, and leave me for this time.
Bian. Leave you? wherefore?

Caf. I do attend here on the General,
And think it no addition, nor my wish,
To have him fee me womaned.
Bian. Why, I pray you?

Caf. Not that I love you not.

Bian. But that you do not love me;
I pray you, bring me on the way a little;
And fay if I fhall fee you foon at night?

Caf. 'Tis but a little way that I can bring you,

For I attend here. But I'll fee you foon.

Bian. 'Tis very good, I must be circumstanced. [Exeunt.

SCENE, A Court before the Palace.

Enter OTHELLO and IAGO.

1AGO.

WILL you think fo?

Oth. Think fo, lago?

Jago. What, to kifs in private?

Oth. An unauthorised kiss?

Iago. Or to be naked with her friend in bed, An hour or more, not meaning any harm?

Oth. Naked in bed, lago, and not mean harm? It is hypocrify against the devil: (43)

They that mean virtuoufly, and yet do so,

The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt Heaven.

Iago. If they do nothing, 'tis a venial flip: But if I give my wife a handkerchief

Oth. What then?

Iago. Why then, 'tis hers, my Lord; and being She may, I think, bestow't on any man.

th. She is protectress of her honour too;

May the give that?

[hers,

Iago. Her honour is an effence that's not feen;They have it very oft, that have it not :

But for the handkerchief

Oth. By Heaven, I would most gladly have for-got it;

Thou faidft-oh, it comes o'er my memory,

(43) Naked in bed, lago, and mean no harm?"

It is hypocrify against the devil.] This paffage puts me in mind of a fingular fet of devotees in the primitive church of both fexes, (whom S. Cyprian condemans in one of his epiftles) and which had continued a confiderable time, as we may fee from Dodwell's Cyprianic Differtations, where wehave a full account of them. There were feveral of both fexes, who had made their vows and profeffions of chastity ;and, as the extremeft trial of their virtue, fcrupled not to ly naked together in bed. Some had been excommunicated for it of the female fex, who yet ftuck to their innocence, and offered to undergo any trials of their virginity. Whether our Author had thefe diffembling devotees in his mina or no, I dare not pretend to fay: but fome of the fect, if C remember right, were detected and brought to punishment in his time. Mr Warburton.

handkerchief.

As doth the raven o'er th' infected houfe,
Boding to ill,-----he had my
Iago. Ay, what of that?

Oth. That's not fo good now.

lago. What if I faid, I'd feen him do you wrong? Or heard him fay, (as knaves be fuch abroad, (44)

(44)

-as kuaves be such abroad, Who having by their own importunate fuit, Or voluntary dotage of fime mistress,

Convinced or fupplied them, cannot chufe

Bat they must blab.] I altered this, as I have now reformed the text, in the Appendix to my Shakespeare Restored. I cannot understand the vulgar reading, which poffeffes the copies. My emendation makes the fenfe of the paffage eafy and intelligible: that there are fome fuch longtongued knaves in the world, who, if they through the force of importunity extort a favour from their mistress, or if through her own fondnefs they make her pliant to their defires, cannot help boafting of their fuccefs. To convince, here, is not, as in the common acceptation, to make fenfible of the truth of any thing by reafens and arguments; but to overcome, get the better of, &c.

So in Macbeth;

-his two chamberlains

Will I with wine and waffel fo convince, &c.

Your Italy contains none fo accomplished a courtier to convince the honour of my mistress.

To fupple, (a verb formed from the adjective, 'tis well known, fignifies, to make pliant and flexible and is, particularly, a terin in furgery, when any part fwoln and stiff is, by fomentations, &c. reduced, and made foft and pliable. I find the word ufed in our Author's time, in the fenfe that I here make it bear.