ACT III. SCENE I. Before the Caftle. Enter CASSIO, and fome Muficians. CAS. Masters, play here, I will content your pains, Something that's brief; and bid-good-morrow, [Mufick. general.' Enter Clown. CLO. Why, masters, have your inftruments been at Naples, that they speak i'the nose thus? 1. Mus. How, fir, how! CLO. Are thefe, I pray you, call'd wind inftruments? 1. Mus. Ay, marry, are they, fir. CLO. O, thereby hangs a tail. 1. Mus. Whereby hangs a tale, fir? 7—and bid-good-morrow, general.] It is the ufual practice of the waits, or nocturnal minstrels, in feveral towns in the North of England, after playing a tune or two, to cry "Good-morrow, maister such a one, good-morrow dame," adding the hour, and ftate of the weather. It fhould feem to have prevailed at Stratfordupon-Avon. They formerly ufed hautboys, which are the windinftruments here meant. RITSON. 8 Why, mafters, have your inftruments been at Naples, that they fpeak i'the nofe thus?] So, in The Merchant of Venite: "And others, when the bagpipe fings i'the nofe,-.' STEEVENS. The venereal difeafe firft appeared at the fiege of NHNSON. CLO. Marry, fir, by many a wind inftrument that I know. But, mafters, here's money for you: and the general fo likes your mufick, that he defires you, of all loves,' to make no more noife with it. 1. Mus. Well, fir, we will not. CLO. If you have any mufick that may not be heard, to't again: but, as they say, to hear mufick, the general does not greatly care. 1. Mus. We have none fuch, fir. CLO. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away: Go; vanifh into air; away. [Exeunt Muficians. CAS. Doft thou hear, my honest friend? CLO. No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you. CAS. Pr'ythee, keep up thy quillets. There's a poor piece of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman that attends the general's wife, be ftirring, tell her, there's one Caffio entreats her a little favour of fpeech: Wilt thou do this? CLO. She is ftirring, fir; if she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify unto her. Enter IAGO. [Exit. CAS. Do, good my friend.-In happy time, Iago. IAGO. You have not been a-bed then? 9 of all loves,] The folio reads—for love's fake. The phrafe in the text occurs alfo in The Merry Wives of Windfor. See Vol. III. p. 380, n. 3. STEEVENS 2 3 for I'll away:] Sir T. Hanmer reads,—and hie away. JOHNSON. vanish into air;] So, the folio and one of the quartos. The eldest quarto reads-Vanish away. STEEVENS. 4 -thy quillets.] See p. 305, n. 5. MALONE. CAS. Why, no; the day had broke Before we parted. I have made bold, Iago, To fend in to your wife: My fuit to her Is, that fhe will to virtuous Desdemona Procure me fome accefs. IAGO. I'll fend her to you presently; And I'll devife a mean to draw the Moor [Exit. CAS. I humbly thank you for't. I never knew A Florentine more kind and honeft." Enter EMILIA. 6 EMIL. Good morrow, good lieutenant: I am forry For your displeasure; but all will foon be well. The general, and his wife, are talking of it; And the speaks for you ftoutly: The Moor replies, That he, you hurt, is of great fame in Cyprus, And great affinity; and that, in wholesome wifdom, A Florentine more kind and honeft.] In confequence of this line, a doubt has been entertained concerning the country of Iago. Caffio was undoubtedly a Florentine, as appears by the first scene of the play, where he is exprefsly called one. That Iago was a Venetian, is proved by a fpeech in the third fcene of this act, and by what he fays in the fifth act, after having stabbed Roderigo: Iago. Alas, my dear friend and countryman, Roderigo! "Gra. What, of Venice? lago. Yes." All that Caffio means to fay in the paffage before us is, I never experienced more honefty and kindness even in one of my own countrymen, than in this man. Mr. Steevens has made the fame observation in another place. MALONE. It was made in edit. 1778. STEEVENS. 6 For your difpleafure;] i. e. the difpleafure you have incurred from Othello. STEEVENS. He might not but refufe you: but, he protefts, he loves you; And needs no other fuitor, but his likings, If CAS. you Yet, I beseech you,— think fit, or that it may be done, Give me advantage of fome brief discourse EMIL. Pray you, come in; I will bestow you where you fhall have time CAS. I am much bound to you." [Exeunt. SCENE II. A Room in the Cafile. Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen. OTH. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot; LAGO. Well, my good lord, I'll do't. OTH. This fortification, gentlemen,-fhall we fee't? GENT. We'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt. To take the fafft occafion by the front,] This line is wanting in the folio. STEEVENS. 7 I am much bound to you.] This fpeech is omitted in the firft quarto. STEEVENS. 8 to the ftate:] Thus the quarto, 1622. Folio,-to the Jenate. MALONE. All SCENE III. Before the Cafle. Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA. DES. Be thou affur'd, good Caffio, I will do my abilities in thy behalf. EMIL. Good madam, do; I know it grieves my husband, As if the cafe were his." DES. O, that's an honest fellow.-Do not doubt, Caffio, But I will have my lord and you again As friendly as you were. CAS. Bounteous madam, Whatever shall become of Michael Caffio, DES. O, fir, I thank you: You do love my lord; CAS. Ay, but lady, That policy may either laft fo long,' Or feed upon fuch nice and waterish diet, 9 As if the cafe were his.] The folio reads,─As if the cause were his. STEEVENS. 2 O, fir, I thank you:] Thus the quarto, 1622. The folio reads-I know't, I thank you. MALONE. 3 That policy may either laft fo long,] He may either of himself think it politick to keep me out of office fo long, or he may be fatisfied with fuch flight reafons, or fo many accidents may make him think my re-admiffion at that time improper, that I may be quite forgotten. JOHNSON. |