The way to (21) study death. Out, out, brief candle !
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more! it is a tale,
Told by an idiot, full of found and fury,

Signifying nothing!

(21) Study, &c.] i. e. the time itself, the yesterdays that are past, teach even fools to study death: death is a lesson so eafily learnt, that fools themselves, inform'd by the very time can reafon and moralize upon it." See As you like it, p. 17. This is a fine and just sense; and this doubtless is Shakespear's true word: the firft folio reads dujiy death, i. e. fays Mr. Theobald, the death which reduces us to dust and ashes; and the second study: either give good fenfe, the latter appears to me greatly preferable. In the 6th Scene of the ist Act of this play, speaking of Carwder's dying, he says,

He dy'd

As one that had been studied in his death
To throw, &c.

OTHELLO

٤٠

T

OTHELLO.

ACT I. SCENEL

PREFERMENT.

IS the curse of service;

Preferment goes by letter, and affection, And not (1) by old gradation, where each fecond Stood heir to th' fi ft.

In difpraise of Honesty.

We cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave, That, doting on his own obfequious bondage, Wears out his time, much like his master's ass, For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashier'd; Whip me fuch honeft knaves. Others there are Who trimm'd in forms and visages of duty, Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves; And throwing but shows of service on their lords, Well thrive by them; and when they have lin'd their

· coats,

Do themselves homage. These folks have fome seul
And fuch a one do I profess myself. For, Sir,
It is as fure as you are Roderigo,

(1) By old, &c.] i. e. by the old and former gradation, the old and usual method formerly practis'd. It is a very common manner of expreffion, when speaking of any thing formerly in ufe.

Were

(2) Were I the Moor, I would not be Jago:
In following him, I follow but myself.
Heav'n is my judge, not I, for love and duty,
But feeming fo, for my peculiar end:
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my fleeve,
For daws to peck at; I am not what I feem.

SCENE IV. Love the fole Motive of Othello's

marrying.

For know Iago,

But that I love the gentle Desdemona,
I would not my unhoused free condition
Put into circumscription and confine,

For the feas worth.

1

SCENE VIII. Othello's Relation of his Courtship to the Senate.

Most potent, grave, and reverend figniors, My very noble, and approv'd good masters; That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter, It is most true; true I have married her; The very head, and front of my offending, - Hath this extent; no more. Rude am I in my speech, And little bless'd with the (3) soft phrase of peace;

(2) Were I, &c.] This bears some resemblance to that cele brated answer of Alexander which Longinus so greatly commends-See his essay on the fublime, sect. 9. When Parmenio cried, I would accept these proposals, if I was Alexander;" Alexander made. this noble reply, "And so would I, if I was Parmenio." His answer shew'd the greatness of his mind.---See the learned Dr. Pearce's note on the passage.

(3) Soft] i. e. gentle, perfuafive, fuch as is used by senators and men of peace. See Vol. 1. p. 1770 6.

For

,

For fince these arms of mine had seven years pith,
'Till now, fome nine moons wasted, they have us'd
Their dearest action, in the tented field;
And little of this great world can I speak,
More than pertains to feats of broils and battle;
And therefore little shall I grace my cause,
In speaking for myself. Yet by your gracious patience,
I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver,

Of my whole course of love.

charms,

What drugs, what

What conjuration, and what mighty magick,
(For fuch proceeding I am charg'd withal)
I won his daughter with.

*

*

Her father lov'd me, oft invited me;
Still question'd me the story of my life,
From year to year; the battles, fieges, fortunes,
That I have past.

I ran it through, e'en from my boyish days,
To th' very moment that he bad me tell it :
Wherein I spoke of most disastrous chances,
Of moving accidents by flood and field;
Of hair-breadth scapes i' th' imminent deadly breach;
Of being taken by the infolent foe,
And fold to flavery; of my redemption thence,
(4) And * with it all my travels history,

Would Defdemona seriously incline;

But ftill the house affairs would draw her thence,
Which ever as she could with hafte dispatch,

(4) And, &c.] I have omitted here five or fix lines, which tho' indeed capable of defence, cannot well be produced as beauties. The fimplest expreffions, where nature and propriety dictate, may be truly fublime; such is all this fine speech of Othello.

* Portance in my---others read.

K

:

She'd

She'd come again, and with a greedy ear
Devour up my discourse: which I observing,
Took once a pliant hour, and found good means
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart,
That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,
Whereof by parcels she had fomething heard,
But not diftinctively; I did confent,
And often did beguile her of her tears,
When I did speak of some distres ful stroke,
That my youth fuffer'd. My story being done,
She gave me for my pains a world of fighs;
She swore in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange,
'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful--
She wish'd she had not heard it, --yet the wish'd
That heav'n had made her fuch a man;-she thank'd me,
And bad me, if I had a friend that lov'd her,
I should but teach him how to tell my story;
And that would woo her. On this hint I spake;
She lov'd me for the dangers I had past,

And I lov'd her, that she did pity them.

ACT II.

SCENE VI.

1.

Perfect Content.

O my foul's joy!

If after every tempeft comes such calms,

May the winds blow, till they have weaken'd death:

(5) And let the labouring bark climb hills of feas

(5) And, &c.] This is plainly taken from that Pfalm, which the reader will find quoted in note 7. p. 142. of vol. 1. the latter part of this pafssage is very like one in the Eunuch of Terence, where Chærea in a transport of delight, breaks out into the following exclamation;

Frob Jupiter!

Nunc tempus profecto eft, cum perpeti me possum interfici,
Ne vita aliquâ boc gaudium contaminet agritudine.

A. 3. Si 5

Oh