Who fteals my purfe, fteals trash; 'tis fomething, no

thing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his; and has been slave to thousands;
But he, that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that, which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.

Oth. I'll know thy thoughts

Iago. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor fhall not, whilft 'tis in my cuftody.

Oth. Ha!

Lago. Oh, beware, my Lord, of jealousy;
It is a green-ey'd monfter, 3 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; fufpects, yet ftrongly loves!
Oth. Oh mifery!

lago. Poor, and content, is rich, and rich enough; 4 But riches finelefs is as poor as winter,

To him that ever fears he fhall be poor.

Good heaven! the fouls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Oth. Why? why is this?

Think'ft thou, I'd make a life of jealoufy?
To follow ftill the changes of the moon
With fresh fufpicions? No; to be once in doubt,
Is once to be refolv'd. Exchange me for a goat,
When I fhall turn the business of my foul
To fuch exfuffolate 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;
7 Where virtue is, thefe are moft virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest 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 jealousy.

Iago. I am glad of this; for now I fhall have reason

6 To fuch exfuffolate and blown

furmifes,] This odd and far-fetch'd word was made yet more uncouth in all the editions before Hanmer's, by being printed, e fuflicate. The allufion is to a bubble. Do not think, fays the Moor, that I fhall change the noble defigns that now employ my thoughts, to fufpicions which, like bubbles blown into a wide extent, have only an empty fhew without folidity, or that in confequence of fuch empty fears, I will clef with thy inference again.ft the virtue of my wife.

7 Where virtue is, thefe ARE MOST virtuous.] But how can a virtuous conduct make the indifferent actions of fuch a character, virtuous, or moft virtu

To fhew the love and duty that I bear you
With franker fpirit. Therefore, as I am bound,
Receive it from me. I fpeak not yet of proof,
Look to your wife, obferve 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 abus'd; look to't;
I know our country-disposition well;
In Venice they do let heaven fee the pranks,

They dare not shew their husbands; their best conscience

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

Iago. She did deceive her father, marrying you; ' And when the feem'd to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them most.

Oth. And fo fhe did.

Iago. Go to, then;

She, that, fo young, could give out fuch a Seeming 2 To feal her father's eyes up, close as oak

8 Out of felf-bounty be abus'd;] Self-bounty, for inherent generofity. WARBURTON. 9our country-difpofition In Venice] Here Lago feems to be a Venetian.

▾ And when she feem'd] This and the following argument of Iago ought to be, deeply impreffed on every reader. Deceit and falfehood, whatever conveniences they may for a time promife or produce, are, in the fum of life, obftacles to happinef. Thofe who profit by the cheat, diftruit the deceiver, and the act by which kindness was fought, puts an end to confidence.

The fame objection may be made with a lower degree of Arength against the imprudent

generofity of difproportionate marriages. When the first heat of paffion is over, it is easily fucceeded by fufpicion, that the fame violence of inclination which caufed one irregularity, may ftimulate to another; and thofe who have fhewn, that their paffions are too powerful for their prudence, will, with very flight appearances against them, be cenfured, as not very likely to reftrain them by their virtue.

2 To feal her father's eyes up,

clofe as oak-] There is little relation between eyes and oak. L would read,

She feal'd her father's eyes up clofe as owls. As blind as an owl, is a proverb.

He thought, 'twas witchcraft-But I'm much to

blame:

I humbly do befeech you of

For too much loving you.

your pardon,

Oth. I'm bound to thee for ever.

Iago. I fee, this hath a little dash'd your spirits.
Oth. Not a jot, not a jot.

Iago. Trust me, I fear, it has :

I hope, you will confider, what is spoke

Comes from my love. But, I do fee, you're mov'd➡ I am to pray you, not to ftrain my speech

To groffer iffues, nor to larger reach,

Than to fufpicion.

Oth. I will not.

Iago. Should you do fo, my Lord,

+ My fpeech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs,

As my thoughts aim not at.

friend.

My Lord, I fee, you're mov'd

Oth. No, not much moy'd

Caffio's my worthy

I do not think, but Defdemona's honeft.

Iago. Long live fhe fo! and long live you to think fo!

Oth. And yet, how nature erring from itselfIago. Ay, there's the point; as, to be bold with you, Not to affect many propofed matches

Of her own clime, complexion and degree,
Whereto we fee in all things Nature tends,
Foh! one may smell, in fuch, a 5 will most rank,

3 To groffer iffues,-] fues, for conclufions.

WARB. 4 My Speech would fall into fuch vile fuccefs,] Succefs, for fucceffion, i. e. conclufion; not profperous iffue.

WARBURTON. I rather think there is a depravation, and would read,

My Speech would fall into fuch vile excefs.

If fuccefs be the right word, it feems to mean confequence or event, as fucceffo is ufed in Italian.

5-will moft rank,] Will is for wilfulness. It is so used by Afcham. A rank will, is felf-will overgrown and exuberant.

Foul difproportions, thoughts unnatural.
But, pardon me, I do not in pofition
Diftinctly speak of her; tho' I may fear,
Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,
May fall 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, Iago.
Iago. My Lord, I take my leave.

Oth. Why did I marry?

This honeft creature, doubtless,

[Going.

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Iago. My Lord, I would, I might entreat your honour

To fcan this thing no farther; leave it to time;
Altho' 'tis fit that Caffio have his place,
For, fure, he fills it up with great ability;
Yet if you please to hold him off a while,

7

You shall by that perceive him, and his means.
Note, if your lady strain his entertainment
With any ftrong, or vehement importunity;
Much will be feen in that. In the mean time,
Let me be thought too bufy in my fears,
As worthy caufe I have to fear, I am;

And hold her free, I do befeech your honour.: