Neither my place, nor aught I heard of bufinefs, Duke. Why? what's the matter? Bra. My daughter! oh, my daughter!-- Bra. To me; She is abus'd, ftolen from me, and corrupted (Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,) ; Duke. Who-e'er he be, that in this foul proceeding Hath thus beguil'd your daughter of her self, And you of her, the bloody book of law You fhall your felf read in the bitter letter, After your own fenfe; yea, though our proper Son Bra. Humbly I thank your Grace. Here is the man, this Moor, whom now, it seems, Hath hither brought. All. We're very forry for't. Duke. What in your own part can you fay to this? Bra. Nothing, but this is fo. [To Othel. Oth. Moft potent, grave, and reverend figniors, Hath this extent; no more. Rude am I in my speech, More More than pertains to feats of broils and battle; Of my whole courfe of love; what drugs, what charms, For fuch proceeding I am charg'd withal,) won his daughter with. Bra. A maiden, never bold; Of fpirit fo ftill and quiet, that her motion Why this fhould be. I therefore vouch again, Duke. To vouch this, is no proof, (8) It is a Fudgment maim'd and most imperfect That will confefs, Perfection so could err Against all Rules of Nature.] Perfection erring, feems a Contradiction in Terminis, as the Schoolmen call it. Befides, Brabantio does not blazon his Daughter out for a Thing of abfolute Perfection; he only fays, he was indued with fuch an extreme innate Modefty, that for her to fall in Love so prepofterously, no found Judgment could allow, but it must be by magical Practice upon her. I have ventur❜d to imagine that our Author wrote; That will confefs, Affection fo could err, &c. This is entirely confonant to what Brabantio would say of her; and one of the Senators, immediately after, in his Éxamination of the Moor, thus addreffes himself to him; But, Othello, fpeak ; Did you by indirect and forced Courfes Subdue and poifen this young Maid's Affections, &c. Than Than these thin habits and poor likely hoods Did you by indirect and forced courfes Subdue and poifon this young maid's affections? Oth. I beseech you, Send for the lady to the Sagittary, And let her fpeak of me before her father; you, Not only take away, but let your Sentence Duke. Fetch Desdemona hither. [Exeunt two or three. [Exit Iago. Oth. Ancient, conduct them, you best know the place. And 'till she come, as truly as to heav'n Duke. Say it, Othello. Oth. Her father lov'd me, oft invited me; Still queftion'd me the ftory 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, Of hair-breadth fcapes in th' imminent deadly breach And fold to flavery; of my redemption thence, Wherein of antres vaft, and defarts idle, (9) Rough (9) Wherein of Antres vast and Defarts idle, &c.] Thus it is in all the old Editions: But Mr. Pope has thought fit to change L 4 the Rough quarries, rocks, and hills, whofe heads touch heav'n, It was my hint to speak; fuch was the process; The Anthropophagi; and men whofe heads beneath their fhoulders. All these to hear Would Desdemona ferioufly incline; But ftill the house-affairs would draw her thence, She wore," In faith, 'twas ftrange, 'twas paffing ftrange, fhe wish'd, "'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful" She wish'd, fhe had not heard it; That heav'n had made her fuch a man: fhe thank'd me, yet And bad me, if I had a friend that lov'd her, And I lov'd her, that she did pity them: But he must pardon me, the Epithet. Defarts idle; in the former Editions; (fays he,) doubtless, a Corruption from wilde.if I do not concur in thinking this fo doubtless. I don't know whether Mr. Pope has obferv'd it, but I know that Shakespeare, efpecially in Defcriptions, is fond of ufing the more uncommen Word, in a poetick Latitude. And idle, in several other Paffages, he employs in thefe Acceptations, wild, useless, uncultivated, &c. This only is the witchcraft I have us'd. Enter Desdemona, Iago, and Attendants. Bake. I think, this tale would win my daughter tooGood Brabantio, Take up this mangled matter at the best. Bra. I pray you, hear her fpeak; Def. My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty; To you I'm bound for life and education : How to refpect you. You're the lord of duty; Bra. God be with you: I have done. I here do give thee That with all my heart, For thy escape would teach me tyranny, To hang clogs on them. I have done, my lord. Duke. Let me fpeak like your felf; and lay a fentence, When remedies are paft, the griefs are ended |