That you unlace your reputation thus,
And spend your rich opinion, for the name
Of a night-brawler? give me answer to it.

MON. Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger; Your officer, Iago, can inform you

While I spare speech, which something now offends

me;

Of all that I do know: nor know I aught
By me that's said or done amiss this night;
Unless self-charity' be sometime a vice;
And to defend ourselves it be a sin,

When violence assails us.

Отн.

Now, by heaven,

My blood begins my safer guides to rule;

And passion, having my best judgment collied,

5 That you unlace-] Slacken, or loosen. Put in danger of dropping; or perhaps strip off its ornaments.

A similar phrase occurs in Twelfth-Night:

JOHNSON.

"I pr'ythee now, ungird thy strangeness." STEEvens. 6-spend your rich opinion,] Throw away and squander a reputation so valuable as yours. JOHNSON.

- self-charity-] Care of one's self. JOHNSON.

And passion, having my best judgment COLLIED,] Thus the folio reads, and I believe rightly. Othello means, that passion has discoloured his judgement. The word is used in A Midsummer-Night's Dream :

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like lightning in the collied night."

carry

To colly anciently signified to besmut, to blacken as with coal. So, in a comedy called The Family of Love, 1608: “ thy link a't'other side the way, thou collow'st me and my ruffe." The word (as I am assured) is still used in the midland counties.

Mr. Tollet informs me that Wallis's History of Northumberland, p. 46, says: "-in our northern counties it [i. e. a fine black clay or ochre] is commouly known by the name of collow or killow, by which name it is known by Dr. Woodward," &c. The Doctor says it had its name from kollow, by which name, in the North, the smut or grime on the top of chimneys is so called. Colly, however, is from coal, as collier. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads-choler'd. STEEVENS.

Cole, in his Dictionary, 1679, renders "collow'd by denigratus:-to colly," denigro.

3

Assays to lead the way: If I once stir,
Or do but lift this arm, the best of you
Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know
How this foul rout began, who set it on;
And he that is approv'd in this offence,
Though he had twinn'd with me, both at a birth,
Shall lose me.-What! in a town of war,
Yet wild, the people's hearts brimful of fear,
To manage private and domestick quarrel,
In night, and on the court of guard and safety1!

The quarto 1622 reads-having my best judgement cool'd. A modern editor supposed that quell'd was the word intended.

MALONE.

9 he that is APPROV'D in this offence,] He that is convicted by proof, of having been engaged in this offence. JOHNSON. In night, and on the court AND guard of safety!] Thus the old copies. Mr. Malone reads:

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In night, and on the court of guard and safety!'
STEEVENS.

These words have undoubtedly been transposed by negligence at the press. For this emendation, of which I am confident every reader will approve, I am answerable. The court of guard was the common phrase of the time for the guard room. It has already been used by lago in a former scene; and what still more strongly confirms the emendation, lago is there speaking of Cassio, and describing him as about to be placed in the very station where he now appears: "The lieutenant to-night watches on the court of guard."

Again, in Antony and Cleopatra :

"If we be not reliev'd within this hour,

"We must return to the court of guard."

So in Davenant's Playhouse to be Let. The scene changes to a parred or court of guard.

The same phrase occurs in Sir John Oldcastle, 1600, and in many other old plays. A similar mistake has happened in the present scene, where in the original copy we find :

"Have you forgot all place of sense and duty ? " instead of all sense of place and duty?"

I may venture to assert with confidence that no editor of Shakspeare has more sedulously adhered to the ancient copies than I have done, or more steadily opposed any change grounded merely on obsolete or unusual phraseology. But the error in the present case is so apparent, and the phrase, the court of guard, so esta

'Tis monstrous'.-Iago, who began it?

MON. If partially affin'd3, or leagu'd in office, Thou dost deliver more or less than truth,

Thou art no soldier.

IAGO.

Touch me not so near:

blished by the uniform usage of the poets of Shakspeare's time, that not to have corrected the mistake of the compositor in the present instance, would in my apprehension have been unwarrantable. If the phraseology of the old copies had merely been unusual, I should not have ventured to make the slightest change: but the frequent occurrence of the phrase, the court of guard, in all our old plays, and that being the word of art, leave us not room to entertain a doubt of its being the true reading.

Mr. Steevens says, a phraseology as unusual occurs in A Midsummer-Night's Dream; but he forgets that it is supported by the usage of contemporary writers. When any such is produced in support of that before us, it ought certainly to be attended to.

I may add, that the court of safely may in a metaphorical sense be understood; but who ever talked of the guard [i. e. the safety of safety? MALONE.

As a collocation of words, as seemingly perverse, occurs in A Midsummer-Night's Dream, and is justified there, in the following instance:

I shall desire you of more acquaintance; ' I forbear to disturb the text under consideration.

If Safety, like the Roman Salus, or Recovery in King Lear, be personified, where is the impropriety of saying-under the guard of Safety? Thus, Plautus, in his Captivi: "Neque jam servare Salus, si vult, me potest.'

Mr. Malone also appears to forget that, on a preceding occasion, he too has left an unexemplified and very questionable phrase, in the text of this tragedy, hoping, we may suppose, (as I do,) that it will be hereafter countenanced by example. See p. 309, n. 5. STEEVENS.

2 'Tis MONSTROUS.] This word was used as a trisyllable, as if it were written monsterous. MALONE.

It is again used as a trisyllable in Macbeth, Act III. Sc. VI. STEEVENS.

3 If partially AFFIN'D,] Affin'd is bound by proximity of relationship; but here it means 'related by nearness of office.' In the first scene it is used in the former of these senses:

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If I, in any just term, am affin'd

"To love the Moor." STEEVENS.

4-LEAGU'D in office,] Old copies-league. Corrected by

Mr. Pope. MALONE.

I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth",
Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio;
Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth
Shall nothing wrong him.-Thus it is, general.
Montano and myself being in speech,

6

There comes a fellow, crying out for help;
And Cassio following him with determin'd sword,
To execute upon him: Sir, this gentleman
Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause;
Myself the crying fellow did pursue,
Lest, by his clamour, (as it so fell out,)
The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Outran my purpose; and I return'd the rather
For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
And Cassio high in oath; which, till to-night,
I ne'er might say before: When I came back,
(For this was brief,) I found them close together,
At blow, and thrust; even as again they were,
When you yourself did part them.

More of this matter can I not report :

But men are men; the best sometimes forget:-
Though Cassio did some little wrong to him,-
As men in rage strike those that wish them
best,-

Yet, surely, Cassio, I believe, received,

From him that fled, some strange indignity,
Which patience could not pass.

I know, Iago,

Отн. Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio:-Cassio, I love thee; But never more be officer of mine.

5 -

CUT from my mouth,] Thus the folio. The quarto 1622 reads this tongue out from my mouth. MALONE.

"And Cassio following HIM] The word him in this line seems to have crept into it from the compositor's eye glancing on that below. MALONE.

Enter DESDEMONA, attended.

Look, if my gentle love be not rais'd up ;-
I'll make thee an example.

DES.

What's the matter, dear?

OTH. All's well now, sweeting; Come away to

bed.

Sir, for your hurts,

Myself will be your surgeon: Lead him off®.

[TO MONTANO, who is led off.

Iago, look with care about the town;

And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted.Come, Desdemona; 'tis the soldiers' life,

To have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife.

[Exeunt all but LAGO and CASSIO.

IAGO. What, are you hurt, lieutenant?

CAS. Ay, past all surgery.

LAGO. Marry, heaven forbid !

CAS. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part, sir, of myself, and what remains is bestial.My reputation, Iago, my reputation.

LAGO. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that, than in reputation". Reputation is an idle

7 - sweeting;] This surfeiting vulgar term of fondness originates from the name of an apple distinguished only by its insipid sweetness. STEEVENS.

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Shakspeare seems to have thought very differently of these terms of endearment. We have before, honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus ;" and a multitude of other passages of a similar nature might be produced.

8 Lead him off.] I am persuaded, these words were originally a marginal direction. In our old plays all the stage-directions were couched in imperative terms:-Play musick-Ring the Bell-Lead him off. MALONE.

9 - there is more OFFENCE, &c.] Thus the quartos. The folio reads-there is more sense, &c. STEEVENS.