CUCULUS CANORUS. 521 



every one of his plays he is despitefully mentioned. In 

 " Othello" — one of the grandest works on jealousy — he makes 

 the villain Iago say to his dupe, Roderigo, "If thou canst 

 cuckold him (Othello), thou dost thyself a pleasure and me a 

 sport." To Othello himself Iago exclaims — 



" O, beware, my lord, of jealousy — 

 It is the green-eyed monster which doth make 

 The meat it feeds on ; that cuckold lives in bliss 

 Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger. 

 But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er 

 Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves !" 



He even makes Iago's own wife, Emilia, say to Desdemona, who 

 asked — 



Desd. — " ' Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world ?' 

 Emilia — ' The world is a huge thing. 'Tis a great price for a small 

 vice. 

 Why, who tuould not make her husband a cuckold 

 To make him a monarch ? I would venture purgatory for't.' " 



Although in the " Merry Wives of Windsor" he makes jealous 

 Mr Ford declare — 



" Cuckold/ wittol — cuckold! the devil himself hath not such a name." 



But, according to Emilia and Nature's law, is it fair to clap 

 man and woman together on public Boards, M.P's, &c. ? Shake- 

 speare thinks not, for when Cleopatra wished to go personally 

 to the camp with Antony he makes Enobarbus say aside — 



" If we should serve with horse and mares together, 

 The horse were merely lost ; the mares would bear 

 A soldier and his horse." 



And old Homer 850 years before Christ* makes Hector say to 

 his wife, Andromache — 



"No more, but hasten to thy tasks at home, 

 There guide the spindle and the loom. 

 We glory summons to the martial scene ; 

 The field of combat is the sphere for men." 



Many rhymed allusions are made as to its brief stay with us, 

 such as — 



"In April come he will ; 

 In May he sings all day ; 

 In June he alters his tune ; 

 In July, he prepares to fly ; 

 In August go he must." 



* The noblest heretic and subliinest " blasphemer" of them all (according to the Jews). 



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