lyS THE BEE, OR Feb. 2, 



Indeed throughcvit tlie whole fcene before her death, 

 an aivfullolemnity reigns ; the mind of Defdemona^feems 

 to be in a moft agitated condition ; flie Harts an obfer- 

 vation about Lodovico, and immediately falls into her 

 ploomy thoughts, paying no attention to the anfwer of 

 Emilia, though connefted with an anecdote that would 

 have at another time raifed her curiofity. This abfence 

 of mind fliews beyond the power of language her afilift- 

 ed and tortured llate : but what gives a tinilhing Uroke 

 to the terror of tliis midnight fcene, is the ruftiing of 

 the wind, which tlie affrighted imaginatioti of Defde- 

 jnona fuppofes to be one knocking at the door. This 

 fircumltance, which would have been overlooked as 

 trifling by an inferior writer, has a moft fublime effeft 

 in the hands of Shakefpear; and till the fatal cataflrophe, 

 the fame horribly intcrefting fenfations are kept up. 

 Othello enters her bed-chamber with a fword a».d can- 

 dle, in that perturbation and diftradion of mind, which 

 marked his behaviour, fince the fuppofed difcovery of 

 Jier guilt ; remains of tenderncfs, ftiU ftruggling with 

 revenge in his bofom, and a converfation is protraded ; 

 (durintr vyhich the mind is arrefted in a ftate of the molt 

 dreadful fufpenfe that can well hs imagined. 



Had Othello been actuated by cruelty alone in this 

 action; had he, to gratify a favage nature, put Defde- 

 mona lo death, the fcene would have been fliocking, 

 and we would ha\'e turned from it with averllor.. But 

 jnftigntcd as he is by tlio noble j)rinciplcs of honour 

 and jutlice, and weighing' at the fame time the relufl- 

 ance with which he performs it, and the great facrifice 

 which he makes to his fined feelings ; it on thefe ac- 

 counts produces thofe mournfully plcafing fenfations, 

 •which to attain is the higheft praife of the tragic poet. 



In the final nnravt-lling of the plot, there is pfteii 

 -great difficulty ; it is the grand point to which the au- 

 thor amis in the courfe of fucceffiye fcenes ; and upor 

 the proper execution of it 'depends much of the meri'. 

 of the work.. Here Shakcfpear has not fallen off. I'lu.; 



