l8o THE BEE, OR Feb. 2, 



mind, to abound in faults, in the fame manner that a 

 jftrong and fertile foil produces moft weeds — 

 What are the lays of artful Addifon, 

 Coldly correft, to Shakefpear's warblings wild. 



It is with much regret, however, we mull obferve, 

 that after Shakefpear had fupported, with uniform pro- 

 priety, one of the moft difllcult charafters Genius ever 

 attempted, he ftiould at laft fall off, and put a trifling 

 conceit in the mouth of a dying man. 



0th. I kiffed thee e'er I killed thee — no way but this, 

 Killing myfelf to die upon a kifs. 



It might alfo be objefted to the contrivance of the 

 plot, that lago had not fufticient motives for the perpe- 

 tration of fo many horrid crimes ; and this the fagacity 

 of Shakefpear has forefeen, and with much addrefs ob- 

 viated. In the courfe of our obfervations, we have al- 

 ready noticed, that he does not fuppofe lago, in his firft 

 fetting out, refolutely to plan the deftruflion of Defde- 

 xnona and Caffio. The objects he had in view were, to 

 get pofTeffion of the wealth of Rodorigo, and to be pre- 

 ferred in the place of Caffio ; but feeing matters be- 

 ginning to be embroiled around him, the firm and un- 

 daunted lago v/ill not flop fhort, whatever flaould be tho 

 confequence. By thus viewing his conduct, it will ap- 

 pear natural and probable. He wiflies (as human na- 

 ture ever muft) to view himfelf even for a moment in 

 the light of an honeft man 



And what's he then that fays I play the villain, See. 



yi£t. i.fc. xiv. 



But the principal fault which we obferve in this per- 

 formance, is a want of confiftency in fupporting the 

 upright and difinterefted character of TEmilia. We can 

 eafily fuppofe, in the firft place, that flie might procure 

 Defdemona's napkin for her hulband, without feeming 

 to concur with him, or even fufpeft his fchemes : Bur 

 when £.fterwards, in the tenth fcene of the third aft, 

 flie fees the improper ufe to which this napkin is ap- 

 plied, and the great diftrefs which the lofs of it occa- 



