194 ANNOYANCE OCCASIONED BY FLIES. 



and to a curious and unexplained mode of defence 

 which has lately been made public. In the first 

 scene in the tragedy of " Othello," we find lago, in 

 speaking of the Moor, use the remarkable words, — 



"And tho' he in a fertile climate dwell, 

 Plague him with flies." 



Othello had at that moment succeeded in carry- 

 ing off the gentle Desdemona. The malice of lago 

 might annoy, but not injure him ; or, as he himself 

 expresses it, in speaking of the Moor, — 



"Though that his joy be joy, 



Yet throw such changes of vexation on it, 

 As it may lose some colour." 



Those words are supposed to be spoken at Venice, 

 where, from the multitude of canals,* and the low 

 situation of the city, flies of many kinds must be 

 supposed to abound ; especially those whose larvae 

 are aquatic. In point of fact, flies constitute " the 

 first of torments in Spain, Italy, and the olive district 

 of France." " It is not," continues Arthur Young, 

 " that they bite, sting, or hurt, but they buz, teaze, 

 and worry. Your mouth, eyes, ears, and nose, are 

 full of them ; they swarm on every eatable ; fiiiit, 

 sugar, milk, — every thing is attacked by them in such 

 myriads, that if they are not driven away incessantly 

 * The canals of Venice give birth to myriads of gnats. 



