would not prophesy so. Men. I think, the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage, than the love of the parties. Eno. I think so too. But you shall find, the band, that seems to tie their friendship together, will be the very strangler of their amity: Octavia is of a holy, cold, and still conversation. Ant. Ay, Lepidus. Lep. Your serpent of Egy mud by the operation of you codile. Ant. They are so. Pomp. Sit, and some 10 Lepidus. Men. Who would not have his wife so? Eno. Not he, that himself is not so; which is Mark Antony. He will to his Egyptian dish again: then shall the sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Cæsar; and, as I said before, that which is the 15 strength of their amity, shall prove the immediate author of their variance. Antony will use his affection where it is; he marry'd but his occasion here. Men. And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you 20 aboard? I have a health for you. Eno. I shall take it, sir: we have us'd our throats in Egypt. Men. Come; let's away. SCENE [Exeunt. 25 VII. 1 Serv. Here they'll be, man: Some o' their plants are ill-rooted already, the least wind i' the world will blow them down. 2 Serv. Lepidus is high-colour'd. 1 Serv. They have made him drink alms-drink 2. 2 Serv. As they pinch one another by the disposition', he cries out no more; reconciles them to his entreaty, and himself to the drink. 1 Serv. But it raises the greater war between him and his discretion. 30 35 40 2 Serv. Why, this it is to have a name in great men's fellowship: I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service, as a partisan I could not 45 heave. 1 Sero. To be call'd into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in't, are the holes where eyes should be,which pitifully disaster the cheeks'. A sennet sounded. Enter Cæsar, Antony, Pompey, Lepidus, Agrippa, Mecanas, Enobarbus, Menas, with other Captains. Ant. Thus do they, sir: They take the flow o' the Nile By certain scales i' the pyramid; they know, 50 Lep. I am not so well as ne'er out. Eno. Not 'till you have sl be in, till 'then. Lep. Nay,certainly I have Pyramises are very goodly th diction, I have heard that. Men. Pompey, a word. Pomp. Say in mine ear: Men. Forsake thy seat, I d tain, And hear me speak a word. Lep. What colour is it of? Cas. Will this description s Ant. With the health that else he is a very epicure. Pomp. [To Menas aside. C Tell me of that? aw Do as I bid you.-Where's t Men. If for the sake of meri Rise from thy stool. Pomp. [Rises, and walks asic mad. The matter? Men. I have ever held my cap Pomp. [To Menus.] Thou much faith: What's Be jolly, lords. Ant. These quick-sands, Le Pomp. Hast thou drunk wel 1 Plants, besides its common meaning, is here used for the foot, from the Lati amongst good fellows, to signify that liquor of another's share which his companion But it satirically alludes to Cæsar and Antony's admitting him into the triumvirate, in from themselves the load of envy. A phrase equivalent to that now in use, of sore place. i. e. a pike. i. e. Great offices are the holes where eyes shoul eves be wanting. pitifullu disaster the cheeks. • i. e. the middle. 7 i. e. plent 4 [titors, Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips', Pomp. Ah, this thou should'st have done, I'll never follow thy pall'd 2 fortunes more.Who seeks, and will not take, when once 'tis ofShall never find it more. 5 10 (15) [fer'd, Pomp. This health to Lepidus. Eno. There's a strong fellow, Menas. [Pointing to the attendant who carries of Lepidus. Men. Why? Eno. He bears The third part of the world, man; See'st not? Men. The third part then is drunk: 'Would it were all, That it might go on wheels! Eno. Drink thou; increase the reels. Pomp. This is not yet an Alexandrian feast. Ant. It ripens towards it.-Strike the vessels3, Here is to Cæsar. Cas. I could well forbear it. [ho! It's monstrous labour, when I wash my brain, And it grows fouler. Ant. Be a child o' the time. Cas. Possess it, I will make answer: but I had rather fast Eno. All take hands. Make battery to our ears with the loud music:- [hand. [Musick plays. Enobarbus places them hand in SONG. Come, thou monarch of the vine, Let me request you off: our graver business 25 Frowns at this levity.-Gentle lords, let's part; You see, we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarbe Menas, I'll not on shore. Men. No, to my cabin. [boat. These drums!-these trumpets, flutes! what!40 Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell To these great fellows: Sound and be hang'd, sound out. [Sound a flourish with drums. Eno. Ho, says 'a!-There's my cap. Men. Ho!-noble captain! Come! [Exeunt. 1i. e. embraces. 2 Palled is rapid, past its time of excellence. 3 Dr. Johnson explains this passage by, Try whether the casks sound as empty: while Mr. Steevens thinks, that strike the cessels means no more than, chink the vessels one against the other, as a mark of our unanimity in drinking, as we now say, chink glasses. i. e. the burden of the song. i. e. eyes inflam'd with drinking. Struck alludes to darting.-Thou whose darts have so often struck others, art struck now thyself. Pacorus was the son of Orodes, king of Parthia. 4 Shall I have done enough: A lower place, note well, More in their officer, than person: Sosius, 5 10 Which he atchiev'd by the minute, lost his favour. I could do more to do Antonius good, Sil. Thou hast, Ventidíus, that, Ven. I'll humbly signify what in his name, Sil. Where is he now? Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number, ho, his To Antony. But as for Cæsar, kneel, Eno. They are his shards, and he their beetle'. Cas. You take from me a great part of myself: 20 Have lov'd without this mean, if on both parts 25 [what haste Ven. He purposeth to Athens: whither with The weight we must convey with us will permit, 30 We shall appear before him.-On, there; pass along. SCENE II. Cæsar's House. [Exeunt. Ant. Make me not offended In your distrust. Cas. I have said. Ant. You shall not find, Though you be therein curious', the least cause Cas. Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well; Ant. The April's in her eyes; it is love's spring, Enter Agrippa at one door, Enobarbus at another. Agr. 'Tis a noble Lepidus. Eno. A very fine one: O, how he loves Cæsar! Agr. Indeed, he plied them both with excel lent praises. 45 50 [Antony: 55 Eno. But he loves Cæsar best;-Yet he loves Ho: hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot 2 The phoenix. 4 1 Grant, for afford, i. e. They are the wings that raise this heavy, lumpish insect from the ground. i, e. as I will venture the greatest pledge of security, on the trial of thy conduct. 'i, e, scrupulous. A horse is said to have a cloud in his face, when he has a black or dark-coloured spot in his forehead between his eyes.-This gives him a sour look; and being supposed to indicate an ill-temper, is of course regarded as a great blemish. Ant. [or low? Cle o. Bear'st thou her face in mind? ist long or round? Mes. Round even to faultiness. Cleo. For the most part too, 5 They are foolish that are so.-Her hair, what Mes. Brown, madam: And her forehead Cleo. There's gold for thee. 10 Thou must not take my former sharpness ill :- 15 20 Char. A proper man. Cleo. Indeed, he is so: I repent me much That I so harry'd him. Why, methinks, by him, This creature's no such thing. Char. Nothing, madam. Cleo. The man hath seen some majesty, and should know. Char. Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend, And serving you so long! [Charmian:Cleo. I have one thing more to ask him yet, good But 'tis no matter; thou shalt bring him to me 25 Where I will write: All may be well enough. Char. I warrant you, madam. 30 I look'd her in the face; and saw her led Cleo. That's not so good:-he cannot like her What majesty is in her gait? Remember, Mes. She creeps; Her motion and her station' are as one: A statue, than a breather. Cleo. Is this certain? Mes. Or I have no observance. Char. Three in Ægypt Cannot make better note. Cleo. He's very knowing, I do perceive 't:-There's nothing in her yet:— The fellow has good judgement. Char. Excellent. Cleo. Guess at her years, I pr'ythee. Mes. Madam, she was a widow. Cleo. Widow-Charmian, hark. Mes. And I do think, she's thirty. SCENE IV. Antony's House at Athens. [Exeunt. [it Ant. Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,— Spoke scantily of me: when perforce he could not Octa. O my good lord, Believe not all; or, if you must believe, If this division chance, ne'er stood between, 45 Praying for both parts; The good gods will mock When I shall pray, 0, bless my lord and husband! O, bless my brother! Husband win, win brother, 50 Prays, and destroys the prayer; no midway Twixt these extremes at all. 1 See note, p. 768. 2 This scene (says Dr. Grey) is a manifest allusion to the questions put by queen Elizabeth to Sir James Melvil, concerning his mistress, the queen of Scots.-Whoever will give himself the trouble to consult his Memoirs, will probably suppose the resemblance to be more than accidental. Station, in this instance, means the act of standing. To harry, is to use roughly, i, e, disgrace, 3 Sha [baste; Tweak, Shall stain your brother: Make your soonest Ant. When it appears to you where this begins, SCENE V. The same. Enter Enobarbus, and Eros. Eno. How now, friend Eros? Eno. What, man? Eros. There's strange news come, sir. 10 Agr. Who, queasy with his insolence [Pompey. 20 Eros. Cæsar and Lepidus have made wars upon Eno. This is old; What is the success? Eros. Cæsar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him2 rivality; would not let him partake in the glory of 25 the action: and not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal', seizes him: So the poor third is up, 'till death enlarge his confine. Eno. Then 'would thou hadst a pair of chaps, 30 no more; And throw between them all the food thou hast, They'll grind the other. Where is Antony? Eros. He's walking in the garden-thus; and spurns The rush that lies before him: cries, Fool, Lepidus! Eno. Our great navy's rigg'd. 35 Eros. For Italy, and Cæsar. More, Domitius; 40 My lord desires you presently: my news I might have told hereafter. Eno. 'Twill be naught: But let it be.-Bring me to Antony. SCENE VI. Rome. Cæsar's House. Agr. Whom does he accuse? Ces. Cæsar: and that, having in Sicily Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him His part o' the isle: then does he say, he lent me Some shipping unrestor'd: lastly, he frets, That Lepidus of the triumvirate Should be depos'd; and, being, that we detain All his revenue. I Agr. Sir, this should be answer'd. Cas. 'Tis done already, and the messenger gone. have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel; That he his high authority abus'd, [quer'd, And did deserve his change: for what I have conI grant him part; but then, in his Armenia, And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I Demand the like. Mec. He'll never yield to that. Cas. Nor must not then be yielded to in this. Enter Octavia. Octa. Hail, Cæsar, and my lord! hail, most dear Cæsar! Cas. That ever I should call thee, cast-away! Octa. You have not call'd me so, nor have you [come not cause. Cas. Why have you stol'n upon us thus? You [Exeunt. 45 Should have borne men; and expectation fainted, Enter Cæsar, Agrippa, and Mecanas. Cas. Contemning Rome, he has done all this: 50 The ostentation of our love, which, left unshewn, 3. e. upon Cæsar's accusation. * Lydia for Lybia. • i. e. an obstruction, a bar to the prosecution of his wanton pleasures with Cleopatra." Octa. |