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Get me ink and paper;

He shall have every day feveral greetings, or I'll unpee

ple Ægypt..

[Exeunt.

I

A CT II.

SCENE, SICILY.

Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas.

POMPE Y.

F the great Gods be juft, they fhall affift
The deeds of jufteft men.

Mene. Know, worthy Pompey,

That what they do delay, they not deny.

Pomp. While we are fuitors to their Throne, decays The thing we fue for..

Men. We, ignorant of our felves,

Beg often our own harms, which the wife powers
Deny us for our good; fo find we profit

By lofing of our prayers.

Pom. I fhall do well:

The people love me, and the fea is mine ;

My pow'r's a crefcent, and my auguring hope (3)
Says, it will come to th' full. "Mark Antony

In Egypt fits at dinner, and will make

(8) My Powers are crefcent, and my auguring Hope

Says, it will come to th' full.]

Thus the Editors implicitly one after another, with very pecu-liar Indolence. If one might ask them a Question in Grammar, what does the Relative it belong to? It cannot in Senfe relate to Hope, nor in Concord to Powers. It is evident beyond a Doubt, that the Poet's Allufion is to the Moon: and that Pompey would fay, He is yet but a half-Moon, or Crescent; but his Hopes tell him, that Crefcent will come to a full Orb. To this Effect, therefore, I have ventur'd to reform the Text.

Να

No wars without doors. Cafar gets mony, where
He lofes hearts; Lepidus flatters Both,

Of Both is flatter'd but he Neither loves,
Nor Either cares for him.

Mene. Cæfar and Lepidus are in the field,

A mighty ftrength they carry.

Pom. Where have you this? 'tis falfe..

Mene. From Silvius, Sir.

Pom. He dreams; I know, they are in Rome toge

ther,

Looking for Antony: but all the charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, foften thy wan lip!

Let witchcraft join with beauty; luft with both!.
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks,
Sharpen with cloylefs fawce his appetite;

That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour,
Even 'till a Lethe'd dulnefs

How now, Varrius?

Enter Varrius.

Var. This is most certain, that I fhall deliver : Mark Antony is every hour in Rome

Expected. Since he went from Ægypt, 'tis

A fpace for farther travel.

Pom. I could have given lefs matter

A better ear. Menas, I did not think,

This am'rous furfeiter would have donn'd his helm.

For fuch a petty war; his foldierfhip

Is twice the other twain; but let us rear (9)
The higher our opinion, that our ftirring
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck.
The ne'er-luft-wearied Antony.

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The bigber our Opinion, that our firring
Can from the Lap of Egypt's Widow pluck
The near luft-wearied Antony.].

Mên:

Sextus Pompeius, upon hearing that Antony is every hour expected in Rome, does not much relish the News. He is twice

E 5

the

Men. I cannot hope,

Cæfar and Antony fhall well greet together.
His wife, who's dead, did trefpaffes to Cæfar;
His brother warr'd upon him, although I think,
Not mov'd by Antony.

Pom. I know not, Menas,

How leffer enmities may give way to greater. Were't not that we stand up against them all, 'Twere pregnant, they fhould fquare between themfelves;

For they have entertained caufe enough

To draw their fwords; but how the fear of us
May cement their divifions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know,
Be't, as our Gods will have't! it only ftands
Our lives upon, to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.

Lep

SCENE changes to Rome.

G

Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus.

[Exeunt.

NOOD Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,
And fhall become you well, t'entreat your
Captain

To foft and gentle speech.

Eno. I fhall entreat him.

To answer like himself; if Cæfar move him,
Let Antony look over Cafaad,

the Soldier, (Jays He,) that O&avius and Lepidus are; and I did not think, the petty War, which I am raifing, would rouze him from his Amours in Egypt.- -But why should Pompey hold a higher Opinion of his own Expedition, because it awak'd Antony to Arms, who was near weary, almost furfeited, of lascivious Pleasures? Indolent and ftupid Editors, that can dispense with Words without ever weighing the Reason of them! How eafy is the Change to the true Reading!

The ne'er luft-wearied Antony.

If Antony, tho' never tired of Luxury, yet mov'd from that Charm, upon Pompey's Stirring, it was a Reafon for Pompey to Bride himself upon being of such Confequence.

And.

And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonio's beard,
I would not shave't to day.

Lep. 'Tis not a time for private ftomaching,
Eno. Every time

Serves for the matter that is then born in't..

Lep. But small to greater matters must give way..
Eno. Not, if the fmall come first.

Lep. Your fpeech is paffion;

But, pray you, ftir no embers up. Here comes
The noble Antony.

Enter Antony and Ventidius.

Eno. And yonder, Cæfar.

Enter Cæfar, Mecenas, and Agrippa.

Ant: If we compose well here, to Parthia.
Hark, Ventidius.

Caf. I do not know; Mecanas, ask Agrippa.
Lep. Noble friends,

That which combin'd us was moft great, and let not
A leaner action rend us..

What's amifs,

May it be gently heard. When we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murther in healing wounds.

Then, noble partners,

(The rather, for I earnestly befeech,)

Touch you the fowreft points with sweetest terms,

Nor curftness grow to th' matter.

Ant.. 'Tis fpoken well;

Were we before our armies, and to fight,

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Caf. Sit.

Ant. Sit, Sir..

Caf, Nay, then

[Flourish.

Ant. I learn, you take things ill, which are not fo:

Or being, concern you not.

Caf. I must be laught at,

If, or for nothing, or a little, I

Should

Should fay myfelf offended, and with you
Chiefly i' th' world; More laught at, that I fhould
Once name you derogately, when to found
Your name it not concern'd me.

Ant. My being in Egypt, Cæfar, what was't to you?
Caf. No more than my refiding here at Rome.
Might be to you in Egypt: yet, if you there
Did practife on my ftate, your being in Ægypt
Might be my question.

Ant. How intend you, practis'd?

Caj. You may be pleas'd to catch at mine intent, By what did here befall. (10) Your Wife and Brother Made wars upon me; and their contestation

Was theam'd for you, you were the word. of war.
Ant. You do mistake your business: my brother-

never

Did urge me in his act : I did inquire it,

And have my learning from fome true reports
That drew their fwords with you. Did he not rather
Difcredit my authority with yours,

And make the wars alike against my stomach,
Having alike your caufe of this, my letters
Before did fatisfile you. If you'll patch a quarrel,
(As matter whole you've not to make it with,)
It must not be with this.

Caf. You praise yourself,

(10)

Your Wife and Brother

Made wars upon me, and their Conteftation

Was theam for you, you were the Word of War.] The only Meaning of This can be, that the War, which Antony's Wife and Brother made upon Cafar, was Theme for Antony too to make War; or was the Occafion why he did make War. But this is directly contrary to the Context, which fhews, Antony did neither encourage them to it, nor fecond them in it. We cannot doubt then, but the Poet wrote;

and their Conteftation

Was theam'd for You;

i. e. The Pretence of their War was on your Account, they took up Arms in your Name, and You were made the Theme and Subject of their Infurrection. Mr. Warburton

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