So many Mermaids, tended her i' th' eyes,
And made their Bends adornings. At the helm,
A feeming Mermaid fteers; the filken tackles,
Swell with the touches of those flower-foft hands,
That yarely frame the office. From the Barge
A ftrange invifible perfume hits the fenfe
Of the adjacent wharfs. The City caft
Her People out upon her; and Antony,
Enthron'd i' th' Market-place, did fit alone,
Whistling to th' air; which, but for vacancy,
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,
And made a gap in Nature.

Agr. Rare Egyptian!

Eno. Upon her landing, Antony fent to her,
Invited her to fupper: the reply'd,

It should be better, he became her guest;
Which the intreated. Our courteous Antony,
Whom ne'er the word of No Woman heard fpeak,
Being barber'd ten times o'er, goes to the feaft;
And for his ordinary, pays his heart,

For what his eyes eat only.

Agr. Royal Wench!

She made great Cafar lay his fword to bed;
He plough'd her, and the cropt.

Eno. I faw her once

Hop forty paces through the publick street:

And having loft her breath, fhe spoke, and panted,
That fhe did make defect, perfection,

And breathless power breathe forth.

Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly.
Eno. Never, he will not.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety: other women cloy

The appetites they feed; but she makes hungry,
Where moft the fatisfies. For vileft things
Become them felves in her, that the holy Priests
Bless her, when the is riggish.

Mec. (13) If beauty, wildom, modefty, can settle

(13) If Beauty, Wisdom, Modefty, can settle

The Heart of Antony, Octavia is

The

A

The heart of Antony, Octavia is

A bleft allot'ry to him.

Agr. Let us go.

Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest,
Whilft you abide here.

Eno. Humbly, Sir, I thank you.

[Exeunt.

Enter Antony, Cæfar, Octavia between them.

Ant. The world, and my great office, will fometimes Divide me from your bofom.

Octa. All which time,

Before the Gods my knee shall bow in prayers
To them for you.

Ant. Good night, Sir. My Octavia,

Read not my blemishes in the world's report:
I have not kept my fquare, but That to come
Shall all be done by th' rule; good night, dear Lady.
Oda. Good night, Sir.

Caf. Good night.

[Exeunt Cæfar and Octavia.

Enter Soothsayer.

Ant. Now, firrah! do you with yourfelf in Egypt ? Sooth. 'Would I had never come from thence, nor you thither!

Ant. If you can, your reason?

Sooth. (14) I fee it in my Notion, have it not in my Tongue; but yet hie you to Egypt again.

Ant. Say to me, whofe fortune fhall rise higher, Cafar's or mine?

Sooth.

A bleffed Lottery to bim.] Methinks, it is a very indifferent Compliment in Mecanas to call Octavia a Lottery, as if She might turn up blank, as well as prove a Prize to AntoMr. Warburton ingeniously conjectur'd, that the Poet wrote as I have reform'd the Text: there being as much Difference between Lottery and Allottery, as between a prefent Designation and a future Chance.

ny.

(14) I fee it in my Motion, bave it not in my tongue.] What Motion? I can trace no Senfe in this Word here, unless the Author were alluding to that Agitation of the Divinity, which Diviners pretend to when the Fit of Foretelling is upon them; but then, I think verily, he would have wrote, Emotion. I

am

Sooth. Cafar's. —

Therefore, oh Antony, stay not

by his fide.

Thy Damon, that's thy fpirit which keeps thee, is
Noble, couragious, high, unmatchable,

Where Cafar's is not. But, near him, thy angel
Becomes a Fear, as being o'erpower'd; and therefore
Make space enough between you.

Ant. Speak this no more.

Sooth. To none but thee; no more, but when to thee.

If thou dost play with him at any game,

Thou'rt fure to lofe: and, of that natural luck,
He beats thee 'gainst the odds. Thy luftre thickens,
When he shines by: I fay again, thy Spirit

Is all afraid to govern thee near him.

But, he away, 'tis noble.

Ant. Get thee gone:

Say to Ventidius, I would fpeak with him. [Exit Scath.
He fhall to Parthia; -be it art, or hap,

He hath spoke true. The very dice obey him
And, in our Sports, my better cunning faints
Under his chance; if we draw lots, he speeds;
His cocks do win the battle still of mine,
When it is all to nought: and his quails ever
Beat mine, in-hoop'd at odds. I will to Ægypt
And though I make this marriage for my peace,
I' th' eaft my pleafure lies. Oh, come, Ventidius.
Enter Ventidius.

You must to Parthia, your commiffion's ready;
Follow me and receive't.

Enter Lepidus, Mecænas, and Agrippa.

[Exeunt.

Lep. Trouble yourfelves no farther: pray you, haften Your Generals after.

Agr. Sir, Mark Antony

Will e'en but kiss Octavia, and we'll follow.

am perfuaded, Shakespeare meant that the Soothfayer should fay, he faw a Reason in his Thought or Opinion, tho' he gave that Thought or Opinion no Utterance.

Lep

Lep. 'Till I fhall fee you in your Soldiers' dress, Which will become you Both, farewel.

Mec. We fhall,

As I conceive the journey, be at th' mount
Before you, Lepidus.

Lep. Your way is shorter,

My purposes do draw me much about ;

You'll win two days upon me.

Both. Sir, good fuccefs.

Lep. Farewel.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Palace in Alexandria.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras and Alexas.

Cleo. GIVE me fome mufick: mufick, moody food

Of us that trade in love

Omnes. The mufick, hoa!

Enter Mardian the Eunuch.

Cleo. Let it alone, let's to billiards: come, Charmian.
Char. My arm is fore, best play with Mardian.
Cleo. As well a woman with an Eunuch play'd,
As with a woman. Come, you'll play with me, Sir?
Mar. As well as I can, Madam.

Cleo. And when good will is fhew'd, tho't come too
fhort,

The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now.
Give me mine angle, we'll to th' river, there,
My mufick playing far off, I will betray
Tawny-finn'd fish; my bended hook shall pierce
Their flimy jaws; and, as I draw them up,
I'll think them every one an Antony,
And fay, ah, ha! you're caught.

Char. 'Twas merry, when

You wager'd on your angling; when your diver
Did hang a falt fish on his hook, which he
With fervency drew up.

Cleo. That time!-oh times!

I laugh'd him out of patience, and that night

I

1

I laught him into patience; and next morn,
Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed :
Then put my tires and mantles on him, (15) whilst
I wore his fword Philippan. Oh, from Italy;
Enter a Meffenger.

Ram thou thy faithful tidings in mine ears,
That long time have been barren.

Mef. Madam! Madam!.

Cleo. Antony's dead?

If thou fay fo, villain, thou kill'ft thy mistress:
But well and free,

If thou fo yield him, there is gold, and here
My blueft veins to kifs: a hand, that Kings
Have lipt, and trembled kiffing.

Mef. First, Madam, he is well.
Cleo. Why, there's more gold.
we use

But, firrah, mark,

To say, the dead are well: bring it to that,
The gold, I give thee, will I melt and pour
Down thy ill-uttering throat.

Mef. Good Madam, hear me.

Cleo. Well, go to, I will:

But there's no goodness in thy face. If Antony

(15)

whilft

I wore his Sword Philippan.] We are not to fuppofe, nor is there any Warrant from Hiftory, that Antony had any particular Sword fo call'd. The dignifying Weapons, in this Sort, is a Custom of much more recent Date. This therefore feems a Compliment à pofteriori. We find Antony afterwards, in this Play, boasting of his own Prowess at Philippi. Ant. Yes, my Lord, yes; be at Philippi kept

His Sword e'en like a Dancer, while I ftrook

The lean and wrinkled Caffius; &c.

That was the greatest Action of Antony's Life: and therefore This seems a fine Piece of Flattery, intimating, that his Sword ought to be denominated from that illuftrious Battle, in the fame manner as modern Heroes in Romance are made to give their Swords pompous Names.

Be