So many Mermaids, tended her i' th' eyes, Agr. Rare Egyptian! Eno. Upon her landing, Antony fent to her, It should be better, he became her guest; For what his eyes eat only. Agr. Royal Wench! She made great Cafar lay his fword to bed; Eno. I faw her once Hop forty paces through the publick street: And having loft her breath, fhe spoke, and panted, And breathless power breathe forth. Mec. Now Antony must leave her utterly. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale The appetites they feed; but she makes hungry, 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, 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 Ant. Good night, Sir. My Octavia, Read not my blemishes in the world's report: 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 Where Cafar's is not. But, near him, thy angel 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, 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 hath spoke true. The very dice obey him You must to Parthia, your commiffion's ready; 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 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. Cleo. And when good will is fhew'd, tho't come too The actor may plead pardon. I'll none now. Char. 'Twas merry, when You wager'd on your angling; when your diver 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, Ram thou thy faithful tidings in mine ears, Mef. Madam! Madam!. Cleo. Antony's dead? If thou fay fo, villain, thou kill'ft thy mistress: If thou fo yield him, there is gold, and here Mef. First, Madam, he is well. But, firrah, mark, To say, the dead are well: bring it to that, 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 |