Let witchcraft join with beauty, luft with both! That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour, Even till a Lethe'd dulnefs.4-How now Varrius? Again, in The Skynner's Play, among the Chefter collection of Myfteries, MS. Harl. 1013. p. 152; O bleffed be thou ever and aye; "Now wayned is all my woo." Yet this expreffion of Pompey's perhaps, after all, implies a wish only, that every charm of love may confer additional foftness on the lips of Cleopatra: i. e. that her beauty may improve to the ruin of her lover: or, as Mr. Ritfon expreffes the fame idea, that her lip, which was become pale and dry with age, may recover the colour and foftness of her fallad days."-The epithet wan might indeed have been added, only to fhow the fpeaker's private contempt of it. It may be remarked, that the lips of Africans and Afiatics are paler than thofe of European nations. STEEVENS. Shakspeare's orthography [or that of his ignorant publishers] often adds a d at the end of a word. Thus, vile is (in the old editions) every where fpelt vild. Laund is given instead of lawn : why not therefore wan'd for wan here? If this however fhould not be accepted, fuppofe we read with the addition only of an apoftrophe, wan'd; i. e. waned, declined, gone off from its perfection; comparing Cleopatra's beauty to the moon paft the full. PERCY. + That fleep and feeding may prorogue his honour, Even till a Lethe'd dulnefs.] I fufpect our author wrote: So, in Timon of Athens: let not that part of nature, "Which my lord pay'd for, be of any power "To expel ficknefs, but prolong his hour." The words honour and hour have been more than once confounded in thefe plays. What Pompey feems to with is, that Antony fhould ftill remain with Cleopatra, totally forgetful of every other object. "To prorogue his honour," does not convey to me at leaft, any precife notion. If however, there be no corruption, I fuppofe Pompey means to with, that fleep and feafting may prorogue to fo diftant a day all thoughts of fame and military achievement, that they may totally flide from Antony's mind. MALONE. Enter VARRIUS. VAR. This is most certain that I fhall deliver: Mark Antony is every hour in Rome Expected; fince he went from Egypt, 'tis A space for further travel.+ Ром. I could have given' less matter A better ear.-Menas, I did not think, This amorous furfeiter would have don'd his helm Is twice the other twain: But let us rear MEN. To prorogue his honour &c. undoubtedly means, to delay his fenfe of honour from exerting itself till he is become habitually fluggish. -fince he went from Egypt, 'tis STEEVENS. A Space for further travel. i. e. fince he quitted Egypt, a fpace of time has elapfed in which a longer journey might have been performed than from Egypt to Rome. STEEVENS. 5 I could have given &c.] I cannot help fuppofing, on account of the prefent irregularity of metre, that the name of Menas is an interpolation, and that the paffage originally ftood as follows: I could have given on. Pom. Lefs matter better ear.-I did not think STEEVENS. 6 — would have don'd his helm-] To don is to do on, to put So, in Webster's Dutchess of Malfy, 1623: 7 "Call upon our dame aloud, "Bid her quickly don her throwd." STEEVENS. Egypt's widow-] Julius Cæfar had married her to young Ptolemy, who was afterwards drowned. STEEVENS. 8 I cannot hope, &c.] Mr. Tyrwhitt, the judicious editor of the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer in five vols. 8vo. 1775, &c. obferves that to hope on this occafion means to expect. So, in The Reve's Tale, V. 4027: "Our manciple I hope he wol be ded." STEEVENS. His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think, Not mov'd by Antony. Ром. I know not, Menas, How leffer enmities may give way to greater. Were't not that we ftand up against them all, 'Twere pregnant they should fquare between themfelves; 2 For they have entertained cause enough up The petty difference, we yet not know. [Exeunt.+ warr'd upon him ;] The old copy has wan'd. The emendation, which was made by the editor of the fecond folio, is fupported by a paffage in the next fcene, in which Cæfar fays to Antony : 2 66 -your wife and brother "Made wars upon me." MALONE. Square] That is, quarrel. So, in The Shoemaker's Holiday, or the gentle Craft, 1600: "What? Square they, mafter Scott?— Sir, no doubt: "Lovers are quickly in, and quickly out." STEEVENS. See Vol. V. p. 32, n. 5. 3 It only flands MALONE. Our lives upon, &c.] i. e. to exert our utmost force, is the only confequential way of fecuring our lives. So, in King Richard III: for it ftands me much upon "To ftop all hopes" &c. i. e. is of the utmoft confequence to me. See Vol. X. P. 616, n. 2. STEEVENS. 4 This play is not divided into acts by the author or firft editors, and therefore the prefent divifion may be altered at pleasure. I think the first act may be commodioufly continued to this place, and the fecond act opened with the interview of the chief perfons, and a change of the state of action. Yet it must be confeffed, that it is of fmall importance, where thefe unconnected and defultory fcenes are interrupted. JOHNSON, SCENE II. Rome. A Room in the Houfe of Lepidus. Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS. LEP. Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your captain To foft and gentle fpeech. ENO. I fhall entreat him To answer like himself: if Cæfar move him, And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter, I would not fhav't to-day." LEP. For private ftomaching. ENO. 'Tis not a time Every time Serves for the matter that is then born in it. LEP. But fmall to greater matters must give way. ENO. Not if the fmall come first. LEP. Your speech is passion: But, pray you, ftir no embers up. Here comes The noble Antony. 4 Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard, I would not hav't to-day.] I believe he means, I would meet him undreffed, without show of respect. JOHNSON. Plutarch mentions that Antony "after the overthrow he had at Modena, fuffered his beard to grow at length, and never clipt it, that it was marvelous long." Perhaps this circumftance was in Shakspeare's thoughts. MALONE. ENO. Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS. And yonder, Cæfar. Enter CESAR, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA. ANT. If we compofe well here,' to Parthia: Hark you, Ventidius. CES. Mecænas; afk Agrippa. LEP. I do not know, Noble friends, That which combin'd us was most great, and let not A leaner action rend us. What's amifs, May it be gently heard: When we debate Murder in healing wounds: Then, noble partners, (The rather, for I earnestly befeech,) Touch you the foureft points with sweetest terms, Nor curftnefs grow to the matter." ANT. 'Tis spoken well: Were we before our armies, and to fight, 5 If we compofe well here,] i. e. if we come to a lucky compo fition, agreement. So afterwards, I crave our compofition may be written" i. e. the terms on which our differences are fettled. STEEVENS. 6 Nor curftness grow to the matter.] Let not ill-humour be added to the real fubject of our difference. JOHNSON. 7 Cæf. Sit. Ant. Sit, fir!] Antony appears to be jealous of a circumftance |